Tucked away in a northern suburb of this sprawling East African city is a burial site that is evidence of one of the world\u2019s great coronavirus coverups.<\/p>\n
At the Kondo graveyard in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, unmasked volunteers have been digging holes and felling trees to expand a compound that has tripled in size since last year. During the pandemic\u2019s first wave, hazmat-suited government officials came at night to secretly bury the dead, graveyard workers and bereaved families said. Now, small groups of mourners gather for hasty ceremonies next to floral tributes.<\/p>\n
Kondo\u2019s gravediggers said those buried there since last year have one thing in common: All died as a result of the coronavirus, yet none were recorded as suffering from Covid-19. They said they know by speaking to the families and officials from the municipality.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is one of the government\u2019s coronavirus cemeteries, but we\u2019re not allowed to call it that,\u201d said Said Ali Salum, a caretaker who has worked there so long that locals call him \u201cMzee Wa-Makaburi,\u201d or Mr. Graveyard. \u201cWe used to bury one a week [before the pandemic], but over the past year we have reached 17 a day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tanzania, a country famous for Serengeti safaris and a turquoise coastline, has engaged in a grim experiment with implications beyond its borders: denying the existence of Covid-19. How that is playing out offers clues on the hidden toll of the pandemic across the developing world.<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Take an early look at the front page of The Wall Street Journal https:\/\/t.co\/5xQPDPcm8q<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/ltEVZ0YLvH<\/a><\/p>\n — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 5, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n