Ethiopia is set to begin nationwide testing against COVID-19 on Sunday to determine how much of the population has been exposed to coronavirus, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Saturday.
In a twitter post, Abiy said “increased testing is key to know the spread of COVID-19 at national level so as to help the government make effective decisions on various fronts.”
Patients undergoing blood tests for unrelated conditions, or general blood panels, will be offered the serological tests, as well.
It is not clear if the government has adequate testing kits to conduct the testing for a population of 110 million people.
The Prime Minister called upon all stakeholders to participate and encourage various segments of the society to get tested, in line with the country’s Ministry of Health’s plans.
There are rapid rises in COVID 19 cases in many parts of the country, especially in the capital Addis Ababa.
The nation on Friday recorded 915 new cases of coronavirus, the highest daily total to date.
The total number of confirmed cases in the country now stands at 17,999, with 284 deaths and 7,195 recoveries.
There are now 10,518 active cases of which 68 are in a severe condition. Ethiopia has so far conducted 429, 712 laboratory tests.
MG/abj/APA