Tanzania opposition angry over no coronavirus update in two weeks

Tanzania’s opposition has demanded the truth about the country’s coronavirus infections two weeks after the last update, as the United States’s embassy raised alarm over “overwhelmed hospitals” in the East African nation.

The government stopped giving daily updates after President John Magufuli complained last month they were causing panic, and went on to question the data from the national laboratory.

The last total of 480 cases and 16 deaths was given on April 29.

“The government of Tanzania shouldn’t keep its citizens in the dark,” Zitto Kabwe, the leader of the opposition Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo), told the AFP news agency.

“Transparency is key in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Kabwe said.

On Tuesday, the party released a statement slamming the “radio silence” from the government.

“We need to know what the truth is and we need to know it now. We request that [Magufuli’s] government issues statistics on a daily basis from this day forward,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the US embassy in Tanzania issued a statement warning the risk of contracting the virus in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam was “extremely high”.

“Despite limited official reports, all evidence points to exponential growth of the epidemic in Dar and other locations in Tanzania,” said the embassy, urging its staff and families to remain at home.

“Many hospitals in Dar es Salaam have been overwhelmed in recent weeks. Limited hospital capacity throughout Tanzania could result in life-threatening delays for medical care, including for those with COVID-19,” it added.

Downplaying impact of virus

Last week, the government said it would resume giving data when there had been improvements at the national laboratory.

Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu suspended the director and a senior official at the laboratory after Magufuli cast doubt on the credibility of the laboratory equipment and technicians and questioned the official data on the epidemic.

Magufuli, who has consistently downplayed the impact of the virus, said he secretly had animals, fruits and even vehicle oil tested at the laboratory.

A papaya, a quail and a goat had been found to be positive, he said.

Magufuli has also urged citizens to keep attending church and the mosque and working hard.

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Tanzania’s tests were working well and had been proven to be reliable.

But critics have said Tanzania has not taken extensive measures to halt the spread of the virus, unlike some of its neighbours in Africa.