Coronavirus: Ethiopia orders civil servants to work from home

Ethiopia has ordered thousands of its federal civil servants in Addis Ababa to start working from home as the horn of Africa’s nation steps up its fight to stem the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19)

The new directive is effective on Wednesday. 

The announcement was made Tuesday afternoon shortly after the Council of Ministers held an emergency meeting chaired by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. 

MEASURES 

Among the issues discussed was the response measures to be taken to tackle the social, political and economic turmoil the Covid-19 pandemic is imposing on the country. 

“This measure has been taken to reduce city-wide movement of people and traffic congestion thereby to enhance social distancing,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. 

PM Abiy said the public is not effectively applying the social distancing measures and as a result, he tasked the security authorities to reinforce them. 

As well as working from home, the federal civil servants were directed to be ready to report to their offices when requested. 

So far, Ethiopia has a total of 12 confirmed Covid-19 cases. 

On Tuesday, the country closed its land borders and deployed its security forces to all entry points.