ADDIS ABABA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia registered 454 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 267,100 as of Tuesday evening, according to the country's Ministry of Health.

People wait to refill oxygen cylinders, for their family members infected with COVID-19, at Gast Solar Mechanics in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 19, 2021. (File photo: AFP)

Meanwhile, 13 new deaths from COVID-19 were reported, bringing the death toll to 4,021, the ministry said.

The East African country reported 809 more recoveries, taking the national count to 221,451.

Ethiopia, Africa's second-most populous nation, has so far reported the largest number of COVID-19 cases in the East Africa region.

According to the ministry, Ethiopia currently has 41,626 active COVID-19 cases, of whom 558 are said to be under severe health conditions.

Figures from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that Ethiopia's COVID-19 cases accounted for about 6 percent of Africa's total confirmed cases.

Ethiopia is among the countries hardest hit by COVID-19 in Africa, following South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia.