Authorities in Sierra Leone have issued an order for people to stay inside the confines of their homes for a specified three consecutive days during the later part of the month. This directive is part of a campaign that was designed in attempt to stop the spread of the Ebola virus that has now killed over 2,000 people across the West African region.
A spokesperson for the government, Abdulai Baraytay, said that the national Government has already disseminated instructions for people to stay inside their homes between September 19 and 21. These words of dates chosen by government in order to give people enough time between now and then to A mass the necessary supplies including food, water, and other provisions that they may need before the ban takes effect on the stipulated dates.
Although the government of Sierra Leone feels strongly about the campaign and its goals of containing the disease, some groups are questioning the practicality and efficacy of such measures. The international group, Doctors Without Orders, have already said that, "it will be extremely difficult for health workers accurately identify cases through door-to-door screening." They also added that even if the governing bodies are able to identify suspected cases of the Ebola virus disease, the medical facilities in the country will not have enough room to accommodate them for isolation and treatment. A representative for the group said on Saturday, "Without a place to take the suspected cases-to screen and treat them-the approach cannot work. It has been our experience that lockdowns and quarantines do not help control Ebola as they end up driving people underground and jeopardizing the trust between people and health providers. This leads to the concealment of potential cases and ends up spreading the disease further."
To date, the Ebola virus has claimed over 2,000 lives in West Africa, more than 400 of which are from Sierra Leone.
