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 On Sunday, Tanzanian President John Magufuli said the imported
coronavirus test kits were faulty after they had returned positive
results on a goat and a pawpaw. The next day, the head of the
national health laboratory in charge of testing was suspended.
"The tests that Tanzania is using we know they are working very
well," John Nkengasong told journalists on a conference call.
The Africa CDC, along with the Jack Ma Foundation, a charity founded
by the Chinese billionaire, supplied the tests, Nkengasong said.
"We have formed a team of experts to examine the lab, details will
come out after they finalise investigation," Hassan Abbas,
Tanzania's chief government spokesperson said, declining to directly
address Nkengasong's comments.
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Tanzania, where places of worship remain open, has at least 480 confirmed cases
and 18 deaths, the fourth highest case load in Eastern Africa. But the data is
from Sunday, the most recent day the government released figures.
Almost all other African nations release daily reports on the latest tallies on
infections, fatalities and recoveries. Tanzania's lag has prompted criticism
from the country's opposition that the government is being secretive.
(Reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Additional reporting by Nairobi newsroom;
Writing by Katharine Houreld and Ayenat Mersie; Editing by Gareth Jones and
Alison Williams)
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