Ebola: Liberia to End State of Emergency

President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, has announced that the country will not ask for an extension to the state of emergency declared in August.

Sirleaf’s announcement indicates that progress is being made in Liberia’s fight against Ebola, which has claimed over 2,800 lives since the outbreak began in March, AlJazeera reports.

During a press conference in Monrovia yesterday, the president stated that:

“Having consulted relevant stakeholders, the national health team and partners, I have informed the leadership of the National Legislature that I will not seek an extension to the State of Emergency.

We also know that Liberia cannot be declared Ebola free until our neighbours are also Ebola free. This means that we cannot let down our guard nor can we afford to reduce our vigilance…

Notwithstanding these gains, a number of our compatriots are still lying in ETUs [Ebola Treatment Units], hot-spots are springing up in rural areas, and many of our compatriots are still dying of Ebola…”