AfricaPress-Tanzania: AS the world embrace economic and social disruption due to coronavirus, President Ali Mohamed Shein has appealed to Tanzanians to avoid jokes over the disease, and take health precautions seriously.
“The available weapon so far against COVID-19 is to adhere to advice/guidelines given by health experts, and religious believers to keep on asking help from GOD. Every Tanzanian, both in the Mainland and Zanzibar has a big role to play to contain the virus,” Dr Shein said here.
He made the comment, while inspecting the ongoing construction of modern central medical laboratories at Binguni area, in Unguja Central district.
This was the first public statement by Dr Shein on the disease, since the country recorded its first coronavirus patient, last fortnight.
Dr Shein warned, “Our ability to fight coronavirus is weak, therefore let us join forces to prevent it from reaching the local population. Developed countries are already facing serious challenges, because there is no cure as deaths and infections increase”!
The Isles President reminded Zanzibaris that the government understands difficulties in implementing some health precautions such as ‘social distancing’, but the precautions are necessary and effective in keeping us safe from contracting coronavirus.
Zanzibar has two cases of COVID-19 and monitoring 134 people, who mainly returned home from abroad.
Meanwhile, Zanzibar Judiciary has joined the war against coronavirus by introducing guidelines for Courts’ operations aimed at preventing the spread of corona virus.
“All Court hearings are hereby suspended for a period of 30 days with effect from March 26, 2020,” Chief Justice (CJ) Omar Makungu said, in a statement read on his behalf by the Registrar of High Court Mohamed Ali Mohamed.
Other changes in Court during this time of selfcoronavirus pandemic quarantine included bail for bond allowed offences, and Judges and Magistrates are encouraged to grant bail on affordable and reasonable conditions in order to reduce the populations in the prisons.
However, governments across the globe have warned their citizens that the coronavirus outbreak could lead to months of serious disruption, as figures for deaths and infections rise daily.
Equally, several sectors particularly Zanzibar’s tourism industry is already feeling the pinch.
