Tanzania has been declared ‘coronavirus free, it emerged on Monday June 8 after President John Magufuli made the announcement.
The President attributed the victory over the global pandemic to prayers and fasting offered to God by residents of Tanzania.
He also commended priests and worshippers for not wearing gloves and masks to protect themselves from the virus, as the globally recommended precautions were not necessary.
Speaking at a church congregation on Monday, the President stated;
It gives me joy to be the leader of a country that puts God first, God loves Tanzania. The works of the devil will always be defeated in Tanzania because Tanzanians love God. And that is why even the coronavirus has been defeated by God. The corona disease has been eliminated, thanks to God.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had earlier expressed concern over the government’s strategy on COVID-19, which include not publishing data on the number of coronavirus cases in the country and not observing safety guidelines.
On 29 April, the last day official data were released, there were 509 cases, with 21 deaths in Tanzania.
However, Magufuli last week said that only four patients were receiving treatment in the largest city, Dar es Salaam, BBC reports.
Last month, Tanzania’s government dismissed a US embassy warning that hospitals in Dar es Salaam were ‘overwhelmed’ and that the chances of contracting the virus was ‘extremely high’.
Doctors in the country also sounded alarm over alleged hidden coronavirus cases in the country and misinformation agenda fueled by the government.
Magufuli has repeatedly said the health crisis has been exaggerated and urged people to attend services in churches and mosques, saying only ‘prayers can vanquish the virus.’
He had also touted herbal medications as a treatment for coronavirus.
Kenya closed its borders to Tanzania and Somalia due to rising cases of imported COVID-19 cases.
As at press time, Kenya has 2,862 confirmed cases while Somalia has 2,368 cases.
