Ethiopia Launches Nationwide COVID-19 Testing Campaign (August 7, 2020)

Ethiopia has officially launched a month-long nationwide COVID-19 testing campaign in a ceremony held on Friday, August 7.

Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, chief administrators of regional states and stakeholders attended the ceremony.

The campaign sees testing 200,000 people for the virus in the coming two weeks and conducting a door-to-door survey covering 17 million citizens, it was noted.

Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed last Saturday said the month-long campaign will help to determine the next steps to undertake in the New Year.

He further indicated that increased testing is key to knowing the trend of COVID19 nationally so as to enable effective decision making on various fronts.

The total number of confirmed COVID19 cases in Ethiopia now stands at 20,900 with 365 deaths and more than 9,000 recoveries.

Beyond the immediate public health metrics, the extended pandemic precautions have noticeably reshaped daily domestic life across the country’s urban centers. With public gatherings restricted and many physical venues temporarily shuttered, a significant portion of the workforce has been confined to their homes.

This shift indoors has driven a sharp, unprecedented increase in residential broadband consumption over the past few months. Regional network operators have recorded surging data traffic as residents seek out digital alternatives for their usual routines, logging on to take virtual professional development courses, play poker online for money, and stream localized entertainment content.

Understanding these behavioral and economic shifts is becoming increasingly vital for policymakers mapping out the country’s long-term recovery. By gathering comprehensive health data through this widespread testing initiative, regional administrators hope to safely transition society back to normal operations while supporting the new digital infrastructure demands.