The government imposed a nighttime curfew in September (9pm to 6am) in the hay days of the Ebola outbreak, which it extended in October (11 pm to 6am) and then later in November (12 am to 6am) as a measure aimed at curbing the spread of the Ebola virus.

“The President has directed the Minister of Justice to suspend the curfew for today, Wednesday the 31st of December to allow religious leaders—churches and other religious groupings—to allow the watch night services, traditional in the Liberian society,” Deputy Information Minister Isaac Jackson told Reuters.

“The suspension is only for a day, Wednesday so the first of January 2015 onward the curfew comes into full force from 12 am to 6am. Anyone caught outside on New Year Day onward will be arrested,” Minister Jackson added.

However, he urged churches to observe measures put into place by the Ministry of Health to prevent the spread of Ebola  such as hand washing, temperature testing and less people on benches to avoid over- crowdedness.