The US Embassy in Tanzania has issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory for COVID-19 warning US citizens in the East African country to observe extreme caution against contracting coronavirus saying the risk is high.
The health alert noted that the Tanzanian government has not released aggregate numbers on COVID-19 cases or deaths since April 29 and consequently the embassy is unable to provide specific guidance for U.S. citizens in Tanzania.
“Given the presumed ongoing community transmission in Dar es Salaam and other locations in Tanzania, the risk of contracting COVID-19 remains high” the alert issued on Tuesday reads in part.
The Embassy has recommended that U.S. government personnel and their families reduce movement outside of their home except for essential activities and limit the number of visitors entering their home.
“Healthcare facilities in Tanzania can become quickly overwhelmed in a healthcare crisis. There have been instances during the COVID-19 outbreak when hospitals in Dar es Salaam reached full capacity due to the high volume COVID-19 cases” the alert states.
It also noted that limited hospital capacity throughout Tanzania could result in life-threatening delays for emergency medical care in case of infection.
The US Embassy raised a similar concern last month over the rising and unreported Covid-19 cases in Tanzania.
A few days later, Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli went public and announced that the numbers of patients had drastically dropped to manageable levels claiming that the health facilities in the country were not under pressure.
President Magufuli also gave a testimony of his biological son who healed completely from coronavirus courtesy of local herbs.
The Tanzanian president who did not announce a lockdown said, Tanzania’s handling of COVID-19 is in such a way that the countries economy comes first before everything else.
He said if the lockdown is announced, the economy would suffer, government would not be able to collect revenue and pay salaries and church offerings would cease.
“Being an independent nation, Magufuli said Tanzania will not be ruled by COVID-19.” Magufuli said.