There celebrations broke all over Sierra Leone at the weekend after a ban on public gatherings prompted by the outbreak of Ebola more than a year ago was lifted.
Sierra Leoneans were allowed to go to sporting events and nightclubs, and stay out in restaurants after 9pm, following the decision by the president, Ernest Bai Koroma, to lift the ban on Friday. Some partied hard into the night, while others played football on the beaches and flocked to makeshift cinemas to watch the Manchester United and Arsenal matches.
Although life appears to be back to normal in Freetown, there is a widespread recognition that the country cannot relax until it is free of Ebola for 42 days.
The epidemic has claimed the lives of 3,585 people since the first case last May. Ten of the country’s 14 districts have been Ebola-free for more than 100 days and many treatment units have already been shut down as facilities are consolidated to deal with the lingering hot spots in the north of the country.
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