Conakry, March 30 (RHC)-- Guinea has declared a 45-day “health emergency” in five regions of the African country to stop the spread of the deadly Ebola disease. In a statement published in national media over the weekend, Guinean President Alpha Conde said that he was declaring the health emergency in the west and southwest of the country, adding that the focus of the virus “has shifted to our country’s coastal areas.”

The Guinean president said that “strict measures” will be taken in the capital, Conakry, to “increase vigilance” in communities against the spread of the virus. The restrictions include the temporary closure of hospitals and clinics where there have been cases of Ebola, as well as new rules on burials and possible lock downs.

The Ebola outbreak began in the African country in December 2013. More than 24,000 people in nine countries have been infected with the virus, and over 10,000 of them have lost their lives since the Ebola outbreak. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are the three African countries worst hit by the deadly virus.