The Sierra Leone government said Friday that celebrating Christmas or any holiday festivities in public is strictly forbidden as the West African country continues to fight a massive Ebola outbreak.
Soldiers are to be deployed on Christmas and New Year’s to force people venturing onto the streets back into their homes, the government’s Ebola response unit said, the Agence France-Presse reported.
Palo Conteh, head of the department, said authorities “will ensure that everybody remains at home to reflect on Ebola.”
He did not say which areas would be targeted.
During previous Ebola curfews, people were allowed out to worship and for “essential business,” AFP reported.
Sierra Leone, which has overtaken Liberia to become the country most affected by Ebola, has recorded 1,319 new infections in the last three weeks, AFP reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.