Dar es Salaam — Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda remain vigilant in the fight against a third wave of the viral Covid-19 pandemic whose spectre is already casting an ominous shadow over the region.
Tanzania – which was one of the countries that were not particularly vocal about the pandemic – has started taking action against the projected third wave under the new administration of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has been in office since March 19 this year.
The country has also admitted to fears of the third resurgence of the coronavirus, with the director of preventive services in the Health ministry, Dr Leonard Subi, issuing a statement insisting on Tanzanians taking precautionary measures to curb the malady.
Dr Subi recommended that members of the private and public sectors take the steps needed to strengthen preventive measures in curbing the third wave of the deadly pandemic, including constantly wearing face masks, hand-washing and sanitizing, as well as maintaining the requisite social distancing.
The government has also shown an intention to resort to vaccination against the virus, and plans to obtain the right vaccines are already afoot.
The East African region was ravaged and savaged by the pandemic from early 2020. But imposition of lockdowns in some of the countries, combined with social distancing and other precautionary measures, cut down on possible infections and deaths in the region.