On Monday 20th July, Tanzanian President John Magufuli declared the republic of Tanzania ‘corona-virus’ free. “We decided to pray to God to save us from COVID-19. God answered our prayers,” president Magufuli declared during the swearing-in event of Regional Commissioners, District Commissioners, and some appointed officials.Dr. Magufuli added that “Our enemies will speak a lot, but the reality remains that Tanzania is safe and that is why none of us here is putting on a mask. Does it mean we are afraid of dying? No, it is because coronavirus has been eliminated.”
He further urged the appointed officials to market the country as the ultimate safe destination and open for tourism. Every leader at the best of his capacity should be an ambassador for the country to the rest of the world.
This comes at a time when the World Health Organization has simultaneously voiced alarm at the spread of COVID-19 in Africa, warning South Africa’s surging numbers could be a ‘precursor’ for the outbreaks across the continent.
“I am very concerned right now that we are beginning to see an acceleration of disease in Africa,” WHO’s emergencies chief Micheal Ryan told a virtual news conference. Until recently, Africa remained relatively unscathed by the pandemic compared with rising numbers in other parts of the world. With more than 15,000 deaths and close to 725,000 cases, the continent remains the second least affected after Oceania. But the situation has become increasingly worrying in South Africa with over 13,000 new cases. Over the weekend the country saw a death toll from coronavirus pass the 5,000 mark with more than 350,000 infections an overwhelming and worrisome situation.
