Ethiopia’s Health Ministry on Friday announced it is going to start a six-month campaign on Monday that will focus on the prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, reported XinhuaNet.
The six-month campaign aims to prevent the spread of COVID-19 cases in schools, educational institutions, service institutions, religious places, bus stations, market places, and public spaces.
As per reports, the members of the Ethiopian federal parliament will participate in the six-month-long campaign, which will include a drive to encourage people to wear face masks.
Ethiopia reported its first COVID-19 case on March 13. The east African country confirmed its first COVID-19 related death on April 15.
Soon after reporting the first case, the Ethiopian government introduced stringent measures that included shutting down of schools, educational institutions, limiting religious gatherings, postponing large gatherings and sporting events, and punishing businesses for unnecessary price-hike on consumer goods so as to contain the spread of COVID-19.
In April, Ethiopia also declared a state of emergency to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. It loosened the preventive measures in early October as the state of emergency rule expired.
The Ethiopian government is advising the public to adhere to the recommended safety measures including wearing masks, sanitizing hands, and maintaining social distancing as the number of cases continues to rise.
On Friday, the Ethiopian Ministry of Health reported 345 new COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, taking the total count to 127,572. The COVID-19 death toll touched 1,974 mark, including eight new fatalities recorded over the same period. The total number of recoveries stood at 113,182, said the ministry.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation with about 114 million people, has the most COVID-19 cases in the East African region. It is the fifth most affected country in the African continent, surpassed by South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia.
