Tanzania cautions on new Covid-19 strain
What you need to know:
- Tanzania has recorded a total of 26,261 Covid-19 cases and 730 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year
Dar es Salaam. The government has urged Tanzanians to take all the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as a new variant of the Covid-19 virus threatens to roll back the global fight against the disease.
A statement issued by Tanzania's chief medical officer, Dr Aifello Sichwale, said on Saturday, November 27 that the fourth Covid-19 wave caused by the new variant was "deadly".
It said it was about time that Tanzanians avoided unnecessary gatherings and wore masks.
Other precautions include hand washing, use of sanitizer, exercising and use of natural remedies as advised by health professionals.
“The Ministry will keep monitoring and testing all travelers at the airports, ports and in all borders points,” Dr Sichwale said.
He said Tanzania would keep a close eye on all countries with high cases and take all necessary actions.
The government will also continue with time to time provision of information to the public about the outbreaks of diseases.
The government’s statement comes at a time when the outbreak of a deadly fourth coronavirus wave named Omicron variant, is reportedly causing fear in various countries.
The new variant was first identified in South Africa and has since been reported in Botswana, Belgium, Hong Kong and Israel.
On November 26, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there was a new variant of the Covid-19, called Omicron, which spreads quickly.
According to Sichwale, there has been an increase in cases of Covid-19 cases in different countries around the world during the past few weeks, warning that Tanzanians must be alert as the festive season gets around the corner.
According to the statement Tanzania has recorded a total of 26,261 Covid-19 cases and 730 deaths since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year.
