Sierra Leone Vice President Quarantined For Ebola

 

Sierra Leone’s Vice President Sam Sumana has placed himself in quarantine following the death of one of his bodyguards from Ebola, a government spokesman said as the country reintroduced travel restrictions to combat the spread of the virus.

I have decided to be put under quarantine because I do not want to take chances and I want to lead by example,” the vice president told Reuters. “I am very well and showing no signs of illness.”

Sam-Sumana said his entire staff will also be placed under observation and anyone showing symptoms of the disease would be tested.

Cases of Ebola, which has killed nearly 10,000 people in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea during a year-long epidemic, have fallen off sharply in recent weeks.

Of 99 new confirmed Ebola cases in the region during the week to Feb. 22, however, 63 were in Sierra Leone according to the World Health Organisation’s weekly report.