Monrovia (BBC): The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Liberia free of the Ebola virus, confirming that the country has had no new cases in 42 days. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf told the BBC that Liberia had ‘crossed the Rubicon’ and would be celebrating a concerted effort to stem the disease. More than 4,700 deaths from Ebola have been recorded in Liberia, more than in any other affected country. Neighbouring Guinea and Sierra Leone continue to fight the outbreak. It has claimed over 11,000 lives across the region since last year.
The WHO regards a country Ebola-free after a 42-day period without a new case - twice the maximum incubation period.