Ethiopia coronavirus: 5-month state of emergency imposed

The Ethiopian government has imposed a five-month State of Emergency in the wake of efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.

A statement released by the Attorney General’s office says constitutional rights to be suspended. The implementation of the emergency rule starts today.

Most regions across the country had banned the operation of most means of public transport including the capital Addis Ababa, which is the epicenter of the virus in the country.

Already, the northern Tigray Region had declared a state of emergency at a time they had recorded no cases. The region is also the first to get testing capacity outside of the national facilities in Addis Ababa.

The national tally as of April 8 was 55 with three new cases from the last round of tests.

Meanwhile, government says it has prepared 645 houses to be given to healthcare professionals helping COVID19 patients.

Additional 600 houses are under preparation. Health Minister Lia Tadesse further disclosed that the ministry is working hard to provide Personal Protective Equipment obtained through supports and purchases.

In other news, First Lady Zinash Tayachew aside recent donations towards the coronavirus fight, has released a gospel song seeking divine intervention in the battle against the pandemic.

In the 6 minutes long song, she pleads for “God’s mercy” as the world continues the battles against coronavirus. The song was released on Tuesday and is titled Maren – an Amharic word meaning “have mercy on us.” The first lady sings on a stage with a cross behind her at a point kneeling and praying for “God not to abandon her people.”

The song does not directly refer to the virus, but has phrases like “do not abandon us during this time when the world is terrorised by bad news.” Originally uploaded on the YouTube handle of one Joyce Girma Official,, it has raked some 6,000 plus views as at the time of publication of this article.