Villages Stockpile; Elsewhere, Hospitals Struggle

     Once again, good news in Tunkia Chiefdom -- still no Ebola cases reported.  And there have been no cases reported in Kenema District as a whole for the past 10 days -- an extraordinary turnaround.  The news is much more somber elsewhere -- Freetown and Makeni are still in dire straits.  The government hospital in Kambia has now been closed due to inability to handle the number of Ebola cases. The number of cases reported across the country as a whole has not decreased.  On the other hand, the number reported per week has not increased appreciably, either -- the exponential cascade being predicted as a worse-case scenario has not materialized at this point.  And, 119 British doctors and nurses arrived this week to set up additional treatment capacity. 
     Local travel restrictions have been eased slightly -- according to Fodei, he is being allowed to travel within the Kenema District as long as he has documentation that he is from Tunkia Chiefdom and tests fever-free.  Fears of a local food shortage have also eased, as the harvesting of upland rice has begun.  This means that the teams have successfully bridged the 29 villages they serve to harvest time, and a steady food supply for the next six months or more.  There are reports of harvesting difficulties in other areas where Ebola is not contained, however, and if true, this will create some very major challenges in terms of food supply over the next year. SC