(AP) — Tanzania’s president says God has eliminated COVID-19 in his country. His own church now begs to differ. The local Catholic authority warned this week of a new wave of coronavirus infections, and government institutions now require staffers to take precautions.
Suddenly, populist President John Magufuli is being openly questioned as the African continent sees a strong resurgence in cases. And yet he questions the COVID-19 vaccines that have begun arriving in Africa.
One African health official warns Tanzania that “if we do not fight this as a collective on the continent, we will be doomed.” Tanzania stopped updating its virus numbers in April, at 509 cases.