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The COVID-19 pandemic in Tanzania is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of
coronavirus disease 2019 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
() caused by
severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a ...
(). The
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
was confirmed to have reached
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
in March 2020.


Background

On 12 January 2020, the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) confirmed that a
novel coronavirus Novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a provisional name given to coronaviruses of medical significance before a permanent name is decided upon. Although coronaviruses are endemic in humans and infections normally mild, such as the common cold (caused by ...
was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019. The
case fatality ratio In epidemiology, case fatality rate (CFR) – or sometimes more accurately case-fatality risk – is the proportion of people diagnosed with a certain disease, who end up dying of it. Unlike a disease's mortality rate, the CFR does not take int ...
for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003, but the
transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission *** ...
has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll. In May 2020, Fatma Karume, a human rights activist, said authorities are discouraging people from going to hospitals to avoid overwhelming them, but they are not giving adequate guidance about the virus. Karume said: "When you are disempowering a whole nation by withholding information and creating doubt on how they should respond to the crisis, the outcome can be disastrous." COVID-19 related news are
censored Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
as misinformation or disinformation. The distribution of non-governmental information has been made into a criminal offence by the government. The government released a list of qualified persons to educate the public about COVID-19, and directed that all media source information only from those on the list. Multiple individuals were arrested and fined because of spreading information about COVID-19. The lack of transparency and restricted freedoms have drawn criticism from
Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
. However, on 28 June 2021, President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced COVID-19 statistics to the public for the first time since May 2020, with 100 new cases in Tanzania and 70 people are in a critical state on ventilators.


Timeline


March 2020

* On 16 March, the first case in Tanzania was confirmed in
Arusha Arusha City is a Tanzanian city and the regional capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District Council (2012 census). Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern bran ...
. It was a 46-year-old Tanzanian who had come to Arusha from
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
. * On 17 March, the Prime Minister
Kassim Majaliwa Kassim Majaliwa Majaliwa (born 22 December 1961) is a Tanzanian politician who has been Prime Minister of Tanzania since 2015. He was appointed by President John Magufuli after the 2015 general election. He is a member of the ruling Chama Cha ...
announced a range of measures, including closing schools. * On 18 March, two other cases in Tanzania were reported. * On 19 March, two new cases were reported, bringing the total to six. Five cases were located in capital city of
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
with the other in
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
. * On 22 March, it was announced that cases had risen to 12. * On 23 March, the Government announced that all incoming travelers from COVID affected countries would be placed in quarantine at their own cost for 14 days. * On 25 March, it was announced that
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
recorded its second case. * On 26 March, the first COVID recovery was announced, of the first
Arusha Arusha City is a Tanzanian city and the regional capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District Council (2012 census). Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern bran ...
patient. * On 28 March, a third case was recorded in
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
. * On 30 March, there were 5 more recorded cases, including two in Zanzibar and three in mainland Tanzania, bringing the cumulative total to 19. * On 31 March, the first COVID death was recorded, in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
.


April 2020

* On 1 April, one new case and one recovery in Dar es Salaam were announced, bringing the cumulative totals to 20 cases, two recoveries, and one death. * On 3 April, a third recovery in Kagera was announced, bringing the active case number to 16. * On 5 April, two new cases were reported in
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
. * On 6 April, a further two new cases were reported in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
and
Mwanza Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,182,000 in 2021, it is Tanzania's second largest cit ...
, bringing the cumulative total to 24. * On 7 April, two more cases recovered, bringing total recoveries to five. * On 8 April, one new case was recorded. President
John Magufuli John Pombe Joseph Magufuli (29 October 1959 – 17 March 2021) was the fifth president of Tanzania, serving from 2015 until his death in 2021. He served as Minister of Works, Transport and Communications from 2000 to 2005 and 2010 to 2015 and wa ...
urged the faithfuls to go to pray in churches and mosques in the belief that it will protect them. He said that the coronavirus is a devil, therefore "cannot survive in the body of Jesus Christ, it will burn". * On 10 April, it was announced that there were five new cases on mainland, two new cases on
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
, and two deaths on the mainland, bringing the cumulative case count to 32, and cumulative deaths to three. * On 12 April, all international passenger flights were suspended. * On 13 April, it was announced that there were 14 new cases on
mainland Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...
, and three new cases in
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
. In addition, two recoveries in Zanzibar were announced. * On 14 April, the Prime Minister announced four more cases in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
, bringing the cumulative total to 53 cases. * On 15 April,
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
health minister Hamad Rashid Mohammed, reported six more cases, two recoveries, and its first death. On the same day, 29 new cases on
mainland Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...
were recorded. This brought the cumulative total for Tanzania to 88, with cumulative recoveries of 11 and cumulative deaths of four. * On 16 April, six people tested positive in Zanzibar, bringing the total to 94. * On 17 April, 53 people tested positive, 38 in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
, 10 in
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
, 1 in
Mwanza Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,182,000 in 2021, it is Tanzania's second largest cit ...
, 1 in Pwani, 1 in
Lindi Lindi is a historic southern Tanzanian coastal small city and regional capital of the Lindi Region located at the far end of Lindi Bay, on the Indian Ocean in southeastern Tanzania. The town is south of Dar es Salaam and north of Mtwara, ...
, and 1 in Kagera, bringing the total to 147 and cumulative death of 5 people. * On 19 April, 23 new cases were reported in Zanzibar, where 2 people died. * On 20 April, a further 87 people were reported to be infected with the virus, including 16 from
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
. In addition, 3 new deaths on the
mainland Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...
were reported, bringing cumulative deaths in Tanzania to 10. * On 22 April, the Prime Minister announces the case count had risen to 284, with 11 recovered and the death toll remaining at 10. * On 24 April, 37 more patients had recovered, while 15 more were infected with the disease in
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
. * On 28 April, 7 patients in Zanzibar tested positive. * On 29 April, 196 more people were infected, bringing the total to 480, where 167 had recovered and 16 died.


