In Accordance with, Article 93(4)( a) of the FDRE Constitution and Article 4(1) of the State of Emergency Proclamation No. 3/2020 Enacted to Counter and Control the Spread of COVID-19 and Mitigate Its Impact which provides that the Council of Ministers shall stipulate, through regulations it will adopt, details of the suspension of rights and measures to be taken to counter and mitigate the humanitarian, social, economic and political damage that could be caused by COVID-19;
WHERE AS, it has become necessary to provide the particulars of measures to be adopted and the rights to be suspended in a regulation;
NOWTHEREFORE, this regulation is issued by the Council of Ministers pursuant to Article 4(1) of Proclamation No 3/2020.
1. Short Title
This Regulation may be cited as “State of Emergency Proclamation No. 3/2020 Implementation Regulation No……. /2020”.
2. Definition
In this regulation, unless the context requires otherwise:
1/ “Proclamation” means the “State of Emergency Proclamation Enacted to Counter and Control the Spread of COVID-19 and Mitigate Its Impact Proclamation No. 3/2020.”
2/ “Ministerial Committee” means the ministerial committee established in accordance with article 5 of this regulation and includes sub- committees to be established by the committee and delegated at the federal, regional, municipal and Woreda level.
3/ “Meeting” means gathering of four or more persons who do not belong to a single family, in one place for the purpose of collectively carrying out any activity, discussion or any similar purposes.
4/ "Quarantine" means separation of persons who are suspected to be exposed or infected with Covid-19 until it is ascertained whether they are infected with the virus or not.
5/ "Isolation" means separation of a person who is Covid-19 positive until he recovers from the virus to ensure that he will not infect other persons.
6/ "Cross Country Public transportation" means any form of public transit between two cities in one Regional State or between cities in two Regional States.
7/ "Inter-City Public transportation" means public transit in cities including taxies, buses, and shuttle services for public servants.
8/ "Bar" means any establishment other than hotels which serves alcoholic drinks.
9/ “Social purpose” includes gatherings for weddings, wakes, christenings, birthdays, self-help associations, or similar events.
10/ “Justice Organs” means regional and federal police, prosecutorial and judicial institutions.
11/ Definitions provided in the proclamation are applicable to this Regulation.
3. Prohibited Activities
1/ It is prohibited to conduct meetings for religious, government, social or political purposes in places of worship, public institutions, hotels, meeting halls or any other place .
2/ Notwithstanding sub article 1, in circumstances where there are compelling reasons, the Ministerial Committee or sub committees to be established by the committee at federal, regional, municipal and Woreda levels many grant permissions for holding meetings.
3/ It is prohibited for any person to shake hands with another as a greeting or for any other purpose.
4/ It is prohibited for any cross country public transport service provider to carry passengers greater than 50 % of the seating capacity of the vehicle.
5/ It is prohibited for any inter-city transport service provider to carry passengers greater than 50 % of the seating capacity of the vehicle.
6/ It is prohibited for any driver of a private automobile to carry passengers greater than 50 % of the seating capacity of the vehicle excluding the driver and it is also prohibited for auto rickshaws and horse drawn carriages to carry more than one passenger or for motorcycles to carry anyone other than the motorist.
7/ It is prohibited for the Addis Ababa light railway to carry passengers greater than 25 % of the number of passengers it used to serve previously.
8/ It is prohibited for Ethio- Djibouti railway to carry passengers greater than 50 % of its seating capacity.
9/ It is prohibited to visit any detainee in prisons or at a police station. However, delivery of provisions for suspects detained at police stations, without having any physical contact with the detainee is not prohibited.
10/ It is prohibited to serve alcohol or recreational services at night clubs and bars.
11/ It is prohibited to operate establishments that serve shisha and khat.
12/ It is prohibited to provide entertainment services at cinemas, theatres or any such place where a large number of people will be assembled.
13/ Hotels, restaurants and cafes shall not provide services to more than three patrons at a single table and should ensure that tables which are being used by patrons simultaneously are at least two adult strides apart. If patrons are served without tables, they have to maintain a distance of two adult strides.
14/ It is prohibited to enter into or exit from the country or import and export anything other than legal dry or liquid cargo through inland entry ports.
15/ Notwithstanding, sub article 14, the Ministerial Committee may grant permission for Ethiopians to enter the country through inland entry ports.
16/ Without the permission of the committee established for this purpose at the federal level or subcommittees established for this purpose by the federal government at the regional level or equivalent entities of regional administrations; no regional or federal official or expert can give statements representing the federal or regional government to the press about COVID-19.
