Sierra Leone reports 3 new cases of Ebola

The Head of Sierra Leone’s National Ebola Response Centre, Pallo Conteh, has described the three new Ebola outbreaks in Freetown as a setback in the fight against Ebola in the West African country.

Mr. Conteh said the new cases were expected given the nature of such epidemics, but assured that they would be managed.

He said NERC on Wednesday confirmed three more cases of the virus in one of the city’s slums, Magazine Wharf, in the eastern part of Freetown
.
Mr. Conteh said the first of the three new cases was reported on June 17 after a casual labourer, Mohamed Kamara, tested positive to the Ebola virus and six other people were taken to the holding center.

Mr. Conteh admitted that the road to achieving zero cases “would be bumpy” until the Ebola virus was finally defeated.

He condemned the report that burial teams were demanding up to 100 dollars from bereaved families to bury their dead.

“This must stop,” he said. He promised to investigate the allegation.

(Xinhua/NAN)