Sierra Leone lockdown to halt Ebola

Sierra Leone is going to be put into lockdown for three days later this month to try to stop the spread of Ebola.

The government will order people to stay inside their homes on September 19, 20 and 21, spokesman Abdulai Bayraytay said.

He said the dates were chosen to give people enough time to stock up on food and other provisions before the ban on movement goes into effect.

Already some are questioning whether the measure will help. Doctors Without Borders says it “will be extremely difficult for health workers to accurately identify cases through door-to-door screening”.

Even if more suspected cases are identified during the lockdown, the group says Sierra Leone doesn’t have enough beds for them.