AfricaPress-Tanzania: TANZANIA has recorded two more deaths from Covid-19, bringing the total number of fatalities to three since the country registered the first case mid last month.
According to a statement issued yesterday by the Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu, the country has registered seven new cases, five of which are on Mainland Tanzania and two in Zanzibar.
According to Ms Mwalimu, the deaths of the two patients occurred yesterday involving a 51- year old Tanzanian man whose information was availed to the public on Wednesday this week; a 57-year old Tanzanian whose information surfaced yesterday.
Both patients who passed away yesterday were residents of Dar es Salaam Region.
Speaking on new cases recorded yesterday on Tanzania Mainland, the minister said they involved a 35-year old woman and four men, aged 68 years, 54 years, 41 years and a 57-year man whose death also occurred yesterday.
The minister said as of yesterday, the total number of individuals confirmed to have contracted coronavirus since the first case was registered at the end of last month has now reached 32, five of whom recovered.
The remaining 24 patients are positively responding to treatment and progressing well.
The new situation that unfolded yesterday came only a day after the health minister met religious leaders in Dar es Salaam during which she asked them to play a key role in directing worshippers to take precautionary measures to tame homegrown cases.
“To a greater extent, we have managed to tame imported cases as we no longer have new imported ones. Currently, we are focusing on local transmission and if the public is not educated on how to take precautions, we will soon move to community transmission. Religious leaders have a key role in this,” Ms Mwalimu was quoted as emphatically appealing to religious leaders.
In Zanzibar, health Minister Hamad Rashid Mohammed announced two more COVID-19 cases, bringing to nine the total number of victims of the deadly disease in the islands.
According to the Health Minister, all the patients were recovering well at the Kidimni treatment centre.
“We have today received results of samples that we sent yesterday (Thursday) for testing, two of the samples have tested positive, bringing to nine the number of corona patients,” Minister Hamad said.
One of the victims, according to the minister was a 33-year old Tanzanian and Mwanakwerekwe resident who, on April 7, 2020, was reported to have been suffering from high fever, flu and cough.
The patient has already been admitted at Kidimni centre. A 24-year old Mtendeni resident in Zanzibar was reported to have flu and cough and his sample tested COVID-19 positive.
The two patients had no history of travelling outside the country in recent days.
Minister Hamad said the government was closely following up close contacts with the new victims to quell further spread of the novel virus.
“As of 2pm yesterday (Thursday) 86 people who had met with the patients were being closely followed up, “ he said.
There are also 252 Zanzibaris who have returned from foreign trips under quarantine in Unguja and Pemba, with 202 others discharged after completing their mandatory 14-day quarantine and testing negative to the virus.
The minister reminded all wananchi to take precautionary measures, especially hand washing, and observe directives from the government and health experts to protect themselves against deadly infections.
Already, the Zanzibar government has ordered all bars and entertainment spots to remain closed until further notice as the islands strive to quell the deadly virus.
The government has also outlawed gatherings, arguing that crowds contribute to the COVID-19 pandemic by over 60 per cent.
The Indian Ocean archipelago has restricted all markets to “pick and rush” scenes, discouraging discussions at the markets, which have to close operations by 6pm, daily.
