Tanzania shuts down 74 designated COVID-19 facilities: minister

Kampala, Uganda | XINHUA | Tanzania’s health authorities announced on Friday that they have shut down 74 out of 85 designated facilities for COVID-19 patients across the country.

Ummy Mwalimu, the Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, announced the closure of the 74 designated COVID-19 facilities shortly after she had closed down a designated facility at Lulanzi in Kibaha district in Coast region, said a statement by the ministry.

“The last COVID-19 patient at this Lulanzi designated facility was discharged on May 26 and there is no patient that has been admitted to the facility until today,” she said.

“We have remained with 11 designated COVID-19 facilities around the country which are on the process of being closed down as cases of the viral disease continue to decline sharply,” she said.

The minister, however, urged members of the public not to become complacent saying they should continue taking prevention and protection guidelines against the deadly virus to avoid new infections.

Mwalimu said the closed-down designated COVID-19 facilities were now offering normal health services and urged people to visit the facilities saying they were free of COVID-19, according to the statement.

However, Mwalimu did not give the latest update on COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa told parliament on June 15 that there were 66 active cases of the virus in the country.

Tanzania reported its last COVID-19 update on April 29, with 509 confirmed cases and 21 deaths since the outbreak of the virus in the country on March 16.

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XINHUA