Tanzania Covid-19 cases rise to 19 as 5 more confirmed

Travellers at the Namanga border post, northern Tanzania undergo temperature checks on March 16, 2020. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Tanzania rose to 19 after five more people tested positive, the government said on march 30, 2020. PHOTO | FILBERT RWEYEMAMU | AFP

What you need to know:

  • Ms Mwalimu said two of those from Dar es Salaam are male Tanzanians.
  • One of them is believed to have contracted the virus when he met with a foreign national.
  • The third person is a 21-year old Tanzanian woman who was also on the list of those who were being traced.

Dar es Salaam

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Tanzania rose to 19 on Monday after five more people tested positive, the government has said.

Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said on Monday that two of those who tested positive are from Zanzibar while three are from Dar es Salaam.

“Today, we have received test results from the national community health laboratory and confirmed that five more people have tested positive for coronavirus,” said Ms Mwalimu on Monday.

ZANZIBAR

She said more information on the two from Zanzibar will be issued by the health minister from the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar.

Ms Mwalimu said two of those from Dar es Salaam are male Tanzanians, both aged 49.

While of one of them is believed to have contracted the virus when he met with a foreign national from one of the most infected countries in the world, the other one happens to be on the list of those who were being traced under the contact tracing approach.

The third person is a 21-year old Tanzanian woman who was also on the list of those who were being traced by the government’s Covid-19 control team.

“We are closely tracing the people who had come into contact with those who have tested positive as we continue to urge the public to remain cautious,” she said.