‘I’m sorry’: Coronavirus patient in Tanzania addresses nation via phone call during minister’s press briefing | VIDEO

Tanzania’s first coronavirus patient on Wednesday, March 18, addressed the country via a phone call to the Minister of Health Ummy Mwalimu.

Mwalimu was addressing a press conference at Arusha Regional Commissioner’ Mrisho Gambo's office early Wednesday, when she called the patient, identified as Isabella Mwampamba, and asked her to speak to the country.

Tanzania confirmed its first case of COVID-19 in the country on Monday, March 16.

Health ministry said Mwampamba, 46, returned from Belgium on Sunday, March 15 aboard a RwandAir plane. The patient was screened on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA) in Arusha but she did not have any symptoms of the virus. Later, she fell ill while in her hotel room in Arusha and went to hospital, Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said.

And, on Wednesday, Mwalimu told the nation that Mwampamba was responding well to treatment, and was in a position to speak to the citizens via a phone call.

“Hello, I am addressing a press conference at the Arusha Regional Commissioner’s office. I am glad that I spoke to you in the morning and you informed me that your health was improving,” Mwalimu told Mwampamba as she placed the patient on loudspeaker.

“I am now asking you speak to Tanzanians and Arusha residents. Kindly give them an update on your health status, and maybe share a message with them,” said the minister.

Responding to Mwalimu’s message, the patient, who was placed under mandatory quarantine, said: “I thank journalists and Tanzanians in general. My name is Isabella Mwampamba, and I am going fine. The first thing is that I thank God for protecting me. I am also grateful to the Tanzanian president, and the government at large.

“I am being treated well in hospital. I apologise to Tanzanians for being the first person in the country to be confirmed to have contracted the virus. As a result of that confirmation, my situation caused panic in the whole country. Many believe I am the cause of the spread of the virus in the country. I am calling to seek your forgiveness.

“God is protecting my family. Currently, I do not have any symptoms of the virus: I do not have fever, a cough or runny nose.

“Tanzanians, let us use this pandemic to raise awareness about the virus. I urge Tanzanians to take precaution as per the WHO guidelines,” said the patient.

On Wednesday, March 18, Tanzania reported two new coronavirus cases raising the total to three, Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, said.

Majaliwa told journalists that the two patients are foreign nationals from the US and Germany.

One case was confirmed in Dar es Salaam and one in Zanzibar, according to Majaliwa.