Ethiopia has reported nine new cases of COVID-19, out of the 3,580 samples tested over the past 24 hours.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 272.
Of the new confirmed cases, five are from Addis Ababa and four from Jigjiga quarantine facility in Somali regional state.
All the confirmed cases are Ethiopian nationals aged between 17-66 years, according to the Ministry of Health.
Ethiopia has reported five deaths so far. As of today, total test count stands at 45,278.
Ethiopia’s Immigration Nationality and Vital Events Agency said five more border checkpoints will be opened within a month.
The new checkpoints will be established in Afar, Somali and Amhara regional states as well as in Dire Dawa city administration, said Desalegn Terresa, public relations and communication director at the agency.
The main objectives of the checkpoints are to battle the spread of the coronavirus virus from neighbors and make the virus control efforts easier, he said.
The opening of the new checkpoints will bring Ethiopia’s total number of checkpoints at border areas to 17, according to the director.
The establishment of the checkpoints would have a significant role in reducing the virus from spreading by preventing illegal border crossers, Desalegn stated.
Ethiopia has so far reported 263 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 108 recoveries and five deaths.
Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed presided over a presentation by the Minister of Agriculture which reviews the national green legacy initiative and the preparations for planting this year.
Key stakeholders present at the meeting were national steering committee members, technical committee members, regional chief administrators and influential personalities that will be engaged in public mobilization, according to office of the Prime Minister.
Citing the key success factors from last year’s planting season as great public mobilization, active engagement of government leadership, institutional coordination and stakeholders’ participation, the need to build on these good experiences was indicated.
While the target for this year is to plant 5 billion trees, preparations to ready the required number of seedlings has been underway since the end of last year’s planting season.
The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of continuity and finishing what has been started, indicating the green legacy initiative overall goal of planting 20 billion trees within the next few years.
He also shared the status of the Addis Ababa greening projects which are linked to promoting urban tourism and creating a livable city.
In a recorded message posted on Facebook on May 12th, FDRE President Sahle-Work Zewdie called upon the global community to join hands against coronavirus pandemic.
She said COVID 19 is now harshly attacking the humankind in many aspects.
“It has raised havoc in communities all around the world. Our way of life has completely been disrupted. Hundreds of thousands of people have died. Millions have lost jobs. Trillions of dollars have been lost.” The president stated.
“This crisis is different. We have suddenly found ourselves in the same boat. As much as individualism and nationalism are visible, It has revealed the capacity of people to support each other and to build solidarity with the weakest among us. We have seen the heroic crew of medical staff and many others.” President Sahle-Work articulated.
While expressing her support to the United Nations Call for Solidarity against the virus, the president paraphrased it saying “Let us be clear. It is not about charity or generosity. I stand in support of the United Nations Secretary General’s appeal for solidarity. There is no other option. This is a global crisis. Delay in action means death.”
There cannot be victory over the virus in one or some countries alone. We all have something to contribute.
According to the president, special attention should be given to the protection of Women, Children, and People with disabilities form COVID 19 pandemic.
The president further urged the global community to start drawing lessons from the crisis with greater attention given to strengthening the public health system and the emergency response mechanism.
Ministry of Health stated that the door to door screening activities being carried out to control the spread of cornovarus have become effective in discovering new cases that are not linked with travel history abroad.
The screening works added an impetus to the country’s COVID 19 emergency response so that ministry of health has managed to easily identify suspected cases among the community, the state minister Dr. Dereje Dugumma said.
Dr. Dereje said COVID 19 screening and monitoring activities focused at industrial parks, prisons, health care institutions and other vulnerable segments of the society enabled the ministry to discover cases in health workers, drivers, and traders who had no travel history.
The recently increasing cases motivated the health sector to exert more efforts against the spread of the virus in the country, Dr. Dereje noted.
“The coronavirus pandemic is at its worst-case scenario.” said the state minister, adding “the county has built capacity in terms of both technical and logistic spheres.”
Activities are underway to increase the country’s testing capacity to 6,000 samples a day, according to the state minister.
There are currently 250 confirmed COVID 19 cases in Ethiopia.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Council of Institutional Inquiry has made an open call for constitutional law experts to submit an amicus curiae brief in the matter submitted to it by the House of Peoples Representatives.
“Subsequently, the CCI will hold a hearing with relevant institutions and prominent individuals” Meaza Ashenafi President of the FDRE Supreme Court tweeted today.
“Such participation is important to demonstrate to the public the integrity of the process and the outcome as well as to cultivate a positive tradition of constitutionalism in Ethiopia” Meaza stated.
The House of Peoples Representatives recently approved a resolution seeking constitutional interpretation out of four legal options proposed by the government to postpone the upcoming election.
It is to be recalled the approved resolution was referred to the Council of Constitutional Inquiry.
Higher government officials are currently deliberating on reports tabled by the technical committee of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Dr. Sileshi Bekele, Minister of Water, Irrigation and Energy, presented the reports at the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed, according to EBC report.
Dr. Sileshi on the occasion said the overall progress of the GERD project has reached 73%, while civil engineer works are now at 87%.
The Minister indicated that filling of the dam will begin next July.
Ethiopia is preparing an appropriate response to the letter which Egypt had submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) complaining Ethiopia’s plan to fill the dam, he added.
GERD is under construction in the Benishangul-Gumuz regional state. It is expected to be completed in 2023.
The people and government of Ethiopia are funding the project, which will not only serve Ethiopia but also Sudan and Egypt as well.
Ethiopia’s President Sahle-Work Zewde has held a phone conversation with King Philippe of Belgium.
The two sides discussed on measures being taken by the two nations to fight the spread of the coronavirus (CVID-19) pandemic.
After the conversation, President Sahle-Work said “I had a telephone talks with His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium. We exchanged our experiences in the fight against COVID-19.”
The President thanked the King for his message of solidarity to the people of Ethiopia, and added “It is together that we will win.”
Ethiopia has confirmed 16 new cases of the coronavirus out of the 2,383 samples tested over the past 24 hours.
All the confirmed cases are Ethiopia nationals aged between 20-60 years, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health.
Two of the confirmed cases have a travel history abroad, while the other cases had contact with previously confirmed cases, it added.
Two patients have also recovered from the virus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of recoveries to 97, the statement indicated.
The total number of confirmed cases in Ethiopia has now reached 210, with an overall test count of 32, 689. The country has so far 4 deaths from the virus.
On the occasion of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, President Sahle-Work Zewde, met with the leadership of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society, of which she is the patron, to discuss the national response to COVID-19. The President appreciated the key role that the society has been playing and she further encouraged them to continue their efforts. The Ethiopian Red Cross Society has been engaging in various activities to combat the spread of the Coronavirus such as spraying streets in various cities with disinfectant, mobilizing volunteers, and distributing sanitary products.
