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Tanzania’s President Shuns Masks to Pursue Herd Immunity

  • Nation will reopen to foreign tourists from next week
  • Government has not released fresh data on cases since April 29
People walk on a pedestrian bridge in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 16.

People walk on a pedestrian bridge in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 16.

Photographer: Ericky Boniphace/AFP via Getty Images

Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala

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Tanzanian President John Magufuli ordered the phased reopening of schools and resumption of foreign tourist flights, touting the controversial “herd immunity” strategy in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

“Experts say herd immunity increases when there is contact between people,” Magufuli said in a televised speech. “If you lock people inside, their immunity falls by 30%, according to the literature that I have seen.”