Ethiopia has confirmed one new case of coronavirus (COVID19), out of the 933 samples tested over the past 24 hours.

This brings the total number of cases to 117.

The country has so far reported three deaths and 21 recoveries from the virus.

According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, more than to 2.7 million cases of coronavirus have been registered globally.

More than 191,000 people have died and more than 751,000 have recovered from the virus.

Ambassador of China to Ethiopia, Tan Jian, handed over medical supplies donated by the Chinese Government to African nations.

The COVID-19 preventive medical equipment was transported from Beijing to Addis Ababa by Ethiopian Airlines.

The equipment distributed to 12 African countries includes infrared thermometers, gloves, masks, gowns, face shields, and coveralls, among others.

Speaking at a handover ceremony held at the Ethiopian Cargo &Logistics Services, ambassador Tan said China will continue to support African countries that stood by its side during testing times.

Ethiopia has reported no new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) today, the first time since it began issuing daily data last month.

Out of the 965 samples taken over the past 24 hours, none of them have tested positive for the virus, said the Ministry of Health in a statement.

The Ministry warned that “zero positive results among 965 tested individuals do not indicate the decline of COVID-19 in Ethiopia.”

Ethiopia has so far reported 116 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with three deaths and 21 recoveries.

According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, more than to 2.6 million cases of coronavirus have been registered globally.

More than 184,000 people have died and more than 723,000 have recovered from the virus.

Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed has held virtual discussion with African Heads of State and leading African businesses.

In a Twitter post, the Prime Minister described the discussion as productive.

“Fruitful followup deliberations with members of the Bureau of the Assembly of the AU, other Heads of State, and more than 20 leading African businesses on the role of the private sector in COVID19 responsiveness,” he said.

The Prime Minister commended the commitment of the African Development Bank, Africa Exim Bank, and other private stakeholders to contribute to the Africa COVID fund and the Africa Center for Disease Control.

As part of efforts to halt the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the Dire Dawa city administration has tightened border control.

Lemlem Bezabih, head of the city administration’s health bureau, told FBC that efforts are being made to control the entry of illegal migrants to the country via the Ethio-Djibouti border.

Health workers are conducting surveillance on individuals who had contacts with infected individuals, besides other containment efforts, she said.

However, migrants crossing into the country from Djibouti have been posing challenges to COVID-19 battle, Lemlem indicated.

Ethiopia has confirmed two new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), out of the 1073 samples tested during the past 24 hours.

This brings the total number of COVID-19 cases to 116.

One of the confirmed cases is a resident of Gewane woreda, Afar regional state, with no travel history abroad.

The other one is an Ethiopian-born American national who was in a mandatory quarantine.

Five people (four from Addis Ababa and one from Dire Dawa) have also recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 21.

With an additional 12 laboratories this week, the total number of coronavirus testing laboratories in Ethiopia will reach 20, according to the Ministry of Health.

Health Minister Dr. Lia Tadesse told ENA that one of the priorities of the government is to halt the spread of the virus by expanding its diagnostic capacity.

Recalling the fact that eight laboratories have been providing services in the country, she said the additional laboratories will contribute a lot.

By the end of the week 11 laboratories will be operating in regional cities and the other nine laboratories in Addis Ababa, the minister noted.

One of the laboratories operating in Addis Ababa is located in a private hospital, it was learned.

Upon going fully operational, the laboratories will have a capacity to test 3,985 samples in a day, Dr. Lia said, stating that additional five laboratories will conduct testing soon to further enhance this capacity.

On the other hand, she pointed out that discussions have been underway with various governments in order to meet the necessary inputs for laboratories.

The minister added that diagnostic testing of the virus has been intensified by conducting door-to-door temperature screening of coronavirus in vulnerable areas.

Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed has called for all needed measures to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 on the national economy.

“To mitigate the adverse impact of COVID19 on our economy, it is critical to take measures to protect employment and income, scale-up safety net programs to the most vulnerable, maintain the supply chain of key commodities and support the productive sectors of the economy,” he tweeted

“Ensuring agricultural productivity is also critical to our food security. We will ensure uninterrupted supplies of fertilizers, improved seeds, and pesticides to prevent any potential supply shortages,” he added.

“As insufficient public health measures can also prolong the economic crisis, we will also invest heavily in the health system as part of our economic responses.”

Ethiopia has so far confirmed 114 cases, with three deaths and 16 recoveries from the virus.

The National Task Force for coronavirus (COVID 19) said close to 400 million birr has been raised till the last Friday.

Adanech Abiebie, Federal Attorney General and Coordinator of the Task Force told EPA that the above-stated amount was contributed by 180 institutions to combat the COVID 19 pandemic.

Among the fundraisers include 100 public institutions and 80 private organizations, she said.

Religious institutions, colleges and individuals have also provided their buildings for isolation and treatment hubs for COVID-19 patients, Adanech disclosed.

The Attorney General noted that institutions and individuals have also donated cereals, sanitation and hygiene supplies to the taskforce.

Describing the support as encouraging, she called upon the public to continue their contributions to the national COVID-19 control efforts.

The Ethiopian Pharmaceuticals Supply Agency has stared distributing medical supplies it received from Jack Ma’s first round donation.

The medical supplies under distribution include over 20,000 testing kits, 47,950 N95 face masks, 1,100 disposable protective clothing, 52,000 face masks and 1000 face shields.

The medical supplies are being distributed as per the request made by Ethiopian Public Health Institute, the agency said on its Facebook page.

The agency also expressed its readiness to distribute medical supplies donated by Jack Ma in the second round.

Jack Ma, the Chinese billionaire, announced that he will also make a third donation of medical equipment to the African Union to assist African nations in the fight against COVID-19.

The medical supplies include 4.6m masks, 500,000 swabs and test kits, 300 ventilators, 200,000 clothing sets, 200,000 face shields, 2,000 thermal guns, 100 body temperature scanners and 500,000 pairs of gloves.

Africa has so far registered over 22,300 confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID 19), with 1,124 deaths and 5,482 recoveries.