May 2020

* On 2 May, opposition leader
Freeman Mbowe Freeman Aikaeli Mbowe (born 14 September 1961) is a Tanzanian politician and the current nominated chairman of the Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema – Political Party for Democracy and Development). He was elected to continue as a Na ...
called for the suspension of
Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...
for at least three weeks after the deaths of three MP's ( Gertrude Rwakatare,
Richard Ndassa Richard Mganga Ndassa (21 March 1959 – 29 April 2020) was a Tanzanian CCM politician and Member of Parliament for Sumve constituency from 2010 until his death in 2020 from COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagi ...
and
Augustine Mahiga Augustine Philip Mahiga (28 August 1945 – 1 May 2020) was a Tanzanian diplomat and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in 2019 and 2020. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2015 to 2019. He previously served as the ...
) of unknown causes in the previous eleven days. He blamed the deaths on COVID-19 and asked for testing for all MP's, parliament staff and family members. * On 4 May, President
John Magufuli John Pombe Joseph Magufuli (29 October 1959 – 17 March 2021) was the fifth president of Tanzania, serving from 2015 until his death in 2021. He served as Minister of Works, Transport and Communications from 2000 to 2005 and 2010 to 2015 and wa ...
suspended the head of testing at Tanzania's national health laboratory and fired its director after the lab allegedly returned
false positive A false positive is an error in binary classification in which a test result incorrectly indicates the presence of a condition (such as a disease when the disease is not present), while a false negative is the opposite error, where the test result ...
test results. Magufuli said he had deliberately submitted biological samples from a papaya, a quail and a goat to test the laboratory's accuracy; the lab diagnosed these samples as positive for coronavirus. * On 7 May, it was announced that for
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
, the cumulative total of recorded cases was 134, the cumulative number of recoveries was 16 and the cumulative numbers of recorded deaths was 5. Of the active cases, 41 were at health facilities and 72 were cared for and follow up at home. * The U.S. embassy in Tanzania issued a warning on 13 May that the risk of contracting COVID-19 in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
was extremely high. It believed cases were growing at an exponential rate in Dar es Salaam and other places and expected hospital capacity to be insufficient. Private local broadcaster Kwanza Online TV was subsequently taken off air for 11 months by the regulator for having posted the embassy's warning on its Instagram account. * Tanzanian authorities stopped reporting case numbers in May. When the reporting stopped, the number of confirmed cases stood at 509, the number of recovered patients was 183, and 21 patients had died. * Several truck drivers tested positive at the
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
border, and Kenya closed the border for non-cargo. The two countries agreed to supply testing and facilities for truckers. * On 21 May, the President announced that colleges will reopen and form six secondary school students will return to school from 1 June, sports will resume from 1 June, and that international flights will resume, without any quarantine, from 27 May. * Opposition activists accused the government of covering up the true scale of the pandemic, claiming that, while the official stats remained stuck on 509 cases and 21 deaths, with no test results being reported since 4 May, at least 412 have died in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
alone, and that 16,000 to 20,000 people have been infected countrywide. * The lack of official data on testing, recoveries, active cases and fatalities generated an interest from epidemiologists and modellers to estimate the true extent of COVID-19 infection in Tanzania. Pearson et al. estimate that Tanzania reached 1000 infected patients at some point between 6 April and 2 May 2020, and 10,000 infections not before 20 April and no later than 26 May 2020. Modelling results published by the
MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis The MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis is a Medical Research Council funded research centre at Imperial College London and a WHO collaborating centre. It is part of the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at School of ...
at
Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...
suggest that the true number of infections in Tanzania between 29 April and 26 May 2020 was 24,869. Pearson et al. calculate that after three months of no mitigating measures being taken, Tanzania should expect between 5,900 and 19 million symptomatic cases, and up to 16,000 additional deaths due to COVID-19. Similarly in 2022, modeling by WHO's Regional Office for Africa suggested that the true number of infections in 2020 was around 14 million and the true number of COVID-19 deaths in 2020 was between 1069 and 12,000.


