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.
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.
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.