Sierra Leone's president has declared a public health emergency to curb the dead

ly Ebola outbreak.
Ernest Bai Koroma said the epicentres of the outbreak in the east would be quara
ntined and asked the security forces to enforce the measures.
The UN says more than 670 people in West Africa have died of Ebola since Februar
y - 224 of them in Sierra Leone.
This includes Dr Sheik Umar Khan who led Sierra Leone's fight against the virus.
His funeral is on Thursday.
Airport screening

As part of the new measures to contain the viral haemorrhagic fever, travellers
at airports will have to wash their hands with disinfectant and have their tempe
ratures checked, President Koroma said in a statement.
His measures follow tough anti-Ebola policies introduced this week in neighbouri
ng Liberia, where schools have been closed and some communities are to be quaran
tined.
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Both President Koroma and his Liberian counterpart Ellen Johnson Sirleaf have ca
ncelled visits to Washington for the US-Africa summit next week because of the c
risis.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia and Kenya are to begin screening all passengers arriving fro
m West Africa.
In a statement, Ethiopian Airlines said ground and on-board staff would have als
o been sensitised on how to handle suspected cases of the virus.
A member of the Samaritan's Purse medical staff demonstrates personal protective
equipment to educate volunteers on the Ebola virus in Liberia Doctors educate v
olunteers on how to use protective equipment to avoid catching the virus in Libe
ria
However, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Thursday tha
t it was not recommending any travel restrictions or border closures after consu
lting the World Health Organisation, according to Reuters.
Any risks would be low in the rare event of an Ebola sufferer travelling by air,
it adds.
Earlier this week, two airlines - Asky, a regional carrier, and Nigeria's Arik A
ir - suspended flights to Liberia and Sierra Leone.