Browsing: COVID-19 in East Africa

The battle against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Tanzania is gaining a new face, as the country anticipates to fight the virus with over 45 strategies underway, following the nationwide agenda to curb the spread of the virus.

45 Strategies

According to information from The Citizen, the government chief spokesperson, Dr Hassan Abbasi who was one of the main speakers during the virtual leadership forum hosted by Mwananchi Communications (a media-company in Tanzania) on May 14, said that the strategies will be rolled out from the national to the community stage.

Hence the handful virus fight strategies will be driven by an executive secretariat committee of seven to nine members, according to the spokesperson.

He said, “We have three special committees, one which deals with both Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar is headed by the Prime Minister”.  As the plans are intended to touch both bases (National and community level) Dr.Abbasi …

The coronavirus (COVDI-19) pandemic has taken a new shift in Tanzania, as new 196 cases confirmed by the Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa earlier today, the information he revealed pertaining the confirmed cases, include also figures announced by the health ministry of the semi-autonomous region of Tanzania, Zanzibar.

READ:COVID-19 in Tanzania:  Cases rise to 254; death toll hits 10

Further, the number of the deceased rose to 16 as six more people succumbed to the deadly and Zanzibar has confirmed 22 cases, according to the Prime Minister.

On April 24 the health minister Ummy Mwalimu announced the number of patients recovered from virus stood at 37, and through the past 6 days, the number of recovered patients rose to 167, whereas 36 are from Zanzibar and 83 are from mainland Tanzania.

The number of the confirmed cases have risen by nearly 69 per cent since the last time the …

Kenya’s Safaricom M-Pesa —one of Africa’s and East Africa’s largest mobile money service, could be affected by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), as the service provider anticipates its revenue to be hit to almost $51.64 million in the three months from mid-march after it adjusted prices because of the COVID-19 crisis, according to information from Reuters

According to Reuters, the lost revenue which is almost 7.3 per cent of the mobile money service provider annual revenue, will be caused by the removal of all charges on small peer-to-peer transfers to facilitate cashless payments to help to contain the coronavirus pandemic, which has already taken a toll in other crucial sectors of the East African economy.

As one among the region’s and global leader in the industry, the South African and Britain owned company is not worried by the forecast, as the company’s CEO Peter Ndegwa told Reuters, that they anticipate getting …

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board approved $165.99 million to help the Republic of Madagascar to address the urgent balance of payment that needs stemming from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds were under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF). RCF provides rapid concessional financial assistance with limited conditionality to low-income countries (LICs) facing an urgent balance of payments need.

Madagascar’s economy has largely been affected by the coronavirus pandemic with the country’s tourism dramatically declining, trade and investments declining as well as interferences in the manufacturing and mining exports.

The government of Madagascar is taking immediate actions to mitigate the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic by putting immediate fiscal measures to strengthen social protection and support the most vulnerable in society.

Suspension of fees and social contributions to aid the private sector in the country, donating staple food and also providing liquidity to preserve the stability of …

Rwanda coronavirus (COVID-19) containment landscape just got stronger as the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday approved the disbursement of $109.4 million to be drawn under the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF), IMF statement said.

According to information from the IMF, this will serve to meet Rwanda’s urgent balance of payment needs stemming from the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rwanda is one of the East African nations to be hurt by the pandemic, whereby—COVID-19 cases stand at 84.

The lender noted that the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly unfolding, with the near-term outlook deteriorating quickly.

According to the IMF statement, the pandemic has triggered a rise to significant fiscal and external financing needs.

Hence, in curbing possible devastating impacts of the outbreak, authorities have acted fast by putting in place measures to help contain and mitigate the spread of the disease.

According to …

Tanzania, East Africa’s populous nation has confirmed today April 1 another coronavirus (COVID-19) case, totalling the national case at number 20, the Ministry of Health revealed.

According to the ministry, the patients is a 42-year-old female American national, who was in contact with an infected person, who also travelled abroad before returning to Tanzania.

So far, the patients are spread out in three regions, and according to the Minister of Health Ummy Mwalimu statement to the public, two patients have already recovered, and one died yesterday March 31.

The highly contagious pandemic made its way to Tanzania a month ago via a female Tanzanian national who returned from Belgium, since then—Tanzania has been on its toes rolling in several measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19.

Also, coronavirus cases have reached over 5,500 and almost more than 170 death have been reported across the continent.

Currently, Tanzania has closed-down …

On Tuesday 31 March 2020 Tanzania recorded its first COVID-19 death of a 49-year-old Tanzanian man, which happened in the nation’s commercial city, Dar es Salaam.

According to information from the Ministry of Health, the deceased man was also suffering from other health complications apart from the pandemic.

READ”COVID-19 in Africa: How African currencies feel the pandemic pinch

Tanzania which has 19 cases of the coronavirus, is taking various measures in containing the coronavirus.

“As of today, March 31, 2020, we have confirmed a total of 19 COVID-19 cases whereby out of the number, one has died and one has been treated and discharged from the hospital,” Minister of Health, Ummy Mwalimu said in a statement on Tuesday.

The pandemic has already hurt various crucial economic operations in Tanzania, including hotels, aviation and tourism activities.

On the meanwhile, the Tanzanian government is containing the outbreak rather different than its …