Tanzanian health authorities dismiss rumors of COVID-19 o******k
Tanzanian health authorities on Saturday dismissed social media reports indicating an outbreak of COVID-19 in the east African nation saying the reports were 'fake news'.
"Tanzanians should ignore the reports as the country has not yet recorded any outbreak of the virus," Ummy Mwalimu, the Minister for Health, told Xinhua when reached by phone.
However, Mwalimu urged Tanzanians to continue taking precautionary measures saying the country was on high alert on preparedness as the virus was spreading very fast in countries across the world.
"We are still on preparedness stage to control an outbreak of the virus. We have not yet reached the response stage," she said.
The report posted online claimed that officials in Tanzania had confirmed a case of the virus in the country's capital Dodoma.
According to latest update by World Health Organization (WHO), globally the COVID-19 disease has now killed nearly 3,500 people and infected more than 100,000 across 92 nations and territories.
On Feb. 27, Tanzania's Minister for Health Ummy Mwalimu said the country has reinforced preparedness and response measures against the COVID-19 outbreak.
No Tanzanian has been infected by the virus so far, Mwalimu told a news conference in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, urging citizens to continue taking precautionary measures.
The minister said measures taken by the government of Tanzania to control the outbreak of the virus included screening people in ports, airports and borders.
The ministry has also prepared medicines, medical facilities and sanitizers in case they are needed for treatment and the government has strengthened examination capacities in labs and results can be produced within four to six hours, she said.
The Tanzanian government will continue to work closely with various stakeholders in the health sector, including the WHO, she added. (Xinhua)