June 2020

* On 8 June, President Magufuli declared Tanzania to be free of coronavirus, which he attributed to the prayers offered by its citizens. There are reports that several COVID-19 test centres shut down following the announcement and that patients displaying symptoms have been denied testing on account of Tanzania having no virus. * On 16 June, the president announced that schools at all levels would re-open on 29 June.


July to December 2020

* In July, the government adopted and published new subsidiary legislation introducing mandatory registration of bloggers, online discussion forums, radio and television webcasters, as well as criminalizing the publication of "information with regards to the outbreak of a deadly or contagious diseases in the country or elsewhere without the approval of the respective authorities". * On 6 August,
John Nkengasong John N. Nkengasong is a Cameroonian-American virologist serving as the Global AIDS Coordinator in the Biden administration since 2022. He previously worked as the Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention from 2016 to 20 ...
of Africa CDC expressed his concerns over the lack of data from Tanzania and the detrimental impact on the development and implementation of an Africa-wide strategy. * In August, the government adopted and published new subsidiary legislation banning all local media from broadcasting foreign content without prior government permission, including content relating to COVID-19 in Tanzania. * In December there were reports that a number of patients at the
Aga Khan Aga Khan ( fa, آقاخان, ar, آغا خان; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imām of the Nizari Ismāʿīli Shias. Since 1957, the holder of the title has been the 49th Imām, Prince Shah Karim ...
, Shree Hindu Mandal, and Rabininsia Memorial hospitals in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
were coming in with symptoms of coronavirus and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19. Moreover, that funerals were taking place in secret at night, and that former president
Benjamin Mkapa Benjamin William Mkapa (12 November 193824 July 2020) was the third president of Tanzania, in office from 1995 to 2005. He was Chairman of the Revolutionary State Political Party (Chama Cha Mapinduzi, CCM). Early life Mkapa was born in Lupaso, ...
's cause of death was not heart attack as officially stated, but COVID-19.


