More Efforts Need to Reinforce in Fighting COVID-19: PM Abiy

Addis ababa, May 1/2020( ENA) Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the thriving efforts being underway in all sector to tackle the spread of coronavirus needs to be reinforced.

The National COVID-19 Ministerial Committee established for this purpose has appraised on Friday the major activities carried out to contain the spread of the virus and put future direction.

The Committee has discussed on a report towards the implementation of state of emergency, health, economy, transport, technology and foreign affairs as well as collecting resource to halt the virus.

The COVID-19 Ministerial Committee has been undertaking productive tasks with fruitful outcomes, Prime Minister Abiy said after the meeting.

“Today we met again to review key activities and measures undertaken which show good progress. Many lessons learnt in this period that needs to be institutionalized,” he said.

Abiy added that “By building on milestones achieved in logistics and ICT innovations as of late, these strengthened capacities will serve our growth better post-COVID19.”

He also commended Ethiopian airlines for standing by its own budget and ensures that Ethiopia become the center of Africa.

The airlines is the only alternative that the country is used during crisis and therefore it needs to strengthen its success with full capacity.

Deputy Prime Minister, Demeke Mekonen on his part said in spite of some developments in awareness creation and tackling the virus through various preventative measurements taken by the government, the desired level is not yet attained.

He emphasized on the urgent organization for market areas and transportation services to ensure that people keep distance before the virus would bring severe crisis.

According to Ministry of Health, Ethiopia has intensified its preventative measures including house to house screening to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

To date, some 3.6 million houses have been visited in door to door screening across the country and Addis Ababa, Tigray and Oromia Regional States have reported that they performed well in this regard.

Ethiopia’s COVID-19 tally jumps to 133 after two new positive cases reported today.

So far a total of 18, 754 samples had been tested in Ethiopia since the first case has confirmed mid of last March.