Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania – Esther Mngodo, like other Tanzanians, was relieved to hear this week that government officials are finally urging people in the country to take care against the coronavirus – and even wear face masks.
“It’s a good move,” said Mngodo, a 34-year resident of Dar-es-Salaam. “But much more needs to be done to increase public awareness, testing and treatment. More importantly, we need to have a clear strategy on how we can navigate through the unprecedented times. “
In a dramatic change in the official stance on coronavirus, President John Magufuli said on Sunday that the government had not banned the wearing of masks and urged those who wanted to do so.
However, he cautioned against what he said was defective face cover sold in the country, suggesting that high coronavirus-related mortality rates could be linked to the acceptance and consideration of such products. those in rural Tanzania were less susceptible to the virus as they were less likely to be infected.
“The government has not banned the use of mascara. But we have to be careful about the masks we wear. We will go. Don’t think we’re so passionate. Economic war is bad, ”Magufuli told a congregation at a church service in Dar-es-Salaam.
“Those masks we buy in the shops – we kill ourselves,” he said, before advising Tanzanians to either make the masks themselves or the locally made ones. used.
Magufuli has long reduced the severity of COVID-19, urging Tanzanians to pray, use steam inhalation and adopt local remedies to protect themselves from respiratory disease. Tanzania stopped releasing infection numbers in April 2020, weeks before Magufuli declared the country free of coronavirus in June through divine intervention.
For Mngodo, the recent U-turn could be the result of a deadly resurgence of infections, which have swept across the country in recent months.
“The level of trouble seems to have reached a point where the government cannot deny the severity of the problem,” said Mngodo, a media adviser.
Death notifications are often the result of “normal seizures” or “breathing problems” flooding social media.
Among the dead are several individuals, including several university professors, a former central bank governor, the country’s top secretary and Zanzibar’s first vice-president, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad.
Of these, Hamad was the only one confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus, as he texted his COVID-19 test results to the media. As for the others, it has been left to the public to discuss the causes of their death, at a time when the world is still fighting the pandemic of coronavirus and many of common Tanzanians has influenced him.
These situations have led religious leaders and other critics, particularly on social media, to urge the government to provide clear and consistent guidance on combating the pandemic, while also urging individuals to be careful.
U.S.-based Tanzanian medical doctor Frank Minja said the change of mind is welcome, if it is late, and could provide an opportunity. “We want to encourage [the president] move faster in implementing what we know to be effective and implement it immediately, ”he said.
“I don’t want to say it’s too late, because if we say too late it means we may not do anything either.” And because, by its very nature, the pandemic attacks in waves, not it’s never too late to start doing the right thing, ”said Minja, who has been campaigning on social media to raise awareness about the coronavirus.
Dorothy Semu, chairman of the ACT Wazalendo opposition party, criticized Magufuli, saying the measures taken when the virus first entered the country – including physical speed and control eliminate major incidents – keep them in place.
“I am a politician but I also believe in science,” said Semu. “As leaders with responsibility for people’s lives it is important that we make our decisions based on facts. HIV / AIDS; some people denied its presence and many lives were lost, so I expected the president, who is also a scientist, to continue with the steps taken and we would have saved a lot of lives. “
Magufuli in June declared Tanzania ‘coronavirus-free’, thanks to the prayers of its citizens [File: AP Photo]
The new stance by Magufuli – a former teacher and business chemist – seems to have inspired the application of mascara to many public offices and other officials to come forward suddenly and warn people of the dangers. coronavirus and the steps individuals should take to protect themselves from the viruses.
For example, the group that runs Dar-es-Salaam express transport buses on Monday said passengers would not be allowed on board without a mask.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health, headed by Dorothy Gwajima, which has advocated the introduction of a vegetable steamer and smoothie for the treatment of COVID-19, earlier in the year. week out a statement warning people against the virus and urging them to take action.
However, he insisted he would not recommend locking measures.
“As the president said, we won last year and the economy continued to grow until we reached middle-income economy status, and the coronavirus was still there,” the ministry statement said.
“We haven’t set locks, and even now, we won’t set locks because God is on our side.”