AfricaPress-Tanzania: ZANZIBAR has continued to receive donations from various donors to support the anti COVID-19, campaign as the Second Vice President, Ambassador Seif Ali Iddi warned the public against criminals using the coronavirus pandemic to scam people.
“We thank people and institutions contributing, but it is unfortunate that there are reports indicating that some criminals are using the opportunity to con people. We ask the police to investigate and arrest them, including those selling fake sanitizers and masks,” Ambassador Iddi said here when receiving donations from several business people.
According to the vice president, the fraudsters pretend to be government agents assigned to collect funds to support the campaign against COVID-19, “I would like to assure all people that we have no agents that have been sent to collect money.”
Business people have donated different equipment, including cash money, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), gloves, masks, washing detergents, drinking water, and water tanks, and the latest donor, Mr Nassor Salim Bopar donated 60 hospital beds to be used in COVID-19 treatment centres.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Health, Mr Hamad Rashid Mohamed has said that the use of masks is highly encouraged because it reduces risks of contracting the disease caused by the virus.
“The government encourages all people to wear facemasks whenever they are in public, the practice reduces the risk of contracting the novel virus,” he noted.
The Minister said there is an increase of corona-virus cases because people are not doing enough in observing precautions in and out of their homes, and that in addition to hand washing frequently and social distancing, use of mask is highly recommended.
“We have asked local factories, including JKU (economy paramilitary department) and MAFUNZO (prison department) to produce as many mask as possible so that they could be available and affordable for the people,” he said.
