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Sierra Leone Declares Health Emergency Over Ebola Sierra Leone Declares Health Emergency Over Ebola
(about 1 hour later)
ABUJA, Nigeria — As alarm spread over the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, one of the three main countries battling the worst known outbreak of the disease, declared a public health emergency late on Wednesday including the deployment of security forces to quarantine epicenters of infection. He also said he was canceling a planned visit to the United States. ABUJA, Nigeria — As alarm spread over the deadly Ebola virus in West Africa, President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone, one of the three main countries battling the worst known outbreak of the disease, has declared a public health emergency that calls for the deployment of security forces to quarantine epicenters of infection. He also said he was canceling a planned visit to the United States.
In an address to the nation posted on the presidential website, Mr. Koroma said the emergency would “enable us take a more robust approach to deal with the Ebola outbreak.” In an address to the nation posted late Wednesday on the presidential website, Mr. Koroma said the emergency would “enable us take a more robust approach to deal with the Ebola outbreak.”
Mr. Koroma said he had been planning to attend a United States-Africa summit meeting in Washington, but would instead go on Friday to Guinea to discuss a regional response to the outbreak. The other two countries accounting for many of the 672 killed by the disease in recent weeks are Liberia and Guinea.Mr. Koroma said he had been planning to attend a United States-Africa summit meeting in Washington, but would instead go on Friday to Guinea to discuss a regional response to the outbreak. The other two countries accounting for many of the 672 killed by the disease in recent weeks are Liberia and Guinea.
In the address, Mr. Koroma said security forces would be deployed to support health professionals and that “all epicenters of the disease will be quarantined” along with “localities and homes where the disease is identified.”In the address, Mr. Koroma said security forces would be deployed to support health professionals and that “all epicenters of the disease will be quarantined” along with “localities and homes where the disease is identified.”
Public meetings will be restricted, houses will be searched for infected people, Parliament will be recalled and top officials will be obliged to cancel all but essential overseas travel.Public meetings will be restricted, houses will be searched for infected people, Parliament will be recalled and top officials will be obliged to cancel all but essential overseas travel.
“These measures will initially be implemented for a period of 60 to 90 days,” Mr. Koroma said, and subsequent measures will be announced as and when necessary.”“These measures will initially be implemented for a period of 60 to 90 days,” Mr. Koroma said, and subsequent measures will be announced as and when necessary.”
The announcement came a day after Liberia said it was closing schools, placing nonessential government workers on compulsory leave for 30 days and ordering security to enforce what was termed an action plan to combat the outbreak. The Peace Corps, a program run by the United States government, said it was withdrawing its 340 volunteers from the three countries most affected by the virus.The announcement came a day after Liberia said it was closing schools, placing nonessential government workers on compulsory leave for 30 days and ordering security to enforce what was termed an action plan to combat the outbreak. The Peace Corps, a program run by the United States government, said it was withdrawing its 340 volunteers from the three countries most affected by the virus.
“The epidemic is very big, very dispersed,” said Dr. Hilde de Clerck, the interim emergency coordinator in Sierra Leone for Doctors Without Borders. “It seems logical that the country is reacting. I do understand that the central government has to do something. Cases are now being reported in more southern regions. There is a geographical spread. We do see that it is several districts that are hit now.”“The epidemic is very big, very dispersed,” said Dr. Hilde de Clerck, the interim emergency coordinator in Sierra Leone for Doctors Without Borders. “It seems logical that the country is reacting. I do understand that the central government has to do something. Cases are now being reported in more southern regions. There is a geographical spread. We do see that it is several districts that are hit now.”
Officials and experts in Europe sought on Thursday to dampen fears that public health specialists were ill prepared to cope with the arrival of infected travelers.Officials and experts in Europe sought on Thursday to dampen fears that public health specialists were ill prepared to cope with the arrival of infected travelers.
“There is no health facility at the border, there is no containment facility and until extremely recently there has been no guidance issued to staff at all as to what they should do,” said Lucy Moreton, the head of the Immigration Service Union, which represents immigration staff in Britain.“There is no health facility at the border, there is no containment facility and until extremely recently there has been no guidance issued to staff at all as to what they should do,” said Lucy Moreton, the head of the Immigration Service Union, which represents immigration staff in Britain.
But Dr. Peter Piot, co-discoverer of the virus and the director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said there was little risk.But Dr. Peter Piot, co-discoverer of the virus and the director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said there was little risk.
“Spreading in the population here, I’m not that worried about it,” he told Agence France-Presse.“Spreading in the population here, I’m not that worried about it,” he told Agence France-Presse.
“I wouldn’t be worried to sit next to someone with Ebola virus on the Tube as long as they don’t vomit on you or something,” he said, referring to London’s underground train system. “This is an infection that requires very close contact.”“I wouldn’t be worried to sit next to someone with Ebola virus on the Tube as long as they don’t vomit on you or something,” he said, referring to London’s underground train system. “This is an infection that requires very close contact.”
The French minister of health, Marisol Touraine, offered a similar assessment in an interview with the daily newspaper Le Parisien on Thursday, saying the risk of importing the virus into Europe was low, and that no such case had thus far been documented. Nevertheless, she called for extreme vigilance against an ailment she characterized as both “very serious” and “very contagious.”The French minister of health, Marisol Touraine, offered a similar assessment in an interview with the daily newspaper Le Parisien on Thursday, saying the risk of importing the virus into Europe was low, and that no such case had thus far been documented. Nevertheless, she called for extreme vigilance against an ailment she characterized as both “very serious” and “very contagious.”
In Geneva, the International Air Transport Association, which represents most of the world’s major airlines, also played down the hazards outside the region, Reuters reported. The agency said in a statement on Thursday that the World Health Organization had not recommended travel restrictions or border closures, and said there would be a low risk for travelers.In Geneva, the International Air Transport Association, which represents most of the world’s major airlines, also played down the hazards outside the region, Reuters reported. The agency said in a statement on Thursday that the World Health Organization had not recommended travel restrictions or border closures, and said there would be a low risk for travelers.
“In the rare event that a person infected with the Ebola virus was unknowingly transported by air, W.H.O. advises that the risks to other passengers are low,” the statement said, referring to the World Health Organization.
Ebola is spread only by patients with severe symptoms that include vomiting, diarrhea, impaired kidney and liver function and finally internal and external bleeding, the statement said, so “it is highly unlikely that someone suffering such symptoms would feel well enough to travel.”
In a poignant development, the university clinic in Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, which specializes in tropical viruses, said on Tuesday that it had been asked by the government of Sierra Leone to treat its leading doctor after he came down with the disease.In a poignant development, the university clinic in Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, which specializes in tropical viruses, said on Tuesday that it had been asked by the government of Sierra Leone to treat its leading doctor after he came down with the disease.
Physicians prepared a special isolation station to receive the patient, who at the time was too weak to travel, the clinic said. Later that day, the chief medical officer in Sierra Leone was quoted by Reuters as saying the doctor, Sheik Umar Khan, had died of the virus. Physicians prepared a special isolation station to receive the patient, who at the time was too weak to make the journey to Germany, the clinic said. Later that day, the chief medical officer in Sierra Leone was quoted by Reuters as saying the doctor, Sheik Umar Khan, had died of the virus.