Ethiopian PM urges not to ignore virus precautions

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The Ethiopian prime minister on Tuesday urged the people to follow precautions meant to stem the spread of COVID-19.

“As COVID-19 cases continue to surge and our intensive care units operate at maximum capacity, it is imperative that we do not lose sight of precautionary measures, save your life; save someone else’s life and support our health workers by wearing a mask," Abiy Ahmed tweeted.

Health authorities have complained that social distancing, mask-wearing, and other guidelines are being recklessly disregarded by the public.

With a population of 115 million people, the Horn of Africa nation has recorded 123,145 coronavirus cases, with 1,912 deaths and 109,846 recoveries.

According to Health Minister Lia Tadesse, the East African country has signed up with COVAX, "a shining ray of hope for Ethiopia and many other countries in Africa to begin to rebuild their health systems and reemerge stronger from the pandemic.”

Coordinated by Gavi, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the World Health Organization, COVAX aims to make at least 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines available to people in all corners of the world, regardless of their wealth, by the end of 2021.