AfricaPress-Tanzania: PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has directed regional and district disaster management committees to join forces with COVID-19 coordinators in their respective areas to fight the novel virus.
The Premier also stressed the need for Tanzanians to continue taking precautionary measures against the viral disease by avoiding unnecessary crowding, especially when they visit places such as markets and bus terminals among others.
Mr Majaliwa issued the directives on Thursday evening while leading a meeting with the members of the national committee on the fight against coronavirus at his office in Dodoma.
The meeting involved, among others, members from Mainland and Zanzibar. He, however, directed Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender Elderly and Children to dispatch health experts in areas with high demand such as airports, bus terminals and ports.
“Our aim is to ensure that the country remains safe… Tanzanians should continue to take precautionary measures to prevent further spread of the disease, especially when they seek various services,” he said.
He said the committee should make a follow up and effective supervision to ensure that people entering the country undergo screening and make more follow ups to establish the history of their trips in a period of 14 days, with the aim of preventing the spread of the disease to the society.
Mr Majaliwa however commended the media for its cooperation with the government in educating the public on how to prevent themselves from the disease.
On March 23, the PM formed three committees as part of efforts to fight COVID – 19 in the country.
They include the National committee which is led by Prime Minister, with members including the Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office, Policy, Parliamentary Affairs, Employment and Disabled, Minister for Defence and National Service, and the Minister for Education, Science and Technology.
Others are Minister of State, President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Governments, Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, Minister of State, Vice President’s Office, Union Affairs, Minister of State, Second Vice-President’s Office – Zanzibar, Minister for Health from Zanzibar, Permanent Secretary in Prime Minister’s Office, Government Spokesperson, Finance and Planning Minister from both mainland and Zanzibar.
The PM, however, added two members on Thursday to join forces in the fight against the disease, who are Home Affairs Minister and Minister of State President’s Office Regional Administration and Special Department.
Speaking in Dodoma on Thursday, Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu directed regional authorities to set up mandatory isolation areas which are affordable for people from all walks of life, as she assured the public that being in isolation does not mean they are positive but rather consider it a prevention measure.
According to the minister, as of Thursday, the existing lab had managed to test 273 samples, out of which 13 tested positive.
The breakdown showed Arusha region had two patients, Dar es Salaam (8), Zanzibar (2) and Kagera (1). All the patients are doing well, and no critical case has been reported so far.
From January 1st this year, 1,890,532 travellers were screened at 27 country’s entry points. As of yesterday afternoon, global coronavirus cases had reached 542,533, with 24,369 deaths.
