Tanzania has recorded 176 new cases of Covid-19 infections, bringing the total to 858, Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima announced Friday.

It has also recorded 29 deaths as of July 21, she said at a press conference in Dar es Salaam.

For more than a year, Tanzania had not released data on Covid-19 infections in the country until June 28 when President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced that there were 100 new cases in the country and 70 in critical condition.

On Thursday, Dr Gwajima announced a ban on "unnecessary gatherings" nationwide, as the country recorded 682 Covid-19 patients.

She also urged residents to follow health guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, saying some people are not taking the necessary precautions.