AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children at the weekend said 289 people had completed a 14-day mandatory quarantine and tested negative.
Data issued by the Ministry’s Public Health Emergency Operation Centre further shows 146 people are under a mandatory 14-day quarantine and 389 people are under surveillance.
So far, there are 24 cases of coronavirus, one death and three recoveries have been reported in the country.
The cases have been reported in four regions, including Dar es Salaam (13), Zanzibar (7), Arusha (2), Kagera (1) and Mwanza (1).
One patient each in Dar es Salaam, Kagera and Arusha regions have recovered. The first case in Tanzania was reported mid-last month.
These numbers tell us one thing that the coronavirus contagion is not all that bad as thought and the government has to a great extent contained the disease.
However, some critics in the community are still not comfortable with the statistics, especially the number of infections reported so far.
Most people look at the number of cases reported in the East African region, where Kenya leads, to question the data issued by the Ministry of Health.
Although the country has yet to launch mass testing for Covid-19, some ground statistics may suggest the level of infections.
For instance, some institutions such as religious institutions, hospitals and supermarkets are taking body temperature before one enters their premises.
Dar es Salaam’s Full Gospel Bible Fellowship Church for the three consecutive week takes worshipers body temperatures before entering the house of God for their three Sunday services and those visiting the church for various services on weekdays.
FGBF, with a single church building in Mwenge, Da es Salaam, says in the past three weeks has yet to find anyone with above normal temperature—38 and above degrees Celsius.
On Sunday, the three services attended by roughly 3,000 worshippers and about 80 per cent attended the services in the past three weeks.
Mlimani City, the largest shopping mall in the country, for the past week measured people temperatures before entering the mall—but none was found with above normal body temperature.
Also International Eye Hospital takes temperatures of those attending eye clinic. The Muslim and non-Christian communities are not behind in implementing preventive measures.
Though data for other institutions were not immediately availed, the number of FGBF church worshipers and those visiting Mlimani City Mall on a daily basis suggests that the level of infection is not as bad those questioning the government data.
Yes, body temperature is not a hundred-and-one per cent sure that one is infected nor not since it is not showing the level of infection in society, but it suggests that if same people tested for three weeks with no sign of high temperature, then society should believe the data issued by the government.
Let’s trust the government data and adhere to recommended preventive measures.
