The Government of Ethiopia today announced shutting all schools for two weeks across the country to prevent to stop the spread of the pandemic coronavirus.
In addition to schools 0 from primarily to high schools, the government has also decided that all university students should not leave their campus but continue their studies, according to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia, who made the announcement this afternoon. He stated that the government has also decided to avoid public gathering conferences and the like for the coming two weeks.
The total number of people in the country affected by coronavirus so far has also reached five of which two are Ethiopians, according to Prime Minister Abiy. Sport tournaments including premier league is also banned for the coming two weeks. Meanwhile, there is no report of death due to coronavirus in Ethiopia so far, according to the Minister of Health of Ethiopia Dr. Liya Tadesse. Government has also indicated that it has allocated funding to provide sanitation goods such as masks, soaps and alcohols and sanitizer to the public in major areas. The government has also stated that it has established Ministerial committee to tackle the spread of the pandemic. The committee has made the following decisions-
1. Large gatherings and meetings to be postponed including sporting events. Small gatherings to
not be undertaken without consulting the Ministry of Health.
2. With the exception of higher learning institutions, all schools to be closed. The Ministry of
Science and Higher Learning will be delivering course content online with students remaining in
university campuses and their dorms.
3. Religious institutions and places of worship to limit gatherings.
4. A national hygiene and preventive measures movement to be launched and cascaded
throughout government institutions with uptake in non-government institutions and the public.
5. Government to allocate budget for the distribution of masks, soap, alcohol solutions and other
preventive materials in critical locations.
6. Government buses to be availed free of charge to the public to limit overcrowding in the public
transport system. Buses allocated to transport civil servants will be available as of 8am after
transporting civil servants to their places of employment. Private transporters are also asked to
follow suit.
7. Ministry of Trade and Industry to monitor and act against businesses unnecessarily increasing
prices on consumer goods.
8. Preventive measures to be undertaken in elderly care facilities with close monitoring by the
Ministry of Health. Visits to such facilities to be limited.
9. Volunteers are asked to support in raising prevention awareness.
10. Media institutions to deliver accurate information to the public.
It is recalled that Ethiopian government has announced the first confirmed case of coronavirus – a Japanese national. The religious council of Ethiopia has also urged the public to be cautious about the spread of coronavirus and follow the advices of government – the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia and the Public Health Institute of Ethiopia.
The latest report of the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that some 150,000 people across the world in 126 countries including, Sudan, Kenya in East Africa has reported confirmed cases of coronavirus (Covid-19).