The country's leader since 2015, Dr John Pombe Magufuli, believes that his people should wear face masks due to CO2 emissions.
The Director of Presidential Communications in Tanzania sent a letter to the media in all parts of the world on 24 May announcing that the President was banning face masks and providing the green light to regular public transportation activities as well as the reopening of schools.
The letter was sent to the journalists saying:
President of The Republic of Tanzania Dr John Pombe Magufuli has today on 24, May 2020 banned the use of face masks by Tanzanians as the usage has caused fear and panic to Tanzanians leading to some closing down their businesses. His excellency The President has also allowed normal resumption of public transport as well as normal resumption of schools.We thank God for the defeat against Corona, let continue to wash hands to observe hygene, Bye Corona.”
Tanzania has had lack rules regarding the virus with President Magafuli downplaying the corona pandemic and saying that America ‘makes up numbers’ regarding the cases and deaths.
He and his ministers have also recently told the American envoy to Tanzania not to ’cause panic’ to Tanzanians after the American embassy in the capital, Dar es Salaam, stated that the chance of contracting the virus was “extremely high”.
The President of Tanzania had also brushed off pressure from the west to put his country in lockdown, keeping establishments open and even churches saying: “Coronavirus cannot survive in churches!”
Source: RTN
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