Fifty people reportedly died in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, days after the neighbouring nation's pastor mocked Kenya's efforts to curb Coronavirus (Covid-19).
On Thursday night, April 30, NTV reported that Tanzania's opposition leaders accused President John Pombe Magufuli of hiding information on Coronavirus deaths as their government reported that only sixteen deaths had been recorded.
Tanzania reported her first case on March 16, and in the last two weeks of April, their cases jumped to 480 as Magufuli declined to set up more measures to prevent the spread of the disease as churches and market centres are still open.
In mid-April, A Tanzania pastor, Josephat Gwajima, sparked outrage after he trolled Kenya and Rwanda for recording Coronavirus cases, arguing that the pandemic escalation in the two nations was due to enforcement of strict rules to battle Covid-19 which included banning church gatherings.
"Corona decided to act on them because they were not going to church. Kenya also closed its churches but has 113 cases with three already dead," Gwajima blatantly stated, further adding that Kenya had not recorded any recoveries.
However, Tanzania's Government Spokesperson refuted media reports on the death of fifty, while responding to the report by NTV.
"Journalism at crossroads? This kind of fake and false news is increasingly rampant," the official tweeted on Thursday night, April 30.
Tanzania's upsurge of Coronavirus cases continues to raise more questions on the safety of other nations, despite President Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Yoweri Museveni (Uganda) and Pombe of Tanzania holding joint meetings on how to protect their borders.
With truck drivers highlighted as carriers of the disease, the three nations resolved to have the drivers tested, before disembarking on long-distance journeys.
"As part of our strategy to fight the Coronavirus disease, all the cross border truck drivers will be tested for the virus. As members of the East African Community (EAC), we have agreed on a protocol that will ensure seamless clearance at the border points, all Kenyan truck drivers shall be tested on exiting Mombasa," Kenya's Health CAS Rashid Aman stated.
On Wednesday, April 22, Kenyans.co.ke analysed the transmission of the disease across borders, as analyst warned that Magufuli's recklessness would jeopardise Kenya's Covid-19 war.
"If Tanzania becomes reckless, we Kenyans will suffer because of our own recklessness as we have seen Kenyans condole with those escaping from quarantine centres. There won't be any strain on our diplomatic relationship with them because, with time, they will put up the measures such as ours, in travel restriction and city lockdowns," analyst Herman Manyora opined.
Videos/Courtesy
{"preview_thumbnail":"/files/styles/video_embed_wysiwyg_preview/public/video_thumbnails/6CtiiiDAK8k.jpg?itok=rKfD4soY","video_url":"","settings":{"responsive":1,"width":"854","height":"480","autoplay":0},"settings_summary":["Embedded Video (Responsive)."]}
