Avoid handshakes and kissing says President Magufuli

Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli on Friday, March 13, called the public to avoid unnecessary body contacts such as kissing and handshakes in the wake of the outbreak of Coronavirus.

“We should avoid handshakes and kissing, Tanzania is yet to report case of Corona but that does not mean that the country is safe.”

He urged the media in the country to educate the public on the outbreak of Coronavirus which already claimed thousands of death across the world.

The president’s call comes a few hours after Kenya confirmed that one person had tested positive of the virus in Nairobi.

President Magufuli urged media to spend one minute providing education to Tanzanians, editors of newspapers should put at least two lines of caution, and on Television before the news bulleting to educate the public on how to protect themselves.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared Coronavirus outbreak as an epidemic.

“Before you play music just air at least one minute message on Corona virus. This disease has already killed over 4500 people around and world and 120,000 have been infected,” he said.

 President Magufuli added that a number of airlines have suspended flights including ATCL which has cancelled flights to Mumbai due to similar reasons, adding that the disease is real and it kills.

He also cautioned Tanzanians to reduce unnecessary trips abroad and even to the countryside as well to avoid unnecessary congestion.

 The President was speaking at the official opening of Tanzania Peoples Defense Force (TPDF) workshop in Lugalo.