Tanzanian President John Magufuli says he is considering reopening schools and allowing air travel into the country as COVID-19 numbers continue to decline.
The president made the remarks on Sunday in a church service in his Chato hometown, where he attributed the improving situation to the country’s faith in God.
“I would like to urge all of us to continue being cautious. Let us continue praying. And all the precautions that we have been taking, let us continue adhering to them. If the trend (decline in COVID-19 numbers) continues into the new week, I plan to reopen schools so that our leaners can continue learning,” President Magufuli said.
“I also plan to allow sports to resume because sports are a form of entertainment to Tanzanians.”
The president highlighted various numbers drawn from various facilities, indicating a decline in the country’s COVID-19 numbers.
He also noted that tourists were eager to visit Tanzania, and that he had instructed the relevant authorities to allow planes into the country.
“I have already instructed the ministers of natural resources and transport to allow those airplanes to come into Tanzania. And they will not impose quarantines. Once the tourists arrive and their temperatures are taken and they are found to be normal with no signs of coronavirus, they can go see the animals,” he said.
Unlike many countries globally, Tanzania did not impose a lockdown or restrict movement as a way of tackling the spread of COVID-19, which has now infected more than 4.6 million people worldwide, with a death toll exceeding 312,000.
In his address on Sunday, President Magufuli said his administration did not think locking down the East African country was a viable move.
“After you lock people indoors, will you feed them? What will they do?” he posed.
Tanzania’s neighbors including Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda all imposed travel restrictions and lockdowns of varying degrees in efforts to tackle the pandemic.
On Saturday, Kenya went further to close its border with Tanzania as it seeks to prevent the importation of COVID-19 cases.
