Kassim Majaliwa said he was surprised people were questioning the President’s whereabouts, adding that the leader was “fine and continuing with his daily activities,” as he spoke during a Friday prayer session at a mosque in the country’s Njombe region, according to state broadcaster Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation.

President Magufuli, who makes weekly public appearances at Sunday church services, hasn’t been seen since February 27, fueling speculation that he is ill and was being treated abroad.

Unconfirmed reports have appeared in regional media outlets suggesting the leader had been admitted to Nairobi Hospital for Covid-19 this week. CNN has been unable to confirm the status of the President.

Over the course of the pandemic, Magufuli had downplayed its dangers, previously claiming that Tanzania had defeated Covid-19 through prayer and insisting the virus was not a threat to the East African nation. He has questioned the safety of foreign Covid-19 vaccines and made no plan to…