#Ebola: Sierra Leone Declares Three Days Lockdown.....

Sierra Leone in a bid to fight the Ebola virus disease more aggressively has announced a three-day lockdown in the country.

From 19 to 21 September people will not be allowed to leave their homes, a senior official said.
The aim of the move is to allow health workers to isolate new cases to prevent the disease from spreading further.

The outbreak has killed about 2,100 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria in recent months.


The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Friday that health workers could be given vaccines as from November, when safety tests are completed.

More than 20 health workers have lost their lives to the virus in Sierra Leone since the start of the outbreak in March.

Sierra Leone officials said more than 20,000 people would be deployed to make sure residents stayed indoors.

Sidie Yahya Tunis, the health ministry's communications director, told the BBC: "We don't expect them to refuse. You follow or else you'll be breaking the law. If you disobey then you are disobeying the president''

Ebola casualties

Up to 5 September

2,105

Ebola deaths - probable, confirmed and suspected

• 1,089 Liberia
  
• 517 Guinea
  
• 491 Sierra Leone
  
• 8 Nigeria
  

Source: WHO