Tanzania has recorded an increase in Covid-19 cases with the country recording a total of 33,000 cases since march 2020, authorities announced Wednesday.

However, 781 people have died as a result of the coronavirus, Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said at the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam as she received 800,000 vaccine doses from China.

This is the second batch of vaccines received from China. In the first phase, Tanzania received 500,000 doses, which were used to vaccinate 250,000 citizens.

“The receipt of these vaccines today brings the total number of vaccines we have received in the country…to 8,821,210 doses, including Sinopharm, Janssen, Moderna and Pfizer, which are enough to vaccinate a total of 5,082,380 Tanzanians,” Ms Mwalimu said.

The government is monitoring vaccination reports among patients at care centres.

Most of those who have had a serious illness or died as a result of Covid-19 have not been vaccinated, the minister added.

As of January 25, 2022, a total of 1,922,019 Tanzanians (3.33 percent) have been fully vaccinated, Ms Mwalimu said.

“I continue to urge citizens to get the Covid-19 vaccines by completing the full dose and on time as recommended by experts to protect themselves against this disease,” she said.

The government aims to vaccinate 60 percent of all Tanzanians by the end of 2022.