Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Sunday urged members of the public to stop fearing the COVID-19 pandemic but he said they should continue observing protective guidelines issued by health authorities.

Magufuli made the appeal when he attended Sunday prayers at a church in his native town of Chato in Geita region, said a statement by the Directorate of Communications at State House.

According to the statement, President Magufuli urged Tanzanians to continue working hard, especially in mass production of food saying neighboring countries which were on lockdown will need food supplies when the lockdown was relaxed.

He appealed to religious leaders to conduct prayers for three consecutive days from next Friday, Saturday and Sunday to thank God because COVID-19 infections in the east African nation have started to go down.

Magufuli said latest statistics showed that as of Sunday, Amana hospital in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam which had 198 COVID-19 patients now remained with 12 patients, Mloganzila hospital admitted 30 patients but it now remained with six patients and Lulanzi health facility in Kibaha district had more than 50 patients but it now remained with 22 patients.