Sierra Leone COVID-19 Information
(updated March 26, 2020)
- Country Specific Information
- Sierra Leone has no confirmed cases of COVID-19 within its borders
- Lungi International Airport closed to all passenger flights on March 22.
- Quarantine requirements are imposed on travelers arriving from any country with confirmed cases of COVID-19.
- The Government of Sierra Leone has put in place a preparedness and response plan for COVID-19 that includes screening at all points of entry (POE), handwashing stations at all public places, and education of the general public. Churches and Mosques are closed and public gatherings are cancelled.
- Starting March 23, the government will impose restrictions on the number of passengers traveling by public transportation.
- All schools will close as of Friday, March 27.
- The government of Sierra Leone strongly advises all citizens and residents of Sierra Leone to postpone travel to any country which has reported confirmed cases of COVID-19.
- Sierra Leone Alerts and Advisories
- Entry and Exit Requirements
- All passengers arriving in Sierra Leone at any point of entry must fill out a passenger locator card that captures demographic information, travel history, and symptoms for COVID-19.
- Screening of all passengers for travel history and symptoms is in place at three major points of entry: Lungi International Airport (FNA), Jendema land border crossing between Sierra Leone and Liberia, and Gbalamuya land border crossing between Sierra Leone and Guinea. Screening includes a temperature and symptoms check for all passengers and identification of passengers who may be subject to quarantine because of their travel history.
- Travelers arriving at a point of entry who exhibit any of the following symptoms will be taken immediately into an isolation facility for investigation and management:
- Fever above 37.5 C.
- Persistent cough
- Difficult breathing
- Hand hygiene is mandatory at disembarkation and access to the airport.
- Quarantine Information
- The Government of Sierra Leone has identified mandatory quarantine facilities near the three border crossings.
- Currently quarantine is mandatory for any individuals who meet these requirements:
- All travelers arriving at any point of entry from a country with less than 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be documented. Follow up with these arrivals will continue for a period of 14 days by designated surveillance officers/contact tracers.
- All travelers arriving at any point of entry from a country with more than 50 confirmed cases of COVID-19, at any point in time, will have to be quarantined for a period of 14 days.
- The Government of Sierra Leone strongly recommends that individuals planning to visit Sierra Leone from a country with more than 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 consider deferring their travel plans. If they must travel, they may visit, but will be quarantined as required.
- All travelers arriving with a Laissez-passer, emergency travel certificate, or ID card will be immediately taken to a quarantine facility for secondary screening.
- Sierra Leone will review the new quarantine policy regularly and it could change without advance notice based on the epidemiology of the outbreak.
Evacuation Information
- The Department of State is currently not organizing an evacuation of American citizens from Sierra Leone. However, in the event that this opportunity becomes available, we are asking you to let us know now if you are interested in being contacted.
- Please send an email to FreetownEvac@state.gov with the subject line “Return Travel to the U.S.” Please include the following information for each U.S. citizen member of your family or group. If minor children will be accompanied by a U.S. legal permanent resident guardian, please include this information in the e-mail:
- Full name as it appears on your passport
- Citizenship (only for Legal Permanent Residents of the U.S.)
- Date of birth
- Passport number
- Date of passport issuance and expiration
- Email address and contact phone number
- Current location
- Desired onward destination in the U.S.
- We will contact you if a repatriation flight is being arranged and provide you with logistical information, including the cost per seat. It is important to note that these seats are traditionally offered at-charge on a first-come, first-serve basis to U.S. citizens and, space permitting, for qualifying non-citizen dependents. Private American citizens seeking to depart are required to sign a promissory note and will be billed at a later date for the cost of the flight.
- Interested parties should verify that their passports and other documentation are current and valid for at least six months from today’s date.
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