17/ The prohibition under sub-article 16 is not applicable to professional commentary on laws enacted in relation to COVID-19 or professional medical explanations or the daily press briefings of the Ministry of Health.
18/ It is prohibited for any lessor of residential or commercial property to evict a lessee or increase rent without the consent of the lessee.
19/ It is prohibited for organizations covered by Proclamation No 1156/2019 to terminate employment contracts except in accordance with the protocol established by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
20/ It is prohibited for any public or private school or educational institution to conduct classes face to face in schools or campuses or in any other place.
21/ It is prohibited to play or provide facilities for others to play games where two or more persons participate in any public place.
22/ It is prohibited to engage in sport competitions or any group sport activities.
23/ It is prohibited to provide to the public playground services.
24/ Any person who is being served at banks, market places, transport stations, shops, pharmacies or any other place providing services to the public shall stand or seat at least two adult strides away from any other person.
25/ It is prohibited to resign from, delay the work of or in any way obstruct the functioning of institutions which provides basic services such as electric, water, and telecom utility companies; medical institutions, banks; enterprises related with the supply of food, provision of sanitary services, fire and emergency services, security and intelligence services.
26/ It is prohibited to stop, obstruct or suspend the transportation of liquid or dry cargo, construction, manufacturing and agricultural activities.
27/ It is prohibited to disseminate any information about Covid-19 and related issues which would cause terror and undue distress among the public.
4. Duties Imposed
2/ An international passenger entering the country shall cover the cost of his quarantine and the passenger will be quarantined at a place designated by the government for this purpose if he cannot pay for his quarantine.
3/ Any person who has tested positive for Covide-19 shall have an obligation to stay in isolation facilities.
4/ A transport operator shall inform the head of the nearest entry port or to the Covid-19 screening team about any passenger suspected of being infected with Covid-19.
5/ Any person should inform the police, the Ministry of Health or the nearest health officials of any person he suspects of being infected with Covid-19.
6/ Any person who is found at banks, marketplaces, transport depots, in public transit, shops, pharmacies, places where public services are provided or any other public space where a large number of people are found is required to put on a cover on his nose and mouth.
7/ The obligation under sub-article 6 can be discharged using the coverings manufactured for this purpose, homemade masks or clothing of any kind,
8/ Any public or private service provider should provide sanitary materials useful for preventing the spread of the virus and ensure that customers are taking the necessary precautionary measures.
9/ Any public or private service provider should mark spots where customers could stand maintaining a two adult stride distance.
10/ Public communication professionals and media outlets have a duty to ensure that the information, analysis, or programme that they provide to the public relating to COVID-19 is without exaggeration, appropriate and not prone to cause panic and terror among the public.
11/ All federal or regional public or private organizations shall use various mediums to make accessible to their employees information regarding COVID-19; provide at least water and soap for washing hands at their gates and to the extent possible other materials useful to prevent the spread of the virus.
12/ All federal or regional, public or private organizations shall ensure that employees working in one room or place of work or using a common transportation means will not be forced to be confined conditions that make it impossible to maintain social distance and towards this end shall allow employees to work in shifts or to work from home or take paid leave.
13/ All federal or regional public organizations and private organizations which administer employees based on labour proclamation No 1156/2019 shall provide appropriate transportation for employees when such transportation service is necessary. .
14/ Police Commissions and prison administrators shall facilitate conditions to let the suspected persons and lawyers meet.
15/ The owner of any house, hotel, apartment, vehicle, shall or any other property shall avail to the government such property if the Ministerial Committee or an entity delegated for this task by the Committee determines that the property is necessary in the effort to counter and control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact, unless the property is needed by the owner for his daily use.
16/ Any service provider or manufacturer shall comply with the instruction of the Ministerial Committee or an entity delegated for this task to provide a service, expand its service, manufacture a new kind of product, increase the production of an item or sell at a reasonable price to the government, cooperatives or consumer associations any product that is necessary in the effort to counter and control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact.
17/ Hotels, restaurants and cafes shall provide water and soap to their customers and ensure that their customers have washed their hands and carried out the necessary sanitary precautions and should disinfect tables, chairs and other goods that have been used by patrons.
18/ Any medical profession in active service, in retirement or in training has a duty to comply with any request the government might issue to in the effort to counter and control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact.
5. Establishment, powers and responsibilities of Ministerial Committee
1/ A Ministerial Committee, herein after referred to as “Committee” to be chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Accountable to the prime minister is hereby established.
2/ The composition and number of members of the Committee shall be decided by the Prime Minister.
