FREETOWN, Sierra Leone — An official in Sierra Leone says high compliance with a nationwide lockdown could give the West African nation "total control" over the Ebola outbreak.
The lockdown began Friday and ends Sunday night. Sierra Leone conducted a similar nationwide operation last September when transmission rates were much higher. Ebola has infected nearly 12,000 people in Sierra Leone, more than any other country, but the latest weekly total of 33 confirmed cases is the lowest since last June.
Samuel Turay, an evaluation officer with the National Ebola Response Center, said Saturday that this time around, officials were focused on the Western Area including the capital as well as the northern districts of Kambia and Port Loko.
He said Sierra Leoneans are staying indoors, allowing teams to move around looking for possible cases.