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Ebola outbreak: Sierra Leone announces house-to-house searches | Ebola outbreak: Sierra Leone announces house-to-house searches |
(35 minutes later) | |
Sierra Leone is due to mount house-to-house searches in the capital Freetown to find hidden cases of Ebola. | Sierra Leone is due to mount house-to-house searches in the capital Freetown to find hidden cases of Ebola. |
President Ernest Bai Koroma also said that Sunday trading would be banned and travel between districts restricted. | President Ernest Bai Koroma also said that Sunday trading would be banned and travel between districts restricted. |
The measures come after the authorities banned all public celebrations of Christmas and New Year in a bit to tackle the virus. | The measures come after the authorities banned all public celebrations of Christmas and New Year in a bit to tackle the virus. |
Sierra Leone is one of the countries worst hit by Ebola, which has killed more than 6,800 people this year. | Sierra Leone is one of the countries worst hit by Ebola, which has killed more than 6,800 people this year. |
In his statement, President Koroma said the searches aimed to "break the chain of transmission", the AFP news agency reported. | |
He added: "Do not hide the sick". | |
In addition to the blanket Sunday trading ban, the new measures will include time restrictions on Saturday and weekday shopping. | |
Freetown has recorded more than 50% of all Ebola infections in Sierra Leone over the past two weeks. | |
Our correspondent in Sierra Leone, Umaru Fofana, said the measures were partially aimed at controlling crowds. | |
He said people in Freetown continued to gather on the streets or go jogging along the beach despite the Ebola threat. |