TANZANIA: Religious Leaders Conduct National Prayer Against Covid-19
Sarah Pelaji, Tanzania Episcopal Conference
Religious leaders in the country have conducted a national prayer for the nation on the spread of Coronavirus.
The prayer was held at Karimjee Hall in Dar es Salaam where the official guest was Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa.
At the prayer, the Catholic Church in the country was represented by the Secretary-General of Tanzania Episcopal Conference Rev. Dr. Charles Kitima and the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam Most. Rev. Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi.
The national prayer was conducted upon request of religious leaders to President of Tanzania John Pombe Magufuli on April 9, 2020, when they meet the Head of State to discuss some issues of national concerning including the war against Covid-19.
Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa thanked the religious leaders for their commitments while supporting government efforts in the fight against Covid-19.
As of April 21, 2020 a total of 284 patients had been diagnosed with Coronavirus (Covid-19), of which 256 patients were progressing well, seven were in intensive care unit, 10 died and 11 recovered. The confirmed cases are in provinces which include Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Mwanza, Coast, Dodoma, Kagera, Manyara and Morogoro.
Hon. Majaliwa said a total of 2,815 people who were close to the patients were being monitored.
“The World Health Organization estimated that by the end of April, 2020 Tanzania will have 524,716 patients but we thank God that we have not yet reached that number,” he said.
Regarding the situation in the country, the Prime Minister said the City of Dar es Salaam and the island of Zanzibar, are leading in the number of infection and demanded more precautions.
“The city of Dar es Salaam is the most contagious, so I urge the public, if you have no reason to go out please stay at home,” he stressed.
“It is time for everyone to continue taking precautions to avoid infection. Avoid unnecessary crowding, you have no reason to trust anyone. Assume everyone is sick but you.”
The Prime Minister has called on the religious leaders to take proactive steps to prevent the disease by educating their believers and urging them to take all necessary precautions.
“I urge you to take extra precautions and ensure that gatherings in houses of worship are reduced; believers are staying at least one meter from one another; places for hand washing with water and soap are set in all places of worship,” he appealed.
Hon. Majaliwa further emphasized, “Limit the number of meeting days for worship and the hours of worship where possible. For example, meetings for youth or women movements, gatherings for choir practices or singing, are generally better put off during this period.”
Concerning Government response to Coronavirus, the Prime Minister has said the relevant authorities continue to take various steps to control the spread of the disease, including preventative education, adding that the government has formed a National Committee comprising of Ministers, Secretaries, the Health Team to provide advise on the matter.
“We have targeted outpatient facilities; purchased equipment to deal with this disease, especially the personal preventative equipment (PPEs) for health care providers. We have also strengthened the capacity of our laboratories with a view to expanding the scope of the sample testing to more than seven centers in the country where preliminary testing is done prior to verification at the National Laboratory,” he said.
On the same note, the Prime Minister has condemned the behavior of some traders who intend to raise food prices during the fasting month of Ramadhan.
“This week, the Muslim believers are beginning the fast of Ramadhan. I urge traders to make sure that essential foods during this period are sold at regular prices. Regional and district heads should conduct regular inspections in markets to ensure the same price.”
On their part, the religious leaders who participated in the national prayer have praised the Government for the steps it has taken so far in dealing with Covid-19 disease.
