Ethiopia confirms first coronavirus death

Ethiopia has confirmed its first deaths from Covid-19, the respiratory illness caused by the coronavirus.

The country’s health minister, Lia Tadesse, announced that two people had died, just one hour apart from each other.

Dr Lia said the first patient died after being admitted to intensive care at Eka Kotebe hospital, where she had been for five days before her condition started to deteriorate.

She also confirmed the second victim was in intensive care for just three days.

Ethiopia currently has 43 positive cases of the coronavirus nationwide after confirming its first case on 12 March.

The government has since closed all land borders, ordered all government employees to work from home, and released around 4000 prison inmates, in order to try and curb any further spread of the virus.

Photo: AFP