Dar es Salaam — The release of Covid-19 official statistics has remained a mystery for nearly a month despite a promise by Health minister Ummy Mwalimu who said the government would resume updating the public on the disease's trends after the rehabilitation of the National Health Laboratory.

Early this month, President John Magufuli faulted the results issued by the National Laboratory, saying swabs from a live goat, a quail and a fruit had returned positive results for Covid-19 after agents sent them to the state lab.

Health Minister Mwalimu tasked a 10-man probe committee ordering it to issue a report by May 13.

But on May 8, when she was inaugurating a public health call centre-Afya Call Center located at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, she was quoted as saying, "We will resume the process of updating the public when the national laboratory is in order."

But, according to a recent statement issued by the Arusha Regional Commissioner Mrisho Gambo, truck drivers whose tests came out positive for Covid-19 after being tested in Kenya, had been sent to the national lab in Dar es Salaam for confirmation.