Ebola: Thousands in Sierra Leone Break Quarantine to Look for Food

International relief agencies have revealed that thousands of people in Sierra Leone are breaking Ebola quarantine to search for food, as aid deliveries have not been able to reach them.

To contain the spread of Ebola in the country, public health authorities have imposed restrictions on movement. However, this measure is affecting the transportation of food. As a result, food is becoming scarce, leading prices to increase exponentially to the extent that ordinary people are unable to afford it, Al Jazeera reports.

An aid worker stated that “…because services are not reaching quarantined neighborhoods, people who are being monitored for signs of Ebola — and should be staying at home — are venturing out to markets to look for food, potentially contaminating many others.”

EBOLA Hit Sierra Leone’s Very Essence In DANGER — President

Sierra Leone’s leader Monday appealed to the people of the Ebola-hit west African country to fight together against the deadly epidemic, warning that “the very essence” of the nation was at stake.

President Ernest Bai Koroma urged families to ensure that victims were reported to health authorities and asked every Sierra Leonean to take responsibility for raising awareness about the killer tropical virus.

This is a collective fight. The very essence of our nation is at stake,” he said in a televised address marking a “stay at home day” aimed at recalibrating the state’s response to the outbreak.Sierra Leone has seen 574 cases — the most of any nation — and 252 deaths since the virus spread from neighbouring Guinea in May.

Ebola Victim in Sierra Leone Escapes from Hospital

 
An individual in Sierra Leone who is said to be the first resident to have been infected with Ebola Virus in the country, is reportedly  on the run.

The woman’s family “forcibly removed” her from a Freetown hospital after she was diagnosed with the deadly disease,Reuters reports.

Radio stations in Freetown broadcast the following appeal today, urging the public to help in efforts to track down the patient:“Saudatu Koroma of 25 Old Railway Line, Brima Lane, Wellington…she is a positive case and her being out there is a risk to all. We need the public to help us locate her.”