Majority of the confirmed Coronavirus cases are in the capital Addis Ababa, with no recent travel history or contact with infected persons
borkena
May 7, 2020
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health reported on Thursday that 29 new coronavirus cases are confirmed over the past twenty-four hours. Initially, the ministry reported only 25 new cases. In updated news hours later, the Ministry said that four more cases are reported from the Tigray region of Ethiopia. 1928 suspected individuals were tested for the virus during the above stated time.
According to information from the Ministry of Health, all but one of the cases confirmed on Thursday are male. And all the patients are Ethiopians and are between the ages of 65 and 17 years of age.
Besides the surges in the number of new confirmed cases of the pandemic, what has become a concern is that the majority of the cases did not have a recent travel history or contact with confirmed cases; a situation that represents 19 of the new cases. Three are reported to have a recent travel history abroad. And three had contact with infected persons, but not a travel history.
21 of the new patients are residents of Addis Ababa, two are from Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR), and two are from Oromo regions of Ethiopia. Social distancing measures were mostly flouted, and the Ethiopian government had to declare a state of emergency sometime last month.
The four patients confirmed in Tigray (ranging between 33 to 24 years of age,) had a recent travel history of Djibouti and were in mandatory quarantine in Mekelle. And all the new patients in Mekelle are male, according to information from the Ministry of Health.
The first highest confirmed Coronavirus case was reported on May 6 ; but most of the cases did have a travel history either to Djibouti or Somalia.
As of May 7, 2020, 93 patients are in the COVID 19 patients’ treatment centers in the country. And one patient is reportedly in the Intensive Care Unit.
The total coronavirus confirmed cases in the country have reached 191. The total number of suspected cases tested in the country is 28,445. The tests were conducted in different parts of the country. Currently, there are at least 12 COVID 19 test centers. The number of registered deaths, so far, is 4.
Analysis of data released by the Ministry of Health suggests that Coronavirus has affected almost all regional states.
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If the rate of positive results remains at the current level for the next 3-4 months we can all breathe a sigh of relieve. Let’s all hope and pray that will be the case. But our dear neighbors in Djibouti are not doing as good. The number of infected has surpassed that of places like Hong Kong and Taiwan with population 8 and 23 times larger than Djibouti respectively. I can see the nightmare those good neighbors are having every minute of it. They are now entering the hottest season of the year where it is in their tradition to spend these 3 scorching months in the cooler areas along the old railway line of the old country. Many of those from the Afar ethnic group come and spend the summer months with their kin and kit in the Afar region. Many of them don’t even bother to go the ‘hustle’ going thru the customs. That has been my worries and I have talked about it before. There you have it. The old country lacks borders that can be sealed on all corners. Just imagine the border with the Sudan. Without the full cooperation border area inhabitants it is impossible to completely and effectively control the flow of people across the porous border. I am hearing that our very capable son/brother President the Somali Region has been doing a heck of a job so far. It seems that he has found the right trick in convincing the border are inhabitants that it is not the right time to entertain the clan egalitarianism in the face the raging deadly virus. The virus is merciless and does not cut you any slack. It is a heartless pathogen that it does not have the time for your clan affinities. But what can I say about H.E. Dr. Lia Tadesse? She has been fighting this deadly pandemic tooth and nail and so far he is having the upper hand. All Honor and Glory To Her. She deserves the nation’s highest honor when this is said and done!!! Nuff said!!!!
Make that: ,,,,convincing the border area inhabitants ….
Easter Fasika was about a month ago , when most of these Addis Ababa residents got infected because the non-Addis Ababa native Mayor Takele Uma’s government failed to monitor the market and take appropriate measures to educate the market goers .
Fasika Easter market places in Addis Ababa were scheduled for Takele Uma to show up with his loud speaker but he was drunk and passed out unable to show up as scheduled which resulted in these unfortunate surge in infections.
PM Abiy and Mayor Takele Uma could have enforced the social distancing law at the market in Kaliti and other areas to protect the Public’s health but they failed to do so, that’s why we see the surge in Addis Ababa now . Transitional government is a must due to the current government’s continuous failure to perform their simplest duties to protect the people in all parts of the country.
Addis Ababa residents had been denied to hold rallies and demonstrations with the police dispersing and blocking roads effectively for many many many months before CoronaVirus was detected . The security apparatus vowed to prevent social gatherings which the government don’t approve of, but now within CoronaVirus time these Addis Ababa people were gathered closely at many fasika Easter markets with no serious effort made in the government’s part to monitor and enforce the State of Emergency laws which shows the security apparatus are put to protect the powerful government’s will only , not to protect the helpless people of Addis Ababa, which is another reason why a transitional government is needed not in September but ASAP NOW because it’ll get to late by then.
Mayor of Addis Abeba need not be ‘native’ to the city. Oh, I overlooked the poison of ethnicity planted by scums under the direction of TPLF. Any capable Ethiopian should be able to head the city and/or any federal offices. After the process of democratization is firmly in place, and when each administrative unit can choose its own officers, then the Mayor of Addis Abeba should be the one elected by the registered voters of the administrative unit. Until then, I am happy to see a very capable Mayor of Addis Abeba in the name of Takele Uma; he is a good fellow.
BTW, I am also very happy with the very capable leadership of Ethiopian Airlines under CEO Ato Tewelde Gebremariam without regard to ethnicity.