Ethiopia enforces 14-day quarantine for all travelers

Ethiopia on Monday enforced a 14-day mandatory quarantine period for all travelers to the country.

People arriving at the Bole International Airport in the capital Addis Ababa will be quarantined for two weeks at two designated hotels, Skylight and Ghion.

Diplomats will be required to remain in quarantine at their respective embassies.

The decision was among a host of measures announced by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to curb the coronavirus outbreak, including closing all schools and banning public gatherings and sports events for 15 days.

Ethiopia has 11 confirmed COVID-19 cases — six Ethiopians, four Japanese citizens, and one British person — so far but authorities fear a rise in numbers over the coming days.

On Sunday, 1.1 million coronavirus test kits, six million masks, and 60,000 protective suits arrived in Addis Ababa for distribution across Africa.

The donation came from Chinese tech tycoon Jack Ma on a request by premier Ahmed.

The COVID-19 outbreak that started in Wuhan, China, has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows the virus has now spread to 167 countries and regions.

Over 343,400 cases and 14,750 deaths have been reported worldwide since last December, while more than 98,890 people have recovered.  (Anadolu Agency)