Las Vegas Sun

March 18, 2024

Liberia’s president declares Ebola emergency

Liberia

AP Photo/Abbas Dulleh

Water bucket sellers hawk their wares as the public buy them to try to protect them selves from the deadly Ebola virus in Monrovia, Liberia, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014. The price of buckets has increased as Liberian people are encouraged to wash their hands after filling it with disinfectant to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

MONROVIA, Liberia — Liberia's president has declared a state of emergency in the West African nation amid an Ebola outbreak that shows no signs of slowing.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf made the announcement on national television late Wednesday, saying that some civil rights may have to be suspended as a result of the crisis.

Observers say the crisis in Liberia has deepened because many people are choosing to keep their ill relatives at home instead of bringing them to isolation centers.

The disease that has killed at least 282 people in Liberia alone is spread through contact with the bodily fluids of Ebola patients showing symptoms.

In her speech, Sirleaf said that "ignorance and poverty, as well as entrenched religious and cultural practices, continue to exacerbate the spread of the disease."

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy