Coronavirus: Tanzania president Magufuli says hospital numbers are reducing

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There has been a ‘’sharp decline’’ in number of coronavirus patients in Tanzania’s hospitals, President Magufuli said, days after the US embassy in the country reported that many hospitals had been overwhelmed.

John Magufuli was speaking to an applauding church congregation when he said: ‘’God has answered your prayers.’’

President Magufuli accused the health officials in the past for exaggerating the coronavirus crisis.

Tanzania doesn’t have strict lockdown measures like in the other countries.

Schools remain closed but videos of night burials on social media have caused some call into question the government’s approach.

The US embassy in Tanzania raised concerns over rising and unreported cases in Tanzania on Wednesday.

The American embassy also claimed that the hospitals in Dar es Salaam were overwhelmed in recent weeks.

Speaking at a church service in his hometown of Chato, North-west of Tanzania, president Magufuli revealed that his own child who had contracted the virus was doing well and ‘’doing push-ups’’.

He said that the child recovered following a regimen of self-isolation, steam inhalation and lemon and ginger juice.

According to Magufuli, Dar es Salaam’s Amana hospital, which at one point was treating 198 coronavirus patients, today has only 12 patients with the virus. He added that other hospitals in Dar es Salaam have experienced similar decreases.

‘’The way I see this trend, if the week beginning from tomorrow continues like this, I plan to open places of higher learning so that our students can continue with their studies,’’ he said.

He added that plans to quarantine tourists would be relaxed as from next month.