UK travel red list cut to just seven countries

UK travel red list cut to just seven countries

The number of countries on the UK Covid travel red list will be cut from 54 to seven, the government says.

South Africa, Brazil, and Mexico come off the red list, which requires travelers to quarantine in an approved hotel at their cost for 10 full days.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the changes begin on Monday and "mark the next step" in opening travel.

By George Bowden /BBC News

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Press Release: US Embassy Lift Visa Restrictions on Sierra Leone

Press Release: US Embassy Lift Visa Restrictions on Sierra Leone

The decision to lift Visas restrictions on Sierra Leone came as increased cooperation between the government of Sierra Leone in facilitating the timely return of its nationals who have been subject to final orders of removal from the United States of America, according to the new US Ambassador.

By Theo Edwards

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Guidelines: Arriving and Departing by Air

Guidelines: Arriving and Departing by Air

Sierra Leone: Post-COVID19: Travel

The Government of Sierra Leone and Ministry of Transport and Aviation, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority, Sierra Leone Airports Authority, and the National COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre (NaCOVERC). Publish the following safety and public health guidelines shall be strictly adhered to by all arriving and departing passengers to /from the Freetown International Airport - Lungi.

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Sierra Leone Heads ECOWAS Parliament

Sierra Leone Heads ECOWAS Parliament

Hon. Sidie Mohammed Tunis, Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament

The election of Hon Tunis marks the first time that Sierra Leone is occupying the position of Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament since its establishment in 2002. The Speaker promised to assist the ECOWAS Commission in its integrated economic activities by providing the much-needed oversight in the areas of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, commerce, youth empowerment, and monetary and financial issues.

By Sylvester Samba

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Air Senegal to launch Geneva and London; Milan, Madrid, Rome next?

Air Senegal to launch Geneva and London; Milan, Madrid, Rome next?

Abidjan, Bamako, Banjul, Bissau, Conakry, Freetown, Nouakchott, and Praia are available over Dakar on a two-way basis, with connections within about two hours in both directions. London – Freetown, for example, is a market of ~36,000 passengers, with timings as follows:

  • Freetown – Dakar: 1945 – 2230; Dakar – London: 0015 – 0625

  • London – Dakar: 0750 – 1405; Dakar – Freetown: 1600 – 1845

By Theo Edwards: Source: anna aero (airline network news and analysis)

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ECOWAS Drug Action Plan 2016-2020

ECOWAS Drug Action Plan 2016-2020

Schools are not free from the menace of drug abuse that has engulfed society.

The regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the country’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has embarked on five-day prevention and sensitization on the use of drugs in schools.

The initiative started Monday 17th February 2020 at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Secondary School, Kissy Dockyard, brought together major schools in the East End of Freetown. The program said to be in line with the implementation of the ECOWAS Drug Action Plan 2016-2020 and wholly funded by the ECOWAS Commission.

By Sylvester Samba

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Sierra Leone Makes Remarkable Progress In Global Corruption Ranking

Sierra Leone Makes Remarkable Progress In Global Corruption Ranking

The Corruption Perception Index (CPI), released on Thursday 23rd January 2020, is a clear indication that the thirty-three (33) points scored is the highest the country ever achieved since its inclusion in the TI index. Sierra Leone now leads sixty-one (61) countries in the global campaign against corruption. More than 28 African countries; Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Togo, Kenya, among others.

By Sylvester Samba

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Lassa Fever Under Control In Sierra Leone

Lassa Fever Under Control In Sierra Leone

The Government of Sierra Leone, through its Ministry of Health and Sanitation, declared that the Lassa Fever epidemic in Tonkolili District in the Northern part of Sierra Leone no longer considered to be a health emergency. The pronouncement came Tuesday 7th January 2020 after it was confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Tonkolili district and its previously affected areas are now declared safe and free from Lassa Fever.

Lassa Fever, named after the town in Nigeria where the illness first discovered in 1969 caused by a hemorrhagic virus that belongs to the same family as Marburg, and Ebola, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). It is mainly spread by rodents and endemic to parts of West Africa: including Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, and Nigeria.

By Sylvester Samba

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Idris Elba Arrived In His Father´s Native Sierra Leone For The First Time

Idris Elba Arrived In His Father´s Native Sierra Leone For The First Time

Idris Elba arrived in Sierra Leone on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, for the first time where he is due to receive Sierra Leone citizenship and celebrate Christmas with the President, Julius Maada Bio, according to government sources.  Elba planned to visit Sherbro Island renowned for its pristine tropical beaches. The country hopes to revitalize its tourism industry. And, with Mr. Idris Elba as the country's Brand Ambassador, he brings with it new life and vitality.

By Theo Edwards

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At ECOWAS Court of Justice

At ECOWAS Court of Justice

In a landmark decision for the West African Region and Africa in general, the court again ordered the government of Sierra Leone to put in place measures including social programs to address increased numbers of teenage pregnancies and sensitize the communities against discrimination.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice based in Abuja, Nigeria, on Thursday 12th December 2019, ordered the government of Sierra Leone to lift the ban on pregnant school girls with immediate effect. The Court, in its ruling, found that the government breached the right of pregnant girls to education by prohibiting them from accessing school.

By Sylvester Samba

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