3/ The Committee Shall have the following powers and responsibilities;
The committee shall,
a) Oversee and coordinate the effort to counter and control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact.
b) Compile, analyse the necessary data regarding the spread of the virus and on the basis of such analysis issue the necessary directions;
c) Establish various sub-committees at federal, region, municipal and woreda level, provide the necessary information, direction and assignment to the committees and evaluate their report.
d) Evaluate the need to lift prohibitions and duties imposed under this regulation and if the threat of the pandemic decrease, decide to lift partially or in full the prohibitions and duties imposed under this regulation.
e) Present to the Council of Ministers, additional restrictions that it is deems necessary if it is convinced that the spread of the virus is increasing and additional restrictions are needed.
4/ The working procedure of the committee shall be decided by a directive it shall issue.
5/ The committee may delegate its power to and cause the establishment of similar structures at regions and municipalities.
6. Miscellaneous provisions
1/ The criminal procedure code and criminal procedural provisions in other laws are suspended.
2/ Regional and federal courts have an obligation to establish dedicated benches that would give decisions in an expedited manner with regard to cases arising in relation to the state of emergency proclamation, hording and other unfair trade practices, illicit tracking in arms and contraband goods .
3/ The Federal Supreme Court may issue a directive regarding the working procedure of benches indicated In Accordance with, Article 93(4)( a) of the FDRE Constitution and Article 4(1) of the State of Emergency Proclamation No. 3/2020 Enacted to Counter and Control the Spread of COVID-19 and Mitigate Its Impact which provides that the Council of Ministers shall stipulate, through regulations it will adopt, details of the suspension of rights and measures to be taken to counter and mitigate the humanitarian, social, economic and political damage that could be caused by COVID-19;
WHERE AS, it has become necessary to provide the particulars of measures to be adopted and the rights to be suspended in a regulation;
NOWTHEREFORE, this regulation is issued by the Council of Ministers pursuant to Article 4(1) of Proclamation No 3/2020.
1. Short Title
This Regulation may be cited as “State of Emergency Proclamation No. 3/2020 Implementation Regulation No……. /2020”.
2. Definition
In this regulation, unless the context requires otherwise:
1/ “Proclamation” means the “State of Emergency Proclamation Enacted to Counter and Control the Spread of COVID-19 and Mitigate Its Impact Proclamation No. 3/2020.”
2/ “Ministerial Committee” means the ministerial committee established in accordance with article 5 of this regulation and includes sub- committees to be established by the committee and delegated at the federal, regional, municipal and Woreda level.
3/ “Meeting” means gathering of four or more persons who do not belong to a single family, in one place for the purpose of collectively carrying out any activity, discussion or any similar purposes.
4/ "Quarantine" means separation of persons who are suspected to be exposed or infected with Covid-19 until it is ascertained whether they are infected with the virus or not.
5/ "Isolation" means separation of a person who is Covid-19 positive until he recovers from the virus to ensure that he will not infect other persons.
6/ "Cross Country Public transportation" means any form of public transit between two cities in one Regional State or between cities in two Regional States.
7/ "Inter-City Public transportation" means public transit in cities including taxies, buses, and shuttle services for public servants.
8/ "Bar" means any establishment other than hotels which serves alcoholic drinks.
9/ “Social purpose” includes gatherings for weddings, wakes, christenings, birthdays, self-help associations, or similar events.
10/ “Justice Organs” means regional and federal police, prosecutorial and judicial institutions.
11/ Definitions provided in the proclamation are applicable to this Regulation.
3. Prohibited Activities
1/ It is prohibited to conduct meetings for religious, government, social or political purposes in places of worship, public institutions, hotels, meeting halls or any other place .
2/ Notwithstanding sub article 1, in circumstances where there are compelling reasons, the Ministerial Committee or sub committees to be established by the committee at federal, regional, municipal and Woreda levels many grant permissions for holding meetings.
3/ It is prohibited for any person to shake hands with another as a greeting or for any other purpose.
4/ It is prohibited for any cross country public transport service provider to carry passengers greater than 50 % of the seating capacity of the vehicle.
5/ It is prohibited for any inter-city transport service provider to carry passengers greater than 50 % of the seating capacity of the vehicle.
6/ It is prohibited for any driver of a private automobile to carry passengers greater than 50 % of the seating capacity of the vehicle excluding the driver and it is also prohibited for auto rickshaws and horse drawn carriages to carry more than one passenger or for motorcycles to carry anyone other than the motorist.
7/ It is prohibited for the Addis Ababa light railway to carry passengers greater than 25 % of the number of passengers it used to serve previously.
