• Country reported its fifth death related to COVID-19

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Ethiopia climbed to 210, Ethiopian Health Minister Lia Tadesse reported on Saturday.

The daily update by the Health Minister showed that said out of 2,383 lab tests conducted, 16 people have tested positive, bringing the total number of infected people in the country to 210. According to the figures, all 16 new COVID-19 cases are Ethiopian nationals, 7 males and 9 females. 2 of them are recent returnees from abroad and the 13 of them have traceable contacts, it was said. Thirteen of them are from Addis Ababa, one from Woldia town of Amhara region, and two of them from Sodo and Butajira towns of the southern region. The country reported new death today and the victim is a 65-year-old male from Addis Ababa, bringing the death toll to 5.

The Ministry of Health also said that 97 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have so far recovered from the virus. The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Ethiopia on March 13.

Though case numbers in the country have been relatively low, government officials continue to warn the public to proceed with the utmost caution and prudence as the virus might not peak until early June.

There is concern about the arrival of many Ethiopian nationals from neighboring countries such as Djibouti and Somaliland that could hasten the spread of the coronavirus. Officials in Afar and Somali regions are rushing to tighten controls over the border with Djibouti, which has seen more than 1,135 cases so far. Returnees are being kept in hurriedly constructed quarantine centers, some questioning about the effectiveness of facilities.