AS the coronavirus pandemic continues plaguing various parts of the world, it is good to remind each other to play our part to contain it.
Although the World Health Organisation (WHO) was reluctant to declare the fatal disease a “pandemic”, on March 11 WHO officially declared the coronavirus a global pandemic after 132,500 people had been diagnosed with Covid-19 in over 120 countries across the world.
On Friday, President John Magufuli called on individual Tanzanians, the media and security organs to play their role in preventive measures.
We reiterate the President’s call as until yesterday two of our neighbouring countries had reported to have hit by COVID- 19, whose symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath.
Muscle pain, sputum production and sore throat are said to be less common symptoms.
We see the importance of reminding each other because we can take for granted that until now no person has been diagnosed with the deadly disease in our country.
But for us this is not important because we know that we are not an isolated island and so anything can happen to us too.
It is in this regard that there is a need for urgency to take extra-measures to prevent the spread of this disease given the fact that we get visitors from many parts of the world and also some of our people travel to other parts of the world for different reasons.
As we have taken precautions and the government called on Tanzanians to report any suspicious invasion of desert locust swarms, so let us also in a similar manner take care with COVID-19.
So, let us heed the call of President Magufuli and that of Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Ummy Mwalimu and of other government and religious leaders who on various occasions have kept reminding us and urging us to take precautions against the fatal disease.
In solidarity with those countries that have been badly hit, we pray to God to help the victims. We pray too for scientists, who are working hard to study the disease and find a lasting solution to the pandemic.
We pray also for doctors to attend to the victims with great courage and determination and for patients who are admitted to hospital to a speedy recovery.
We remain united in the fight against COVID-19 and we wish all governments in East Africa, African and of other countries across the world to cooperate in the fight against this deadly disease.