8/ It is prohibited for Ethio- Djibouti railway to carry passengers greater than 50 % of its seating capacity.
9/ It is prohibited to visit any detainee in prisons or at a police station. However, delivery of provisions for suspects detained at police stations, without having any physical contact with the detainee is not prohibited.
10/ It is prohibited to serve alcohol or recreational services at night clubs and bars.
11/ It is prohibited to operate establishments that serve shisha and khat.
12/ It is prohibited to provide entertainment services at cinemas, theatres or any such place where a large number of people will be assembled.
13/ Hotels, restaurants and cafes shall not provide services to more than three patrons at a single table and should ensure that tables which are being used by patrons simultaneously are at least two adult strides apart. If patrons are served without tables, they have to maintain a distance of two adult strides.
14/ It is prohibited to enter into or exit from the country or import and export anything other than legal dry or liquid cargo through inland entry ports.
15/ Notwithstanding, sub article 14, the Ministerial Committee may grant permission for Ethiopians to enter the country through inland entry ports.
16/ Without the permission of the committee established for this purpose at the federal level or subcommittees established for this purpose by the federal government at the regional level or equivalent entities of regional administrations; no regional or federal official or expert can give statements representing the federal or regional government to the press about COVID-19.
17/ The prohibition under sub-article 16 is not applicable to professional commentary on laws enacted in relation to COVID-19 or professional medical explanations or the daily press briefings of the Ministry of Health.
18/ It is prohibited for any lessor of residential or commercial property to evict a lessee or increase rent without the consent of the lessee.
19/ It is prohibited for organizations covered by Proclamation No 1156/2019 to terminate employment contracts except in accordance with the protocol established by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
20/ It is prohibited for any public or private school or educational institution to conduct classes face to face in schools or campuses or in any other place.
21/ It is prohibited to play or provide facilities for others to play games where two or more persons participate in any public place.
22/ It is prohibited to engage in sport competitions or any group sport activities.
23/ It is prohibited to provide to the public playground services.
24/ Any person who is being served at banks, market places, transport stations, shops, pharmacies or any other place providing services to the public shall stand or seat at least two adult strides away from any other person.
25/ It is prohibited to resign from, delay the work of or in any way obstruct the functioning of institutions which provides basic services such as electric, water, and telecom utility companies; medical institutions, banks; enterprises related with the supply of food, provision of sanitary services, fire and emergency services, security and intelligence services.
26/ It is prohibited to stop, obstruct or suspend the transportation of liquid or dry cargo, construction, manufacturing and agricultural activities.
27/ It is prohibited to disseminate any information about Covid-19 and related issues which would cause terror and undue distress among the public.
4. Duties Imposed
2/ An international passenger entering the country shall cover the cost of his quarantine and the passenger will be quarantined at a place designated by the government for this purpose if he cannot pay for his quarantine.
3/ Any person who has tested positive for Covide-19 shall have an obligation to stay in isolation facilities.
4/ A transport operator shall inform the head of the nearest entry port or to the Covid-19 screening team about any passenger suspected of being infected with Covid-19.
5/ Any person should inform the police, the Ministry of Health or the nearest health officials of any person he suspects of being infected with Covid-19.
6/ Any person who is found at banks, marketplaces, transport depots, in public transit, shops, pharmacies, places where public services are provided or any other public space where a large number of people are found is required to put on a cover on his nose and mouth.
7/ The obligation under sub-article 6 can be discharged using the coverings manufactured for this purpose, homemade masks or clothing of any kind,
8/ Any public or private service provider should provide sanitary materials useful for preventing the spread of the virus and ensure that customers are taking the necessary precautionary measures.
9/ Any public or private service provider should mark spots where customers could stand maintaining a two adult stride distance.
10/ Public communication professionals and media outlets have a duty to ensure that the information, analysis, or programme that they provide to the public relating to COVID-19 is without exaggeration, appropriate and not prone to cause panic and terror among the public.
11/ All federal or regional public or private organizations shall use various mediums to make accessible to their employees information regarding COVID-19; provide at least water and soap for washing hands at their gates and to the extent possible other materials useful to prevent the spread of the virus.
12/ All federal or regional, public or private organizations shall ensure that employees working in one room or place of work or using a common transportation means will not be forced to be confined conditions that make it impossible to maintain social distance and towards this end shall allow employees to work in shifts or to work from home or take paid leave.
13/ All federal or regional public organizations and private organizations which administer employees based on labour proclamation No 1156/2019 shall provide appropriate transportation for employees when such transportation service is necessary. .
