The Catholic Church in Tanzania says sixty nuns and 25 priests have died in the country over the last two months after showing symptoms of coronavirus.
The church, which has been outspoken about coronavirus before, is in one of the few countries in the world not to publish its virus data. It has therefore warned Tanzanians to take Covid-19 precautions more seriously.
President John Magufuli has previously played down the virus – and last month the health minister said that Tanzania had no plans to vaccinate.
But Father Charles Kitima, secretary of the Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC) – an official assembly of Catholic bishops, said the Covid-19 threat was alive in Tanzania.
He added that it is upon everyone to ensure all the required precautions are taken to protect themselves and others, especially the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.