Tanzania opposition warns against 'giving false hopes'

Tanzanian opposition leader Zitto Kabwe has warned the government against giving false hopes as coronavirus cases in the country rise significantly.

Mr Kabwe said citizens need to be told of the true picture of the pandemic. The country confirmed 30 new cases on Wednesday pushing the total to 284 cases and 10 deaths.

Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Wednesday urged citizens to trust the government and its medical experts in the fight against coronavirus.

Mr Majaliwa said the government has to assess every measure before imposing stricter rules to curb the spread of the virus.

Religious gatherings are still allowed in the country and President John Magufuli is on record saying coronavirus cannot survive in the body of Christ, encouraging people to pray and attend church.

President Magufuli has ruled out a lockdown in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam where most of the positive cases are, Reuters news agency reports.

He said a lockdown would hurt the economy as Dar es Salaam is a port city that brings in a lot of revenue.

The president on Wednesday asked creditors to cancel debts owed by African countries to enable them use their savings to fight coronavirus.