Covid-19: No lockdown of Dar es Salaam, says President Magufuli

Dar es Salaam. President John Magufuli has on April 22 ruled out the possibility of locking down the commercial hub, Dar es Salaam because of the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“There are those who have suggested that we lockdown Dar es Salaam. This is not possible, “said the President

He added: Dar es Salaam is the only centre where we collect almost 80 per cent of the country’s revenue, we can continue taking all measures to curb the virus but not by locking down Dar es Salaam.

President Magufuli was addressing a joint meeting of heads of defence and security in his home town Chato where he touched on several issues but chief being the fight against Covid-19.

According to the President there are several people who have recovered (almost 100) but very few have since been declared officially.

“Preach positive messages about the pandemic because it is not true that everyone who dies it is because of the coronavirus.”

He also hinted on the quarantine period saying there was no sense in keeping people for a very long period even when they have been confirmed negative.

He welcomed the efforts by the financial institutions such as the World Bank to allow economies that have been hit the coronavirus to borrow money but he was rather sceptical on how this was going to solve problems in these countries.

“Instead of giving us the offer to borrow more money the World Bank should waive some of the loans even by certain percentages,” he said.  

He added: Every month we use almost Sh700 billion to service our debts with a huge chunk going to the World Bank, so by giving us such relief it will allow us to build our economy.

He called upon other African countries to join hands in asking the international financial institutions to waive such debts.