Sierra Leone leader imposes curfew in bid to halt Ebola

FILE - In this file photo taken on Friday, March. 27, 2015, a team of Sierra Leone health workers walk as they look for people suffering from Ebola virus symptoms or people they can educate about the virus as there country enters a three day country wide lockdown on movement of people do to the Ebola virus in the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone. The president of Sierra Leone is imposing new restrictions of movement in Ebola hot spots as the country faces a worrisome new escalation in cases. On Friday, June 12, 2015, President Ernest Bai Koroma declared a 21-day curfew and other restrictions in parts of Kambia and Port Loko districts.(AP Photo/ Michael Duff,File) FILE - In this file photo taken on Friday, March. 27, 2015, a team of Sierra Leone health workers walk as they look for people suffering from Ebola virus symptoms or people they can educate about the virus as there country enters a three day country wide lockdown on movement of people do to the Ebola virus in the city of Freetown, Sierra Leone. The president of Sierra Leone is imposing new restrictions of movement in Ebola hot spots as the country faces a worrisome new escalation in cases. On Friday, June 12, 2015, President Ernest Bai Koroma declared a 21-day curfew and other restrictions in parts of Kambia and Port Loko districts.(AP Photo/ Michael Duff,File)

By Associated Press June 12, 2015 1 min read

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) – The president of Sierra Leone is imposing new restrictions on people’s movements in Ebola hot spots as the country faces a worrisome new escalation in cases.

While neighboring Liberia has defeated Ebola within its borders, Sierra Leone and Guinea have continued to battle new cases.

On Friday, President Ernest Bai Koroma declared a 21-day curfew and other restrictions to keep people from leaving parts of Kambia and Port Loko districts.

Authorities say the disease continues to spread there because sick people are escaping quarantined homes and spreading it to others.

Sierra Leone’s parliament is also extending the state of public health emergency for another 90 days.