Ebola might not be that much of a problem here in the United States, but it continues to ravage parts of Africa — including Sierra Leone. Now the deadly disease is making international headlines again with the news that the country’s vice president, Samuel Sam-Sumana, has put himself under quarantine:
Sam-Sumana voluntarily decided to quarantine himself for 21 days following the death from Ebola last Tuesday of one of his security personnel.
“This virus has affected thousands of our people and has nearly brought our country to its knees,” said Sam-Sumana in a statement on Sunday. “We all have a collective responsibility to break the chains of transmission by isolating the sick and reporting all known contacts, by not touching the dead….We cannot be complacent. We must work together as a nation to end Ebola now.”
Sam-Sumana’s dramatic quarantine comes as President Ernest Bai Koroma reinstated restrictions on public movement on Saturday, in response the rise in new cases. (Via AP)
What’s more, Sam-Sumana will carry on as acting president (while quarantined) since President Koroma will be out of the country for a conference in Belgium. The topic of the big meeting? Ebola.
New reported cases in Sierra Leone had been on the decline, but last week saw the numbers climb dramatically. 18 were reported before Saturday, up from the previous week’s 16 confirmed cases.
(Via AP)