President Bio ease’s COVID-19 lockdown restrictions

His Excellency Dr. Julius Maada Bio, the president of Sierra Leone has in a national press briefing on Tuesday, June 22, 2020, lifted some of the country’s COVID-19 lockdown measures and restrictions. 

According to President Bio, all these adjustments are made based on consultations with several health partners and stakeholders. And that all the decisions made during this crisis are to save lives and sustain the livelihoods of the most vulnerable.  

Also, as he eases these measures he called on Sierra Leoneans to adhere to the safety and preventive measure of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Below are the following adjustments made by the president:

Effective Tuesday, June 22, 2020, curfew now starts at 11 pm and ends at 6 am. 

Starting from Wednesday, June 23, 2020, the ban on inter-district lockdown has been lifted all travelers, traveling to and fro districts must comply with the infection prevention control protocols (especially the mandatory wearing of face mask). 

Based on several meetings held by the Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority, the government is putting more measures in place that match the best practices of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and they will soon install machines that will help monitor, test, and trace all travelers. And once all the measures are in place, commercial flights will resume operations soon. 

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education in consultation with its partners, has rolled out health and safety guidelines for teachers, pupils, and their communities, to provide a safe environment for students in public examination levels. And that all the guidelines put in place match the best standard in the world. 

In the meantime, no further restrictions on religious and social gatherings have been lifted and whiles easing these restrictions the president informs Sierra Leoneans that, the government will expand testing, contact tracing, and surveillance to an unusual level. Also, the government will continue to monitor data and that may lead to further necessary actions.