Restrictions on movement relaxed in Sierra Leone
Print Edition
SIERRA Leone yesterday lifted crippling nationwide restrictions on movement put in place at the height of the Ebola crisis, amid signs that the deadly epidemic was retreating.
“Restrictions on movement will be eased to support economic activity. As such, there will no longer be any district or chiefdom level restrictions on movement,” President Ernest Bai Koroma said in an address to the nation late on Thursday.
The west African nation of 6 million has restricted travel for about half its population, sealing off six of its 14 districts and numerous tribal chiefdoms since announcing a state of emergency in July in response to an outbreak which has killed more than 3,000 Sierra Leoneans.
Koroma pointed to a “steady downward trend” in new cases in recent weeks, adding that “victory is in sight” but cautioning against complacency.
The president said the travel bans would be removed from yesterday and restrictions will be eased on today’s trading hours in the hard-hit Western Area, which includes the capital Freetown.
Sierra Leone is targeting zero new cases by March 31 of the deadly tropical fever that has killed almost 9,000 west Africans over the past year.
The country announced on Thursday that it will end “risk payments” to health care workers dealing with Ebola by that date and reopen schools.
The World Health Organization said in its latest update that 8,626 people had died as of last Sunday, from 21,689 cases.
Liberia, which had a peak of over 300 new cases a week in August and September, registered just eight last week.
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