Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has fired ministers and top government officials who defied an order to come back to the African country which is fighting against the deadly Ebola epidemic.

The Liberian leader’s office made the announcement in a statement released on Tuesday.

She had ordered overseas ministers to return within a week as part of a state-of-emergency announcement on August 6, warning that extraordinary measures were required “for the very survival of our state.”

Sirleaf “directed that all officials occupying ministerial level positions or equivalent -- senior and junior -- managing directors, deputy/assistant directors or equivalent, commissioners et cetera who violated the orders are hereby relieved of their positions,” the statement said.

Her office added that those who do not have ministerial level positions but hold “important public offices” would have their pay reduced until their return.

“(Sirleaf) commends and appreciates all government officials and senior level public servants who observed the orders and returned to join the fight against deadly Ebola virus disease,” the statement said.

It is not immediately clear how many ministers were affected or which ones were dismissed.

According to the latest official figures by the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 2,615 infections and 1,427 deaths of the disease have been reported in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Liberia has been the hardest-hit by the outbreak of the deadly virus that erupted earlier this year, with 624 deaths.

The WHO said on Monday that over 120 health workers across West Africa had lost their lives during the “unprecedented” outbreak, and more than 240 had been infected.

Ebola is a form of hemorrhagic fever whose symptoms are diarrhea, vomiting and bleeding. The virus spreads through direct contact with infected blood, feces or sweat. It can also be spread through sexual contact or the unprotected handling of contaminated corpses.