Addis Ababa, April 10, 2020 (FBC) –The Ethiopian Parliament has today approved the state of emergency declared to fight coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Council of Ministers on Wednesday declared a five-month state of emergency to avert the spread of the virus and reduce its impact on the country.
Ethiopia has so far 56 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with two deaths and four recoveries.
The Parliament has also endorsed a 7-member state of emergency inquiry board with a majority vote, 12 against and 5 abstentions.Members of the board are:
- Petros Woldesenbet –Chairperson
- Tesfaye Daba- Deputy Chairperson
- Mrs Fantaye Wendim- Board member
- Shikuri Mehadin- Board member
- Dr Biruk Lapiso- Board member
- Mrs Momina Mohammed –Board member
- Beshala Gemech- Board member
The Parliament has also unanimously approved a 28 billion birr additional budget.
It further endorsed more than $82m loan and grant agreement signed with the International Development Association (IDA) for Ethiopia’s COVID19 emergency response project.