14/ Police Commissions and prison administrators shall facilitate conditions to let the suspected persons and lawyers meet.
15/ The owner of any house, hotel, apartment, vehicle, shall or any other property shall avail to the government such property if the Ministerial Committee or an entity delegated for this task by the Committee determines that the property is necessary in the effort to counter and control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact, unless the property is needed by the owner for his daily use.
16/ Any service provider or manufacturer shall comply with the instruction of the Ministerial Committee or an entity delegated for this task to provide a service, expand its service, manufacture a new kind of product, increase the production of an item or sell at a reasonable price to the government, cooperatives or consumer associations any product that is necessary in the effort to counter and control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact.
17/ Hotels, restaurants and cafes shall provide water and soap to their customers and ensure that their customers have washed their hands and carried out the necessary sanitary precautions and should disinfect tables, chairs and other goods that have been used by patrons.
18/ Any medical profession in active service, in retirement or in training has a duty to comply with any request the government might issue to in the effort to counter and control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact.
5. Establishment, powers and responsibilities of Ministerial Committee
1/ A Ministerial Committee, herein after referred to as “Committee” to be chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and Accountable to the prime minister is hereby established.
2/ The composition and number of members of the Committee shall be decided by the Prime Minister.
3/ The Committee Shall have the following powers and responsibilities;
The committee shall,
a) Oversee and coordinate the effort to counter and control the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact.
b) Compile, analyse the necessary data regarding the spread of the virus and on the basis of such analysis issue the necessary directions;
c) Establish various sub-committees at federal, region, municipal and woreda level, provide the necessary information, direction and assignment to the committees and evaluate their report.
d) Evaluate the need to lift prohibitions and duties imposed under this regulation and if the threat of the pandemic decrease, decide to lift partially or in full the prohibitions and duties imposed under this regulation.
e) Present to the Council of Ministers, additional restrictions that it is deems necessary if it is convinced that the spread of the virus is increasing and additional restrictions are needed.
4/ The working procedure of the committee shall be decided by a directive it shall issue.
5/ The committee may delegate its power to and cause the establishment of similar structures at regions and municipalities.
6. Miscellaneous provisions
1/ The criminal procedure code and criminal procedural provisions in other laws are suspended.
2/ Regional and federal courts have an obligation to establish dedicated benches that would give decisions in an expedited manner with regard to cases arising in relation to the state of emergency proclamation, hording and other unfair trade practices, illicit tracking in arms and contraband goods .
3/ The Federal Supreme Court may issue a directive regarding the working procedure of benches indicated under sub article 2.
4/ Based on the decision of Federal and regional supreme courts, the federal and regional judiciary may partially or fully cease from adjudicating civil cases.
5/ The interment of any person who has died from COVID-19 shall be carried out by the government at places designated for this purpose in accordance with directives limiting the number of people who can attend the funeral and providing other details concerning the interment.
6/ Restrictions regarding modes of transportation other than those mentioned under article 3 sub articles 4, 5 and 6 will be determined through a directive to be issued.
7/ Any person who commits acts prohibited or violates the duties imposed in this Regulation shall be punished in accordance with the Proclamation.
7. Power to Issue Directives
The Ministerial Committee may issue directives for the implementation of this regulation and the proclamation.
8. Effective Date
This Regulation shall be effective from the date it has been adopted by the Council of Ministers throughout the period in which the proclamation remains in force.
Done at Addis Ababa.... April 2020.
ABIY AHMED (PH.D.)
PRIME MINISTER OF THE FEDERAL
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIAunder sub article 2.
4/ Based on the decision of Federal and regional supreme courts, the federal and regional judiciary may partially or fully cease from adjudicating civil cases.
5/ The interment of any person who has died from COVID-19 shall be carried out by the government at places designated for this purpose in accordance with directives limiting the number of people who can attend the funeral and providing other details concerning the interment.
6/ Restrictions regarding modes of transportation other than those mentioned under article 3 sub articles 4, 5 and 6 will be determined through a directive to be issued.
7/ Any person who commits acts prohibited or violates the duties imposed in this Regulation shall be punished in accordance with the Proclamation.
7. Power to Issue Directives
The Ministerial Committee may issue directives for the implementation of this regulation and the proclamation.
8. Effective Date
This Regulation shall be effective from the date it has been adopted by the Council of Ministers throughout the period in which the proclamation remains in force.
Done at Addis Ababa.... April 2020.
ABIY AHMED (PH.D.)
PRIME MINISTER OF THE FEDERAL
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA