Trust govt in coronavirus fight, Tanzania PM says

Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has asked Tanzanians to trust the government and its medical experts in the fight against Coronavirus.

Mr Majaliwa was speaking at an inter-religious prayer meeting organised to address the coronavirus issue that was held in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

“I understand some of our fellow Tanzanians would like to see many more measures taken in the fight against this disease," the prime minister said.

"It's important they understand that every measure has its own advantages and disadvantages. So the government has continued to assess every measure for its benefits and its disadvantages."

There have been calls for the government to impose stricter measures, such as a lockdown in Dar es Salaam city, as the number of coronavirus cases in Tanzania creeps up.

Some have also called for the suspension of religious gatherings to curb the spread of infections.

So far, the government has avoided taking hard-line measures to curb the movement of people. The speaker of parliament, Job Ndugai, said that a lockdown is best suited to Western countries and it could badly affect people living on a hand-to-mouth basis.

Wednesday's prayers, which were broadcast live on national media, were organised by the ministry of health in collaboration with religious leaders.

Over a dozen religious leaders attended the prayers and sat in an arrangement that allowed them to practice social distancing.

This spiritual intervention is in response to President John Magufuli's calls for nationwide prayers for the country against the pandemic.

Tanzania has a total of 284 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 10 deaths.