Addis Getachew
July 21, 2020•Update: July 21, 2020
ADDIS ABABA Ethiopia
Ethiopia said on Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic is beginning to take its biggest toll across the nation.
“COVID-19 [in] Ethiopia is showing a sharp rise with the largest number of 704 cases yesterday. Once again I urge everyone to follow the simple guidelines…,” Health Minister Lia Tadesse said on Twitter.
Lia had earlier warned that the nation could face the worst scenarios in July and August, Ethiopia’s main rainy season.
In April, Ethiopia declared a State of Emergency for five months – a major phenomenon that forced the country to delay by up to 11 months its parliamentary elections slated originally for August.
Schools are closed except universities where students get COVID-19 services on their campus premises, whereas civil servants are working from their homes mostly.
But, in many areas in the capital Addis Ababa, transport terminals are congested, markets swarmed with people who do not seem to be strictly observing physical distancing rules; although most people wear masks outdoors.
The horn of Africa nation of more than 110 million people has so far confirmed 10,511 virus cases out of 336,322 laboratory tests conducted. Some 173 people have died of the novel infection.
