DAR ES SALAAM
, 27 January, 2021 / 4:13 PM
(ACI Africa).-
Months after Tanzania’s President John Pombe Magufuli declared the nation free of COVID-19, Catholic Bishops in the East African nation have urged caution amid a new COVID-19 wave in several countries saying “is not an island.”
In their Tuesday, January 26 statement obtained by ACI Africa, members of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) urge Tanzanians to “take precautions.”
“There is a new wave of coronavirus infections and several countries have confirmed that they are going through a difficult period in the spread of the coronavirus and the occurrence of fatalities,” TEC members say.
They add, “Our country is not an island ...We must defend ourselves, take precautions, and cry out to God with all our might so that this scourge will not overtake us.”
The Bishops call on Tanzanians to double their efforts in the fight against the virus “using all the spiritual, physical, scientific and social arms.”
“Let us not stop praying, maintaining social distance, washing and sanitising our hands, taking the necessary action when we see signs of illness and avoid congestion which can be dangerous,” they add.
In the last year, President Magufuli declared the country free of COVID-19, crediting the nation’s status to the power of God.
The Tanzanian Head of State also downplayed the wearing of face masks and social distancing in the East African nation.
Since 29 April 2020, the government has not made public any reports of COVID-19 cases. At the time, there were 509 cases and 21 fatalities.
TEC members’ collective statement on the coronavirus comes a day after Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa'ichi of the country’s Dar es Salaam Archdiocese said the fight against COVID-19 “is not over.”
“Let us pray for ourselves especially as we fight the COVID-19 pandemic; it is not over; COVID-19 still exists,” Archbishop Ruwa'ichi said January 25, adding, “Let us not be careless.”
He urged Tanzanians to be vigilant and adhere to COVID-19 measures that were issued in the country last year.
“The practice of washing our hands with running water and soap should continue. Many have stopped it, but let us return to it. We must also return to the culture of wearing masks, that we completely stopped,” he said.
The Tanzanian Archbishop added, “Let us love ourselves, take care of ourselves, and cooperate with God in protecting and keeping us safe.”
Subscribe to our Free Daily ACI Africa Newsletter
At ACI Africa, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news from Africa, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church – so that you can grow in your Catholic faith and awareness about the people of God in Africa.
When you subscribe to the ACI Africa Updates, we will send you a daily email with links to the news you need.
Use the form below to tell us where we can send the ACI Africa Updates
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
ACI Africa was officially inaugurated on August 17, 2019 as a continental Catholic news agency at the service of the Church in Africa. Headquartered in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, this media apostolate will strive to facilitate the telling of Africa’s story by providing media coverage of Catholic events on the African continent, giving visibility to the activities of the Church across Africa where statistics show significant growth in numbers and the continent gradually becoming the axis of Catholicism. This is expected to contribute to an awareness of and appreciation for the significant role of the Church in Africa and over time, the realization of a realistic image of Africa that often receives negative media framing.
Father Don Bosco Onyalla
Editor-in-Chief, ACI Africa
[email protected]
