Corona and Democracy - Tanzania

Information on COVID-19 measures and democracy

   16 March:

• The government suspended public and political gathering and rallies for 30 days.

   21 March:

• The government announced a ban on all tourist flights.

   23 March:

• The government announced that all incoming travellers from COVID affected countries would be placed in quarantine at their own cost for 14 days.

   4 April:

• Authorities announced additional travel restrictions for cargos and people entering in the country.

   12 April:

• Suspension of all international passenger flights.

17 May:

• President Magufuli announces re-opening, easing many restrictions 

• https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/1840340-5494476-agwmfd/index.html
• https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/326161/tanzania-authorities-announce-mandatory-quarantine-for-some-travelers-march-23-update-1
• https://www.africanews.com/2020/03/24/coronavirus-tanzania-travel-advisory-no1-of-23032020-update-on-covid-19-in-tanzania//
• https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/329896/tanzania-authorities-announce-further-travel-restrictions-april-4-update-3
• https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/331816/tanzania-international-passenger-flights-suspended-on-april-12-update-4
• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-tanzania/tanzanias-magufuli-plans-to-lift-coronavirus-restrictions-idUSKBN22T0P0

   25 March:

• The president announced that the elections scheduled for October 2020 will be held despite coronavirus.
• However, there are concerns that President Magufuli will use the COVID-19 outbreak as a pretext for seeking a third term in office.

• https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/news/1840340-5504824-augl4m/index.html
• https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/africasource/tanzanias-mild-response-to-covid-19-and-its-implications-for-the-2020-elections/

• Transparency is lacking in the management of the crisis.

  Activists and opposition leaders reported a lack of transparency in the numbers and information delivered by the government. The government has been accused of hiding the real extent of the spread of the virus and the everyday reports are sometimes missing.

  The government had endorsed different treatment against coronavirus, as inhaling steam and a herbal tonic from Madagascar.

22 April:

• Tanzania's president calls for debt forgiveness to help battle the coronavirus pandemic

• https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/tanzania-covering-real-number-coronavirus-deaths-200511054304751.html
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52646640?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cjnwl8q4qdrt/tanzania&link_location=live-reporting-story
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-52519853?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.com/news/topics/cjnwl8q4qdrt/tanzania&link_location=live-reporting-story
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-51710617
• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-tanzania/tanzanias-president-calls-for-debt-forgiveness-to-help-battle-virus-idUSKCN224346

• Reports of the police arresting people who disregard of COVID-19 guidelines or questioning the measures taken by the government. Media and journalists report that the real situation in Tanzania is unknown.
  
  Journalists face suspension when reporting on COVID-19.
  As a result of the arrests and intimidations, the news media are silent and do not criticise the government.

3 May:

• The president dismissed coronavirus test kits as faulty, as they returned positive results on samples from a goat

• http://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20200430-covid-19-making-media-africa-great-lakes-region-sick-tanzania-rwanda-ugandahttps://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2020/05/14/Tanzania-government-hidden-coronavirus-cases
• https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/tanzania-authorities-must-end-crackdown-on-journalists-reporting-on-covid19/
• https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-tanzania/president-queries-tanzania-coronavirus-kits-after-goat-test-idUSKBN22F0KF

•  No state of emergency has been declared.