Sierra Leone National Ebola Response Centre has introduced a new operation in two hotspots areas of Ebola in a bid to eradicate the virus from its territory.
The agency said the move was part of efforts to eradicate the epidemic that has claimed over 10,000 lives in west African countries.
Pallo Conteh, the Chief of the Centre, said on Wednesday in Free Town that the operation targeted the remaining pockets of the Ebola virus disease in northern part of the country.
“Operation Northern Push” emanated from directives by President Ernest Koroma in his message to the country restating his desire to get the country to a resilient zero, as quickly as possible.
“The operation will involve a significant security presence to help ensure the safety and security in the communities during the surge,” Koroma said.
He said the main thrust of the operation was to identify, contain and eradicate the Ebola virus in infected areas and communicate with the wider community.
Conteh said a major part of the operation would be the implementation of much better quarantine measures by finding, isolating and tracking of people who abscond.
He said it would also include increase in community surveillance, which would be enhanced by a stricter enforcement of the safe and dignified burial, coupled with the implementation of the by-laws.
Conteh emphasised that the idea of the operation was to kick the virus out of the country once and for all so that it would redirect its meagre resources in building the country.
Xinhua/NAN.