‘If You 55 And Above, Stay Away From Churches, Mosques’

If you are 55 and above, you may have to stay away from churches and mosques until further notice, the Federal Government has warned.

The instruction for those who are 55 and above to stay away from congregational worship is the latest in the bid to curtail further spread of COVID-19.

It was one of the instructions in the guidelines released by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 for religious centres, which are already warming up to resume normal worship services.

 “In view of the widespread community transmission of COVID-19, it is important that places of worship operate in a safe manner to ensure the protection of public health, avoid outbreaks and safeguard the health of the vulnerable members of the population”, PTF National Coordinator, Sani Aliyu said during a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

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“To this end, the guidelines have been developed as a minimum set of standards that have to be complied with for places of worship to safely operate nationwide.

“They have been developed by the PTF in liaison with the leadership of religious communities in the country and should be used as a baseline for states to allow these activities.

“It is important to note that due to the nature of religious congregations, places of worship are particularly recognised to have a major potential for spreading COVID-19 infections amongst worshippers.

“Volunteers should be limited to exact numbers needed and none of the volunteers should have underlying medical conditions or be above the age of 55 years.

“No social gatherings before or after worship.

“Those with underlying conditions or above 55 are strongly advised to stay at home and explore virtual participation.

“Windows should be left open during services and preferably use open-air facility as much as possible.”

Others include that worshippers must sanitise their hands, use face masks, avoid handshakes, and temperature checks be done before entry at worship centres.

The national coordinator stressed that the responsibility for enforcement of the guidelines rests on religious leaders and state governments.