AfricaPress-Tanzania: AS coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues plaguing various countries across the world, the government of Tanzania has taken preventive measures to minimise infections.
They include raising public awareness on how the deadly disease is spread and how it can be controlled if people take precautionary steps as directed by health experts.
Given the fact that it is the developed countries which have been so far most plagued by the disease, it makes a lot of sense for developing countries to take precautionary measures due to the fact that we have limited resources and technology to contain it effectively.
However, this shouldn’t make us lose hope for the steps we can take may even be as effective as if we have the resources and technology to control the deadly disease.
So, we shouldn’t undermine what we can do in the fight against coronavirus even if we have limited resources and technology.
Perhaps this is the fear people may have about this pandemic. However, government officials have continued giving us hope not to panic because the disease can be prevented if people heed health experts’ advice and guidelines given by the government.
So far, three people–a Tanzanian (who had just returned home from Belgium), an American and a German-have been reported to have contracted the disease in the country and are under close observation.
On Tuesday, while briefing the media on the measures the government had taken to fight against the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said all schools from pre-primary to secondary level had been closed for a month.
Yesterday, Mr Majaliwa added to the list higher education institutions up to university level. Sports and political activities such as matches and meetings respectively and other social gatherings such as weddings had also been temporarily suspended.
We commend the government for taking these measures and for raising public awareness on how the disease spreads and how one can protect oneself against it.
The government has also strengthened screening at entry points and has designated Muhimbili National Hospital-Mlonganzila in Dar es Salaam, Buswelu Health Centre in Mwanza, Mawenzi Hospital in Kilimanjaro, Mnazi Mmoja in Zanzibar and Chake Chake in Pemba for admitting patients who will have contracted the disease.
This gives us great hope that if we continue heeding experts’ advice we will be able to contain it.
As the World Health Organisation (WHO) advises, if you experience a running nose, sore throat, cough, fever and difficulty breathing (severe cases) just consult a doctor for medical advice.
