24 March 2020 – State of public emergency declared for 12 months

Type of Intervention: Executive Order
Sectors Involved: Executive Office, Health
Intervention Categories: Legal and Policy; Declaring state of emergency
Level of Jurisdiction: National
Lead People/Agency: The president of sierra leone and other key stakeholder

Overview: His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio on march 24 declared a state of pubic emergency for 12 months to deal with the threat to lives and the economy by the coronavirus disease. The people of sierra leone are the targeted audience. The president reaffirming the determination of his government to do everything necessary to protect the life of every Sierra Leonean, To take effective measures to prevent, protect, and curtail the spread of the disease throughout the country. The President noted that the Coronavirus disease was a highly infectious disease that constituted a public emergency of international concern that had been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organisation. “The rapid global spread of the coronavirus poses a great risk to human life and can cause enormous socio-economic disruption in Sierra Leone. This situation, therefore, requires effective measures to prevent, protect, and curtail the spread of the coronavirus diseases in Sierra Leone.

Full details here: https://statehouse.gov.sl/sierra-leones-president-julius-maada-bio-declares-a-state-of-public-emergency-says-there-is-no-lockdown/

Type of Justification: Advice of INTERNAL government advisory committee or group, Advice of EXTERNAL expert advisor or advisory committee, Public Opinion (e.g. consultations, opinion polling), Perception of an increased threat
Source of Evidence or Justification: World Health Organisation, National – government