The total laboratory tests conducted within 24 hours are 3757; of these sixty-one (61) of them are confirmed positive for COVID-19 and the total confirmed cases as of today are Four-Hundred-Ninety-Four (494). Among the confirmed cases, 43 of them are male and 18 are female. All of them are Ethiopians and their age ranges from 15 to 70 years. Among the cases forty-eight (48) of them are identified from Addis Ababa (five have contact with a confirmed case and forty-three have no contact with confirmed cases and no travel history), three (3) from Afar Region (contact with confirmed cases and in Dubti Isolation Center), one (1) from Amhara region (all with travel history from abroad and in Dessie Isolation Center), seven (7) from Somali region (all with travel history from abroad and in Jigjiga Quarantine Center) and two (2) from Oromia region (with no contact with confirmed cases and no travel history and they are from Burayu and Sebeta towns).
- A detailed information on today’s cases will be provided through a separate press statement
The potential sources of exposure of the confirmed cases are presented below;
| Potential Exposure | Number of Cases |
| Travel history from abroad | 11 |
| Contact with confirmed cases | 5 |
| Cases with no contact with confirmed cases and no travel history | 45 |
| Total | 61 |
Furthermore, twenty-three (23) people (14 from Addis Ababa and 9 from Afar region) recovered from the disease that makes the total number of recoveries one-hundred-fifty-one (151).
The laboratory samples were collected from the high-risk community members, returnees/passengers at mandatory quarantine centers, contacts of the confirmed cases, health facility visitors and suspects at isolation centers.
COVID-19 Situational Update as of Today
| Total laboratory test conducted | 76,962 |
| Laboratory tests conducted within 24 hours | 3,757 |
| Number of Confirmed cases within 24 hours | 61 |
| Total patients of COVID-19 in treatment centers | 336 |
| Patients in intensive care | 0 |
| Newly Recovered | 23 |
| Total Recovered | 151 |
| Total Deaths | 5 |
| Returned to their country | 2 |
| Total confirmed cases as of today | 494 |
Ministry of Health and Ethiopian Public Health Institute would like to wish a happy Eid Al Fitr to all Muslims and recommend taking the following precautions while celebrating this holiday
- Keep our physical distance during Zekatil Fitr,
- Make holiday welfares through phone calls rather than in person,
- Cover our nose and mouth with face/cloth mask while we are at the market
- Keep our physical distance and clean our hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer while shopping goods for the holiday at a nearby market
Strictly adhere to all precautionary measures to protect yourselves and your loved ones from the virus.
For more information or to report if any person had contact with confirmed COVID-19 please call to the free toll line 8335 and 952 or to regular phone 0118276796 and regional toll free lines, or use our email:-ephieoc@gmail.com.
Dr. Lia Tadesse
Minister of Health
May 23, 2020