January to March 2021

* In the first week of 2021, a Danish resident returning from Tanzania tested positive for the B.1.1.7 variant of COVID-19.
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
's
Statens Serum Institut Statens Serum Institut (SSI, The State's Serum Institute), is a Danish sector research institute located on the island of Amager in Copenhagen. Its purpose is to combat and prevent infectious diseases, congenital disorders, and threats from w ...
noted it was not possible to tell where the infected person had caught the virus. Two more Danish residents returning from Tanzania tested positive for the 501.V2 variant on 19 January, representing only the second and third confirmed cases of the 501.V2 variant in Denmark. * On 19 January, the
International School Moshi United World College East Africa (UWCEA) is an independent international school in Tanzania, and a member of the United World Colleges movement. Established in 1969 as International School Moshi, the school is based on two campuses on the slopes o ...
announced that one of its students had tested positive for COVID-19 and was isolating, while the class of the student would be taught online until 1 February. Two days later the school issued an apology for issuing false information and stated that the operations of the school had not been halted. * On 26 January, the President of the
Tanzania Episcopal Conference The Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) is the conference of bishops of the Roman Catholic Church in Tanzania. Founded in 1956, the Episcopal Conference was officially recognized by the government in 1957. It includes all the Catholic bishops of ...
, Archbishop Nyaisonga in a letter addressed to archbishops, bishops and retired bishops warned against a "possible new wave of coronavirus infections". * On 27 January, President
John Magufuli John Pombe Joseph Magufuli (29 October 1959 – 17 March 2021) was the fifth president of Tanzania, serving from 2015 until his death in 2021. He served as Minister of Works, Transport and Communications from 2000 to 2005 and 2010 to 2015 and wa ...
expressed doubts about the
COVID-19 vaccine A COVID19 vaccine is a vaccine intended to provide acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2), the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID19). Prior to the COVID19 pandemic, an e ...
s during a speech in Chato, Geita Region. "If the white man was able to come up with vaccinations, then vaccinations for
AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
would have been brought, tuberculosis would be a thing of the past, vaccines for malaria and
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
would have been found", he declared. His speech was rebuffed by the regional WHO director
Matshidiso Moeti Matshidiso Rebecca Natalie Moeti is a physician, public health specialist and medical administrator from Botswana who has been serving as Regional Director of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (AFRO), headquartered in Brazz ...
who urged Tanzania to ramp up public health measures and vaccination. Magufuli also rejected lockdown measures, reasoning in a broadcast speech: "I don't expect to announce any lockdown because our living God will protect us. We will continue to take other health precautions, including steam therapy." * On 31 January, the
Alliance for Change and Transparency The Alliance for Change and Transparency (), sometimes known as the ACT–Wazalendo, is the third-largest political party in Tanzania. It received its permanent registration in May 2014. Background The party was founded in 2014. The party fielde ...
announced that its chairman and First Vice-president of
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
,
Seif Sharif Hamad Seif Sharif Hamad (22 October 1943 – 17 February 2021) was a Tanzanian politician who served as the First Vice President of Zanzibar and as Party Chairman of ACT Wazalendo. He was the secretary-general of the opposition Civic United Front (CU ...
along with his wife and a number of his aides had contracted COVID-19 and were in the hospital. He later died while undergoing treatment. * On 1 February, Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima said that Tanzania has no interest in taking part in a vaccination programme, despite encouragement from the WHO to do so. Instead she reiterated the government's suggested hygiene practices, which include drinking plenty of water and taking local herbs. * On 10 February, the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
warned that Tanzanian health facilities are in danger of being overwhelmed following a sharp increase in cases in January. * On 11 February, concerns were expressed by Member of Parliament Zacharia Issaay over the high number of deaths due to pneumonia and other respiratory diseases in his constituency Mbulu Urban. * On 12 February, it was reported that major hospitals in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
were inundated with patients who had COVID-19 symptoms. Intensive care units at these hospitals were full, and beds, oxygen, and respirators were in short supply. * On 15 February, the Medical Association of Tanzania issued a statement linking an increase in respiratory illness deaths to ongoing outbreaks of various diseases including COVID-19. The statement also urged health practitioners to educate patients and urged citizens to visit healthcare facilities as soon as they experience symptoms. * On 15 February, the
Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...
Minister of Health said that 18 percent of travelers arriving from Tanzania tested positive for COVID-19, a number he described as "very high". He also said that Oman was considering halting flights from Tanzania. * On 17 February,
Seif Sharif Hamad Seif Sharif Hamad (22 October 1943 – 17 February 2021) was a Tanzanian politician who served as the First Vice President of Zanzibar and as Party Chairman of ACT Wazalendo. He was the secretary-general of the opposition Civic United Front (CU ...
, 77,
Vice President of Zanzibar The vice president of Zanzibar ( Swahili: Makamu wa Rais wa Zanzibar) is a political position in Zanzibar. The vice presidency was created by the 2010 amendments made to the Zanzibar Constitution. First Vice President is supposed to come from a p ...
died of acute pneumonia related to COVID-19. A top aide to President Magufuli, Chief Secretary John Kijazi and Namibia's third secretary to Tanzania Selina Tjihero also died during the same week. Sources close to the matter said they had contracted COVID-19. * On 18 February, the bar association of mainland Tanzania, Tanganyika Law Society, issued a statement calling on the government to acknowledge the presence of coronavirus in the country. * On 20 February, WHO Director-General
Tedros Adhanom Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ( ti, ቴዎድሮስ አድሓኖም ገብረኢየሱስ, sometimes spelt ti, ቴድሮስ ኣድሓኖም ገብረየሱስ, label=none; born 3 March 1965) is an Ethiopian public health official, researcher, and ...
called on Tanzania to start reporting COVID-19 cases, share data, implement tried-and-tested public health measures, and prepare for vaccination. * On 21 February, President Magufuli urged Tanzanians to take precautions against the spread of coronavirus in the country. The Ministry of Health followed up later in the day with a statement saying that people should take precautions including hand washing, eating healthy, exercising, protecting the elderly, and wearing face masks. * On 23 February, the Czech Republic Ministry of Health announced that three
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...
tourists returning from
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
tested positive for COVID-19 with suspicion of the presence of the 501.V2 variant. * On 3 March, the General Secretary of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference said that over a period of two months more than 25 priests and 60 nuns had died from various causes including respiratory challenges. * On 10 March, a
Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...
n newspaper reported that an African leader was being treated for COVID-19 at a
Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
hospital, leading to widespread speculation that it may be President Magufuli, who had not been seen in public since February. * On 11 March, WHO regional director Matshidiso Moeti praised Tanzania for the action taken on 21 February but called for COVID-19 testing procedures recommended by the WHO to be followed, a return to transparency and data sharing, and a roll-out of vaccines. * On 17 March, Vice-president
Samia Suluhu Hassan Samia Suluhu Hassan (born 27 January 1960) is a Tanzanian politician who has been serving since 19 March 2021 as the sixth (and first female) president of Tanzania. She is a member of the ruling social-democrat Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party ...
announced that President Magufuli had died of heart complications. Opposition politicians claimed he had contracted COVID-19.


