Father Charles Kitima, General Secretary of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) has shockingly revealed that more than 25 priests, 60 nuns and 2 elders had died in Tanzania in the last two months alone.
Fater Kitima, who was speaking to the media on Wednesday, said the members of the clergy had died of various causes, including respiratory complications feared to be Covid-19.
He announced that the said suspicious deaths occurred from mid-December last year to February and were recorded in various parts of the East African country.
“Priests are dying and sisters are dying but this number within two months has shocked us especially considering the government has strengthened health systems,” said Kitima.
Speaking on the epidemic and other issues, the cleric appealed to members of the church to continue observing measures to tame the virus based on released health ministry guidelines.
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He added that TEC president, Gervas Nyaisonga, had already distributed guidelines to bishops of various dioceses on hot to protect themselves against Coronavirus while providing services.
This comes as reports have been indicating that Tanzania lost at least 10 prominent personalities within a space of three weeks amid worries Covid-19 could be ravaging the nation.
Among those who died are Chief Secretary Amb John Kijazi, Zanzibar First Vice President Seif Sharif Hamad, former Finance and Planning PS Dr Servacius Likwelile and Bank of Tanzania Governor Prof Benno Ndulu.
Speaking at the burial of Kijazi in February, Tanzania’s President John Magufuli admitted in publicly that Coronavirus was spreading in his country after downplaying it for months.
He, however, ruled out locking down the country while urging the general public to wear masks and appealing to the church to pray for Tanzanians to be safe.
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