People wearing face masks are seen outside a mall in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Aug. 27, 2020. Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 46,407 after 1,186 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Health said. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 46,407 after 1,186 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Health said.

The ministry said in a statement that 20 more patients succumbed to illnesses related to the COVID-19 pandemic during the last 24 hours period, which brought the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the East African country to 745.

According to the ministry, some 16,829 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 had recovered, including 518 in the last 24-hour period.

The ministry also said that a total of 28,831 COVID-19 patients are still undergoing medical treatment, including 330 in severe condition.

Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous nation with about 107 million people, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in the East Africa region.

The country, however, has a far lower number of recoveries as compared to Kenya, the region's second-most affected country.

Shoeshiners work in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Aug. 27, 2020. Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 46,407 after 1,186 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Health said. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

 
Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa is currently the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic accounting for about 70 percent of all confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to the ministry. Ethiopia confirmed its first case of COVID-19 on March 13.

The East African country has so far conducted 831,470 COVID-19 medical tests, including 18,060 medical tests during the last 24-hour period, according to the ministry.

Amid the rapid spread of the virus in recent weeks, the government is intensifying its mass COVID-19 testing campaign.

The Ethiopian government is mobilizing resources to ensure there is no shortage of laboratory materials and quarantine centers.

Ethiopia is also boosting its COVID-19 testing capacity at border points with neighboring countries.

According to figures from the Africa CDC, Ethiopia, South Africa and Morocco are among the top African countries that have conducted the highest numbers of COVID-19 tests.

Ethiopia has officially launched a nationwide month-long testing campaign, which the Ethiopian government said "will determine the next steps to undertake in the new year" starting on Sept. 11.

A worker checks a visitor's temperature next to a poster which requires wearing face masks in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Aug. 27, 2020. Ethiopia's confirmed COVID-19 cases reached 46,407 after 1,186 new COVID-19 positive cases were confirmed on Thursday, the country's Ministry of Health said. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

 
As the East African country strengthened the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese engagement has injected much-needed momentum in Ethiopia's anti-pandemic efforts.