Dar es Salaam, 27 June, 2021 / 8:56 pm (ACI Africa).
Tanzanian President has called upon Catholic Bishops and other religious leaders in the East African country to be part of COVID-19 sensitization initiatives, reminding the people of God under their care “of the need to protect ourselves.”
President Samia Suluhu Hassan who was addressing members of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) Friday, June 25 said the involvement of religious leaders in the fight against the pandemic is likely “to prevent mass deaths.”
“Dear Bishops, as you know the world is grappling with the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. I urge you and other religious leaders in the country to remind the faithful of the need to protect ourselves against it by adhering to the precautions given by the health professionals,” President Suluhu said during the meeting held at TEC Secretariat in Dar es Salaam.
“Since prevention is better than cure,” she said, “we should use everything that will protect us from this disease to prevent mass deaths.”
Her predecessor, late President John Pombe Magufuli had downplayed the seriousness of COVID-19 in the country, declaring the country free of the pandemic in June last year.