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Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health has announced a record 1,186 new COVID-19 positive cases, bringing the number of coronavirus infections in the country to 46,407
The ministry, in a statement on Thursday, stated that 20 more patients have died from coronavirus complications within the last 24 hours. The total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the East African country is now 745.
According to the ministry, some 16,829 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had recovered, including 518 in the last 24-hour period.
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The ministry also said that a total of 28,831 COVID-19 patients are still undergoing medical treatment, including 330 others in severe condition.
Ethiopia, Africa’s second-most populous nation with about 107 million people, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the East Africa region.
The country, however, has a far lower number of recoveries as compared to Kenya, the region’s second-most affected country.
Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa is currently the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic accounting for about 70 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the ministry. Ethiopia confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 13.
The East African country has so far conducted 831,470 COVID-19 medical tests, including 18,060 medical tests during the last 24-hour period, according to the ministry.
Amid the rapid spread of the virus in recent weeks, the government has intensified its mass COVID-19 testing campaign.
The Ethiopian government is mobilizing resources to ensure there is no shortage of laboratory materials and quarantine centres.
Ethiopia is also boosting its COVID-19 testing capacity at border points with neighbouring countries.
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According to figures from Africa CDC, Ethiopia, South Africa and Morocco are among the top African countries that have conducted the highest numbers of COVID-19 tests.
Ethiopia has officially launched a nationwide month-long testing campaign, which the Ethiopian government said “will determine the next steps to undertake in the new year” starting on Sept. 11.
