Ebola-Hit Liberia Lifts a Quarantine on an Ebola Hotspot

The Liberian government announced a relaxation of its night-time curfew and lifted a quarantine on an Ebola hotspot near the country's international airport.

The 17,000 residents of Dolo Town, 75 kilometres (47 miles) east of Monrovia, have been trapped since officials blockaded them in more than two weeks ago, amid an alarming spike in Ebola cases.

"The government of Liberia has lifted the quarantine on Dolo Town with immediate effect," state-run radio station ELBC announced.

"According to the Executive Mansion, the curfew is rescheduled from 11:00 pm (2300 GMT) to 6:00 am, instead of 9:00 pm to 6:00 am."

Dolo Town was placed in lockdown on August 20, at the same time as West Point, a slum in the capital.

While the West Point quarantine caused riots, people had largely reacted peacefully to the measures to contain them in Dolo Town, although there was growing anger among the inhabitants.

The West Point quarantine was lifted last week, based on advice given to the government, it said, by health authorities.

"We are very happy to hear that the government has lifted the quarantine. We thank God. Now we can go to (Monrovia) and elsewhere to buy food cheaper," Dolo Town resident Prince Paygar told AFP.

The relaxation comes, however, with the World Health Organization warning that Liberia should prepare for thousands of new Ebola cases in the coming weeks.

"Many thousands of new cases are expected in Liberia over the coming three weeks," the UN health agency said in a statement on Monday.

The country already accounts for more than half of the 2,100 Ebola deaths across west Africa.

Source: AFP