Sierra Leone Imposing 4-Day “Lockdown" In Bid To Halt Ebola Spread

(IDEX Online) – Sierra Leone is to impose a four-day, state-wide "lockdown" starting September 18 in a bid to halt the spread of Ebola across the West African country.

More than 2,100 people have died from the outbreak of the deadly disease since March, and the latest move emphasizes the sweeping steps West African nations are starting to take as the Ebola outbreak shows no sign of being brought under control.

Sierra Leone citizens will not be allowed to leave their homes between September 18 and 21 in a move aimed at preventing the disease from spreading further. It also aims to enable health workers to identify cases in the early stages of the illness, said Ibrahim Ben Kargbo, a presidential adviser on the country's Ebola task force.

"The aggressive approach is necessary to deal with the spread of Ebola once and for all," he told Reuters. As of Friday, Sierra Leone has recorded 491 of the total of suspected, probable and confirmed Ebola deaths, according to U.N. figures.

Kargbo said 21,000 people would be recruited to enforce the lockdown. Thousands of police and soldiers have already been deployed to enforce the quarantining of towns in Sierra Leone's worst-hit regions near the border with Guinea.

Organizations from across the world are rushing funds and equipment to West Africa, but Ebola is spreading faster than ever and experts say the lack of trained staff in weak health systems is a major obstacle to the response.

Sierra Leone Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources Abdul Ignosis Koroma last week said the government would miss its target of exporting $200 million in diamonds this year because of the Ebola outbreak. Sierra Leone exported $186 million of diamonds in 2013.