State Of Emergency Declared In Sierra Leone Due To Ebola
Sierra Leone president, Ernest Bai Koroma, has ordered for a nationwide state of emergency after the Ebola epidemic is still very hard to contain.
Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, are on an endless battle to control the epidemic that has infected about 1,200 people and left 672 dead in the countries since the year began.
Koroma said: “Extraordinary challenges require extraordinary measures. The Ebola virus disease poses an extraordinary challenge to our nation.
“Consequently… I hereby proclaim a state of public emergency to enable us to take a more robust approach to deal with the Ebola outbreak,” the president declared.
He also revealed that he would be flying to Guinea for a regional summit on the crisis, there will be in attendance the leaders Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
Koroma said that the state of emergency was meant to quarantine the Ebola-hit regions and to send security officers to protect medical officials in the region.
He also banned all the public gatherings and conferences not associated with Ebola and canceled foreign trips by his ministers or other government officials.
Sierra Leone has seen 224 people die to Ebola virus. The deadly decease claimed the life of their national hero, Omar Khan, who saved over 100 Ebola patients before falling as a victim himself.
Source: Legit.ng