April to June 2021

* On 1 April,
John Nkengasong John N. Nkengasong is a Cameroonian-American virologist serving as the Global AIDS Coordinator in the Biden administration since 2022. He previously worked as the Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention from 2016 to 20 ...
, head of the African health agency Africa CDC, said that a new variant with as many as 40 mutations had been found in
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
among travelers from Tanzania. * On 6 April, President
Samia Suluhu Hassan Samia Suluhu Hassan (born 27 January 1960) is a Tanzanian politician who has been serving since 19 March 2021 as the sixth (and first female) president of Tanzania. She is a member of the ruling social-democrat Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party ...
signalled a change in approach from her predecessor, proposing an evaluation of Tanzania's response to COVID-19, a more science-based approach and a return to regular publishing of data. * On 8 April, ChangeTanzania published an interim report from an online survey carried out in February and March 2021. The results pointed to a rise in deaths and cases from late December, worsening in January and February. * On 17 May, the evaluation committee that President Samia Suluhu Hassan proposed on 6 April delivered its evaluation and recommendations. According to the evaluation, Tanzania had experienced two waves of coronavirus and risked a third. The committee recommended resuming regular reporting of cases to the World Health Organization and submitting the necessary documentation for joining
COVAX COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated as COVAX, is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by the GAVI vaccine alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Hea ...
. * On 29 May,
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
's President
Hussein Mwinyi Hussein Ali Mwinyi (born in Unguja 23 December 1966) is the 8th president of Zanzibar. The son of former Tanzanian president Ali Hasan Mwinyi, he is a member of the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) political party. Presidency 2020 Election ''Link ...
announced that the semi-autonomous region would start importing and administering COVID-19 vaccine. Activists on the
mainland Mainland is defined as "relating to or forming the main part of a country or continent, not including the islands around it egardless of status under territorial jurisdiction by an entity" The term is often politically, economically and/or dem ...
urged the government to follow suit. * On 17 June, World Health Organization representatives announced that Tanzania had applied to join
COVAX COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access, abbreviated as COVAX, is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by the GAVI vaccine alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Hea ...
. * On 19 June, the director of prevention from the Ministry of Health warned about signs of an emerging third wave of infections in Tanzania and issued instructions to wear face masks, use sanitizer and wash hands. * In the semi-autonomous region of
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
, 390 persons tested positive between 25 June and 10 August, while 15 persons died. * On 28 June, President Samia Suluhu Hassan referred to 100 new COVID-19 cases in Tanzania, 70 of whom in a critical state on ventilators.


July to September 2021

* On 6 July,
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
began administering the
CoronaVac CoronaVac, also known as the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, is a whole inactivated virus COVID-19 vaccine developed by the Chinese company Sinovac Biotech. It was Phase III clinical trialled in Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Turke ...
vaccine to frontline workers following a
Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
donation of 110,000 doses. * On 7 July, President Samia Suluhu Hassan warned against a third wave of the virus, citing cases recently reported in
Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam (; from ar, دَار السَّلَام, Dâr es-Selâm, lit=Abode of Peace) or commonly known as Dar, is the largest city and financial hub of Tanzania. It is also the capital of Dar es Salaam Region. With a population of over s ...
,
Arusha Arusha City is a Tanzanian city and the regional capital of the Arusha Region, with a population of 416,442 plus 323,198 in the surrounding Arusha District Council (2012 census). Located below Mount Meru on the eastern edge of the eastern bran ...
,
Mwanza Mwanza City, also known as Rock City to the residents, is a port city and capital of Mwanza Region on the southern shore of Lake Victoria in north-western Tanzania. With an urban population of 1,182,000 in 2021, it is Tanzania's second largest cit ...
and many other parts of the country. * On 10 July, Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima revealed that there had been 408 new cases of COVID-19, 284 of whom were on ventilators. * On 14 July, Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima announced an agreement reached with COVAX to supply 300,000 vaccine doses. She also undertook to resume publication of twice-monthly COVID-19 statistics. * By 21 July, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 682, followed by an additional increase of 176 cases over the next two days. The reported death toll rose to 29. As a consequence of the rising number of cases and deaths, new restrictions on movement and gatherings were introduced. * The vaccination campaign in mainland Tanzania was launched on 28 July. * By 7 August, 105,745 persons had been vaccinated. A week later, the number had risen to 207,391. * By 8 August, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had shot up to 16,970. The reported death toll remained unchanged. A week later, the reported number of cases remained 16,970 while the reported death toll had risen to 50. * In the semi-autonomous region of
Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
, 876 persons tested positive between 10 and 27 August, while the region's death toll increased to 40. * By 28 September, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 25,647 and the reported death toll to 714.


October to December 2021

* By 5 October, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 25,846 and the reported death toll to 719. A week later, the reported number of cases had risen to 25,957 and the reported death toll to 723. * By 19 October, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 26,034 and the reported death toll to 724. Three days later the reported number of cases had risen to 26,154 and the reported death toll to 725. * By 29 October, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 26,196. The reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 5 November, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 26,208 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 12 November, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 26,227 and the reported death toll to 727. * By 19 November, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 26,261 and the reported death toll to 730. * By 26 November, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 26,270 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 3 December, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 26,309 and the reported death toll to 734. * By 10 December, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 26,483 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 24 December, the reported number of COVID-19 cases stood at 29,306 and the reported death toll was 737. * By 31 December, the reported number of COVID-19 cases stood at 30,564 and the reported death toll was 740. Modeling by WHO's Regional Office for Africa suggests that due to under-reporting, the true cumulative number of infections by the end of 2021 was around 26.3 million while the true number of COVID-19 deaths was around 33,000.


January to March 2022

* By 7 January, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 31,395 and the reported death toll was 745. * By 14 January, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 32,393 and the reported death toll was 753. * By 21 January, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 32,920 and the reported death toll was 778. * By 28 January, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,230 and the reported death toll was 789. * By 4 February, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,436 and the reported death toll was 792. * By 11 February, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,549 and the reported death toll was 796. * By 18 February, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,620 and the reported death toll was 798. * By 4 March, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,726 and the reported death toll was 800. * By 11 March, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,773 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 18 March, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,797 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 25 March, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,815 while the reported death toll remained unchanged.


April to June 2022

* By 8 April, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,851 and the reported death toll was 803. * By 15 April, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,864 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 22 April, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,872 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 6 May, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 33,928 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 13 May, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 35,354 and the reported death toll was 840. * By the end of June, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 35,768 while the reported death toll was 841.


July to September 2022

* By 8 July, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 37,510 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 29 July, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 37,865 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 5 August, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 38,205 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 12 August, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 38,454 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 19 August, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 38,712 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 2 September, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 39,168 while the reported death toll had risen to 845. * By 16 September, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 39,341 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By 30 September, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 39,513 while the reported death toll remained unchanged.


October to December 2022

* By the end of October, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 39,920 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By the end of November, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 40,806 while the reported death toll remained unchanged. * By the end of December, the reported number of COVID-19 cases had risen to 42,228 while the reported death toll remained unchanged.


Statistics


New cases per day


Deaths per day


See also

*
COVID-19 pandemic in Africa The COVID-19 pandemicpandemic was confirmed to have spread to Africa on 14 February 2020, with the first confirmed case announced in Egypt. The first confirmed case in sub-Saharan Africa was announced in Nigeria at the end of February 2020. W ...
*
COVID-19 pandemic by country and territory This is a general overview and status of places affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. The first human ...
*
COVID-19 misinformation by governments During the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, many people began to spread false or un-confirmed data and information. This included politicians and other government officials from administrations in several countries. Misinformation about the virus ...


References


External links


Tanzania Ministry of Health - COVID-19 Page
{{COVID-19 pandemic
coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
Disease outbreaks in Tanzania
coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
coronavirus pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...