Ethiopia reports the first case of Covid-19 – KBC

Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health has confirmed the first case of Covid-19.

The 48 year-old Japanese who tested positive landed in Ethiopia on 4th March, 2020 from Burkina Faso and now under surveillance in an isolation facility at Eka Kotebe General Hospital.

Health Minister Lia Tadesse urged Ethiopians to redouble efforts in detecting and containing Covid-19.

In order to fight misinformation or reduce panic, Ethiopia has also launched a free-toll emergency number 8335.

This week, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute stated that it had trained 366 public health professionals, and 2,500 employees of Ethiopian Airlines, industrial parks, hotels and other companies.

Currently, Ethiopia has thermal screening facilities in international airports and in more than 30 border points.

Earlier today, Kenya announced the first a case of Covid-19 involving a Kenyan lady aged 27 who traveled from the United States of America to Nairobi via the United Kingdom on 5th March, 2020.

Other African nations that have reported cases include Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Togo.

Coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, China, late 2019.