• Country bans public events as coronavirus cases hit five
• Chinese billionaire Jack Ma to donate test kits, masks to every African state

The head of Oromia’s education bureau, Dr. Tola Beriso, has tested negative for coronavirus. Tola told BBC Amharic that he received confirmation that the test is negative. Tola had previously been in contact with a Japanese national who tested positive for Covid-19, the first confirmed case for Ethiopia. Tola, who said he is in full health, has voluntarily isolated himself for twelve days.

The Japanese patient who arrived in Ethiopia on March 4, 2020, from Burkina Faso visited two schools in the Arsi zone. Among the 113 people who came in contact with the Japanese national, 74 of them were found negative, according to the Ethiopian Public Health Institue.

Ethiopia on Monday suspended schools, sporting events, and public assemblies as it confirmed its fifth case of Covid-19. Four other people have tested positive for Covid-19, two Ethiopians and two Japanese. Three of them had been in contact with the country’s first patient, while one of the Ethiopian citizens had returned from Dubai.

All passengers arriving in the country-regardless of origin-must undergo temperature at Bole international airport. However, Ethiopian Airlines maintains its flights, including to the most affected countries such as Italy.

Ethiopia has obtained the support of the Chinese billionaire businessman Jack Ma, head of Ali Baba who promised to donate 20,000 testing kits, 100,000 masks, 1,000 medical-use protective suits and face shields for each African country.