Bagir Textile, an Israel-based manufacturer and marketer of men’s and women’s tailored fashion, closes its manufacturing plant in Ethiopia as fear of coronavirus spread looms.

The moves comes just a day after the company put the majority of its tailored garments orders on hold following widespread retail store closures in the US and UK.

United Insurance donates three million Birr to Ministry of Health that will be used to fight against COVID-19.  Likewise, United Bank granted five million Birr as a part of its efforts to reduce the spread of coronavirus, which has infected 12 people so far.

Ethiopia, under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), proposes part of debt of low-income countries should be written off as a part of efforts to reduce the economic impact of coronavirus crisis.

Ethiopia decided to release 4011 inmates to protect jails from possible coronavirus outbreaks. In a press briefing held today, Ethiopia’s general attorney, Adanech Abebe, announced that the pardoned prisoners committed low-level offenses.

The council of Ministers announced today that government employees are obliged to stay at home as a part of efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Effective as of March 25, 2020, the council of ministers, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD), decided that government employees should work from home until further notice.

Amidst growing concern over the spread of coronavirus, Chinese billionaire, Jack Ma, through his two foundations, donates 100,000 medical masks and 20,000 test kits to each of the countries in Africa, including Ethiopia.

Catherine Hamlin world-renowned gynecologist and humanitarian, has passed away on Wednesday March 18, 2020 at the age of 96.

Catherine, Australian, and her husband, the late Reg Hamlin (MD), established treatment centres for women suffering from the debilitating effects of obstetric fistula, a crippling condition that results from complications in childbirth.

Apart from the tragic human consequences of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic, the economic uncertainty it has sparked will likely cost the global economy one trillion dollar in 2020, the UN’s trade and development agency, UNCTAD, said.

Ethiopia assures that it will continue participating in current the US-brokered Nile dam negotiations as long as it does not harm its national interest. The country affirmed that only negotiation can resolve the current deadlock over the dam, while explaining that dropping out of the US-brokered talks will not be beneficial.

This comes just three days after the country expressed its dismay over the statement of the US that cautioned Ethiopia to refrain from filling and testing its giant dam on Nile before reaching an agreement with Sudan and Egypt.