DAR ES SALAAM — Tanzania has on Friday April 17 recorded 53 new coronavirus infections bringing the total number of patients to 147.
The announcement was made by the minister of health Ummy Mwalimu in a daily briefing on COVID-19.
Mwalimu told reporters that Tanzania has recorded another death bringing the total number of deaths so far due to COVID-19 to five.
“Of all the cases reported since March 16, 11 have healed and have been discharged, four of the remaining cases are critical whereas 127 are under close monitoring but stable,” she told local media.
According to the minister all the cases are of Tanzanians with 38 of the patients from Dar es Salaam, with a single case each in Kilimanjaro, Mwanza and Kagera.
In Zanzibar there are 10 new cases bringing the total number of patients to 35 out of which 4 have been discharged, one passed away on Saturday and 30 are receiving treatment at designated hospitals on the Isles.
The new cases in Zanzibar today include four women and seven men.
On Wednesday the ministry announced that 29 more cases had tested positive in Dar es Salaam, whereas six people tested positive in Zanzibar on Thursday.
President John Magufuli has declared three days of prayer beginning today April 17 to April 19, 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In his Twitter post, urged Tanzanians to turn to their respective religions in a bid to stop the spread of the disease.
“Fellow Tanzanians, following the coronavirus pandemic, I urge you to use three days from April 17-19 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) to pray to the Almighty Lord who has power over all things to save us from this disease. Let us all pray, each in their own faith, he will listen.”
