A three-day curfew has begun in Sierra Leone to enable health workers to find and isolate cases of Ebola, in order to halt the spread of the disease.

Many people have been reluctant to seek medical treatment for Ebola, fearing that diagnosis might mean death as there is no proven cure.

A team of 30,000 people is going house-to-house to find those infected and distribute soap.

But critics say the lockdown will damage public trust in doctors.

Meanwhile in neighbouring Guinea, the bodies of eight missing health workers and journalists involved in the Ebola campaign have been found.

A government spokesman said some of the bodies had been recovered from a septic tank in the village of Wome. The team had been attacked by villagers on Tuesday.

US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power: ”It is going to spread to other countries… if we do not dramatically scale up our efforts”
Correspondents say many villagers are suspicious of official attempts to combat the disease and the incident illustrates the difficulties health workers face.

Sierra Leone is one of the countries worst hit by West Africa’s Ebola outbreak, with more than 550 victims among the 2,600 deaths so far recorded.

WHO officials say that under the curfew, Sierra Leone’s six million citizens cannot leave their homes between 07:00 and 19:00 each day.

After dark, they can go outdoors but cannot leave their area, and shops will remain shut. Earlier reports had suggested that residents would have to stay indoors for the entire lockdown.

‘Lives at stake’
During the curfew, 30,000 volunteers will look for people infected with Ebola, or bodies, which are especially contagious.

They will hand out bars of soap and information on preventing infection.

Officials say the teams will not enter people’s homes but will call emergency services to deal with patients or bodies.

On Thursday, President Ernest Bai Koroma said: “Extraordinary times require extraordinary measures.”

He urged citizens to avoid touching each other, visiting the sick or avoid attending funerals.

Freetown resident Christiana Thomas told the BBC: “People are afraid of going to the hospital because everyone who goes there is tested for Ebola.”

The Chinese central government on Friday approved a plan that maps out major climate change goals to be met by 2020.

This was contained in a statement released on the website of the country’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC).

The State Council, China’s cabinet, gave a green light to the plan which was proposed by the NDRC, the country’s economic planner.

China has pledged to reduce its carbon emission intensity, namely emissions per unit of GDP, by 40 per cent to 45 per cent by 2020 from the 2005 level.

It will also aim to bring the proportion of non-fossil fuels to about 15 per cent of its total primary energy consumption.

According to the statement, other targets include increasing forest coverage by 40 million hectares within the next five years.

It also said that the government would speed up efforts to establish a carbon emission permit market, under the plan, which also calls for deepened international cooperation.

The State Council said local governments and departments at all levels should recognise the significance and urgency in dealing with climate change and give higher priority to action on the issue.

China’s release of the action plan came just before a climate summit is to be held at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

At least 2,622 people have died in the worst outbreak of Ebola virus in history, which has so far infected at least 5,335 people in West Africa, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday.

In an update on the epidemic, which is raging through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia and has spread into Nigeria and Senegal, the WHO said there were no signs yet of it slowing.

“The upward epidemic trend continues in the three countries that have widespread and intense transmission – Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone,” the United Nations health agency said.

It added that a surge in Ebola in Liberia is being driven primarily by a continued increase in the number of cases reported in the capital, Monrovia.

Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno on Thursday expressed optimism that the Nigerian military will soon end the Boko Haram insurgency in the country.

Shettima made the statement at the launching of the new 64 page e-passport in Maiduguri.

He said that the recent victory by the military in different encounters with the insurgents had brought back hope of ending the crisis soon.

“The military has brought back hope to the minds of the people with its renewed efforts in fighting the insurgents.

“With the recent victory, I belief that peace will soon be the restored and normalcy will return,’’ he said.

He commended the Federal Government for introducing the new passport, saying its introduction had placed the country among the best countries of the world.

“I think the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) deserve kudos for introducing the passport.

“This has made us proud as Nigerians, because the passport conformed to the best practices in the world,” Shettima said.

The governor also commiserated with the NIS for losing some of its men to insurgency in the state.

“The numerous sacrifices of your men in restoring peace in the state will not go unnoticed.

“For those who lost their lives accept our condolence,” he said.

Speaking earlier, the Borno NIS Comptroller, Alhaji Madu Musa said that the launching of new passport was part of government’s effort to prevent fraud in the issuance of passport.

He said the new passport was launched by President Goodluck Jonathan on July 30 in Abuja.

“The new passport is gender friendly; it takes care of low income earners and the aged.

“It also accommodates frequent travelers and forestalls identity theft,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 64-page e-passport cost N20, 000, the 32-page cost N15,000 while the 32-page for 60 and above and below 18 years cost N8,750. (NAN)