Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania – Esther Mngodo, like other Tanzanians, was relieved to hear this week that government officials are finally asking people in the country to take precautions against the coronavirus – and even to wear face masks.
“It’s a good move,” said Mngodo, a 34-year-old resident of Dar-es-Salaam. “But much more needs to be done to increase public awareness, testing and treatment. Most importantly, we must have a clear strategy on how to navigate these unprecedented times. “
In a surprise change in the official position on the coronavirus, President John Magufuli said on Sunday that the government had not banned the use of masks and encouraged those who wanted it.
However, he warned against what he claimed to be defective facial coverings for sale in the country, suggesting that the high mortality rates related to coronavirus worldwide could be linked to the absorption of such products and claiming that those in rural Tanzania were less likely to fall prey to the virus because they tended not to use them.
“The government has not banned the use of a mask. But we have to be careful with the masks we use. We will perish. Do not think that we are much loved. The economic war is bad, ”Magufuli told a congregation in a religious cult in Dar-es-Salaam.
“These masks we buy in stores – we are killing ourselves,” he argued, before advising Tanzanians to make the masks themselves or use the ones produced locally.
Magufuli has long minimized the gravity of COVID-19, urging Tanzanians to pray, use steam inhalation and adopt local remedies to protect themselves from respiratory diseases. Tanzania stopped releasing infection figures in April 2020, weeks before Magufuli declared the country free from coronavirus in June by divine intervention.
For Mngodo, the recent turnaround may be the result of what appears to be a deadly resurgence of the infection, which has swept the country in recent months.
“It seems that the extent of the problem has reached a point where the government cannot deny the seriousness of the problem,” said Mngodo, a media consultant.
Announcements of deaths often attributed to “current pneumonia” or “breathing problems” flooded social media.
Among the deceased were several high-profile individuals, including several university professors, a former central bank governor, the country’s chief secretary and Zanzibar’s first vice president, Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad.
Of these, Hamad was the only person confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus, by texting the results of the COVID-19 test to the media. As for the others, the public speculated about the causes of their deaths, at a time when the world is still fighting the coronavirus pandemic and many ordinary Tanzanians have been touched by its effects.
These circumstances have led religious leaders and other critics, especially on social media, to pressure the government to provide clear and consistent guidelines on fighting the pandemic, while urging individuals to take precautions.
A Tanzanian doctor based in the United States, Frank Minja, said that the change of opinion is welcome, if necessary, and may represent an opportunity. “We want to encourage [the president] to move faster in the implementation of what we know to be effective and to implement it immediately, ”he said.
“I don’t want to say it’s too late, because if we say too late, it means that we can very well do nothing. And because, by their nature, pandemic attacks are in waves, it is never too late to start doing the right thing, ”added Minja, who has been campaigning on social media to raise awareness about the coronavirus.
Dorothy Semu, acting chairman of the opposition party ACT Wazalendo, criticized Magufuli, saying that the measures implemented when the virus first entered the country – including physical distance and the cancellation of major events – should have been maintained.
“I am a politician, but I also believe in science,” said Semu. “As leaders responsible for people’s lives, it is important that we make our decisions based on facts. It is like when HIV / AIDS was discovered; some people have denied their presence and many lives have been lost. So, I hoped that the president, who is also a scientist, would have continued with the previous measures and we would have saved many lives ”.
Magufuli in June declared Tanzania ‘coronavirus free’, thanks to the prayers of its citizens [File: AP Photo]
Magufuli’s new position – a former professor and industrial chemist – on the use of masks seems to have also prompted many other public offices and employees to suddenly introduce themselves and warn people about the dangers of coronavirus and the measures that individuals should take to protect themselves from the virus.
For example, the agency that operates the Dar-es-Salaam shuttle buses on Monday said that passengers would not be allowed to board if they did not wear a mask.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health, headed by Dorothy Gwajima who has already advocated inhaling steam and a vegetable smoothie to treat COVID-19, earlier this week issued a statement warning people against the virus and calling for precautions.
However, he insisted that he would not recommend blocking measures.
“As the president said, we won last year and the economy continued to grow until we reached the status of a middle-income economy, and Coronavirus still existed,” said the ministry.
“We have not established blockades and, even now, we are not going to impose blockages because God is on our side.”