Sierra Leone imposes dusk to dawn curfew to check further spread of Ebola

A three-day curfew to try to stop the spread of the Ebola virus has come into effect in Sierra Leone.

The aim of the move is to keep people confined to their homes while health workers isolate new cases and prevent Ebola from spreading further.

Reports say a downpour that deluged Freetown yesterday did not stop thousands of people from rushing to supermarkets to buy food ahead of the curfew.

President Ernest Bai-Koroma earlier described the move as a desperate one needed to tackle a desperate situation.

He asked people to avoid handshakes, visiting the sick, funeral attendance and touching of dead relatives.

Meanwhile critics say the lockdown will destroy trust between doctors and the public.

GBC