Calls mount on government to restrict entry restrict travel over CoviD-19

Iringa commuter minibus overload passenger at Iringa bus terminal yesterday, Land Transport Regulatory Authority (LATRA) has ordered all buses to carry level seat only to support government for prevent coronavirus. PHOTO | SAID NG`AMILO

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is yet to close its borders, or otherwise restrict people arriving in the country from countries that are clearly affected by the new coronavirus pandemic code-named ‘Covid-19.’

This is despite the fact that the neighbouring countries of Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda - all of which are members of the East African Community economic bloc together with Tanzania, Burundi and South Sudan - have already put in place radical measures that require arrivals in those countries to be held in isolation for 14 days before the can freely mix with locals.

Up until yesterday, Tanzania had six confirmed Covid-19 cases, all of whom were said by the government to have arrived in the country recently from abroad. The victims had travelled to, from or through countries which have been confirmed as being “affected” by the coronavirus outbreak, including South Africa, Rwanda, Belgium and America. Yet, they all passed through the normal screening procedures at airports when entering Tanzania.

However, the ‘Temporary Recommendations’ issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak advise against the application of travel or trade restrictions to countries labouring under the outbreak.

“Affected” countries are considered as being countries, provinces, territories or metropolises which are experiencing the ongoing transmission of Covid-19. These are in contrast to areas reporting only ‘imported’ cases - such as Tanzania.

But, amid the rising numbers of infected cases around the world, concerns have been raised on why Tanzania is not imposing restrictions on incoming travelers despite the obvious coronavirus threat.

The leader of the ACT-Wazalendo political party, Mr Zitto Kabwe, called on the government to promptly take measures that would protect the country against CoviD-19. Among the proposed measures are prohibiting travelling to and from countries infected by the virus.

In addition, Mr Kabwe said: “It is also imperative that people who travelled three weeks ago to countries that have reported the infection be advised to come forward for (a medical) checkup.”

However, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Simon Sirro, was quoted by the media as saying that, according to intelligence information, Tanzania doesn’t have a threat that warrants closure of its borders to travellers.

However, the IGP said, the relevant authorities will continue to assess the situation and take approrpiate decisios as and when necessary.

Contacted by The Citizen on whether the situation had changed following the reported CoviD-19 cases in the country, he said that the minister for Works, Transport and Communications was the only one who is mandated to give updates on the situation - as well as any decision that would be reached.

For his part, Minister Isaack Kamwelwe said government institutions were currently in dialogue, seeking to come up with measures that would respond to the situation.

Despite having no case of CoviD-19, the authorities in Uganda have established quarantines at the nation’s airports where passengers from infected countries are isolated for 14 days at their own cost.

Reports have it that Uganda has restricted visitors from some countries which have what it terms high cases of coronavirus, including China, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, South Korea and Spain.

Other such countries are the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Malaysia. All these countries have been urged to seriously consider “postponing non-essential travel to Uganda.”

The reports also reveal that Uganda’s Health minister, Ms Jane Ruth Aceng, has called on travelers from the Covid-19-infected countries not to go to Uganda because they can then spread the malady in the East African country.

Aceng further said that travellers who insist on visiting Uganda from or through infected countries would have to self-quarantine at their own cost for 14 days - doing so either at home or at a government facility.

RwandaAir, Kenya Airways and Morocco’s Royal Air Maroc are among the African airlines which have suspended flights to China.

Yesterday, Tanzania’s Minister Kamwelwe said the government is putting in place procedures that would protect the country from CoviD-19.

To that end, he said, he has directed all district councils to set aside special rooms for suspected passengers travelling upcountry from Dar es Salaam in which to be quarantined.

He further noted that all airports have set aside a special room in which people suspected of having CoviD-19 are placed before undergoing preliminary investigations.

“If, after investigations, they are found with symptoms of the infection, they would immediately be transported by standby ambulances to quarantine to undergo further healthcare,” he said.

He noted that, while the government has designated special rooms for isolation during which they undergo preliminary investigations, the government is also planning to have CoviD-19 testing facilities in upcountry passenger buses.

In another development, the minister said the government is also looking into requiring all ships’ crews whose vessels dock at the country’s ports undergo self-isolation at quarantines to be tested for the coronavirus before they are allowed to check into hotels in the coutry.