NIGERIA RELEASES COVID-19 GUIDE TO RE-OPEN PLACES OF WORSHIP

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) continues to lead the public health response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Nigeria. Following the review of recent restriction measures by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, NCDC has developed new guidelines for places of worship in Nigeria. This is to ensure safe gatherings and prevent exposures to COVID-19 infection in religious settings.

On the 2nd of June 2020, the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 announced the relaxation of the previous ban placed on religious settings, allowing faith groups to meet while adhering to public health and social measures.

In several countries, COVID-19 outbreaks have been linked to large gatherings, including religious and non-religious gatherings. To reduce the risk of infection in places of worship, NCDC offers the following guidance:

• There should be no entry without facemasks. All attendees and religious leaders must wear a face mask

• People who are sick should not go to places of worship. There should be temperature screening on entry

• Hand washing facilities and hand sanitizers should be provided at point of entries and strategic points

• Attendance at religious settings should not exceed 1/3 of sitting capacity

• Religious centres should be clearly marked such that people sit and maintain two metres distance from each other

• There should be no form of direct contact. Practices such as handshakes as peace signs are discouraged

• Practices that require sharing of materials should be limited. For example, ablution should be performed at home

• Religious centres should be disinfected routinely, before and after worship

The guidelines developed by NCDC provides additional requirements to ensure that places of worship are safe. This can be downloaded via this link. The NCDC continues to work with states to provide technical assistance and resources to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of Nigerians.

In the absence of a vaccine, Nigeria and the rest of the world must depend on public health, social measures and supportive management of confirmed cases. We urge all Nigerians to take individual and collective responsibility by adhering to public health advice.

https://ncdc.gov.ng/news/255/nigeria--releases-covid-19-guide-to-re-open-places-of-worship


**Can Your Church Handle This?? I don't think my church can...

12. No adults above 60, & children below 16


Why the segregation? They for kuku no reopen any Church.

Question? why aren't the market place or malls having these same rules? Now it's obvious the fight is against the church

No

How many Catholic churches in Lagos can handle this??
I've seen parishes holding up to 5 masses with full capacity, plus overflow, & you want just a few people to come around, & worship for just 1hr?? Will there be waiting areas??
It would be better if they make use of their open spaces with canopies, & not allowing cars in so as to have more spaces....but what happens to the traffic around the churches??

The worst part is that the Catholic Churches are among the least IT compliant. Despite their population, most of them do not have social media platforms to communicate with their members. They also have a very poor multimedia/ sound system in the churches. You approach a priest that you want to create a web platform for the church & he says he's not interested....

As if the Lagos archdiocese got a sign from COVID, around February 2020, a seminar was organized to build a more robust communication platform for the church, but nothing was implemented before COVID took over...

**Modified..
Imagine..

*Religious houses should fumigate their auditoriums , car parks and other buildings by wiping all surfaces with a disinfecting agent .

*During services , windows and doors must be opened to enable airflow

*Adequate provision should be made for soap , running water and hand sanitisers at entry points .

*There should be no entry without face masks ; provide disposable face masks where practicable .

*To help educate on COVID - 19 , it is recommended for places of worship to have preventive messages from NCDC posted at entry points and around places of worship .

*Holy communion should be packaged in disposable wraps.

*Drinking water points , public toilets and sales outlets must be closed for now

*Religious leaders must maintain two metres when praying or counselling and avoid body contact with members .

*Places of worship should be free of carpets and rugs to allow easy disinfection of the floor

*Temperature check at entrance

*Contact details of attendees

*No sharing of microphone, robes by ushers

*No loitering around after service

*Service shouldn't exceed 1 hour

*Adults above 60 & children below 16 not allowed

*Disinfect venue after each service

*One third of full capacity

These business centres, how I wish they can be closed forever.

And for those pastors that are more concerned about the money...will open their office for customers to worship and drop their offerings and tithes....



Majority of them have had their centres and branches opened in secret....

All these guidelines are necessary but i don't see any church obeying them, because even here in my area churches have never been closed due to coronavirus,
The only guideline adhered to over here is social distancing and wearing of face masks

Finally..church is being supervised and regulated by unbelievers. Smh

For my street, the only rule they (churches) obey up there na no. 14, the rest na story

But finally,



Sister Caro is back

SMH Nigeria matter don tire me.

Las las... We would be alright

Damnnnnn niggarrr
Isoright

Not bad

Useless Devilish people

Nice guidelines to follow
Buy TM Lewin Turkey shirts and trousers here at affordable price payment on delivery

People put on the mask,enter the church and remove it.Some wash their hands and use their face masks to dry it.9ja, Which Way?

coronaVirus scam is going to be with us for sometimes

Because you'll need to be vaccinated

I wonder how Ncdc get their daily infection toll rate

Scam of the century

lol, let them be deceiving themselves

even the people established the laws will go to their place of worship without obeying or enforcing their own directives

This one is so that outsiders will see, we're doing something

A mo ra wa

Very Good if only they will adhere to the guidelines.
We have to fight this virus collectively by taking up all the safety measure.

They should stop all these unnecessary tales!

How can they say "People who are sick should not go to places of worship. And that there should be temperature screening on entry"?


Sorry sir. The church is a place where those who are sick come for divine healing. Even those with coronavirus can be healed in the church so I don't know how this particular guideline is going to be observed because even the so called science has not been able to provide solution to the current pandemic after so many months of research.
People are now depending on God for divine healing.


Happy Sunday brethren!
Did you worship today in church or at home?

Me went to church o!
Corona can't stop me from worshipping my creator!!!

Newcreature2020:
Question? why aren't the market place or malls having these same rules? Now it's obvious the fight is against the church

How can we fight off this virus when people with ur kind of mindset keep seeing things with a skewed mentality

BRT buses are carrying full capacity, markets are overcrowded, banks are overcrowded, offices same, no social distancing maintained.

Why maintain social distancing in places of worship and leave the premises to enter a vehicle all jammed together.

We are yet to get it right, this makes no sense at all.

It's okay

You people should open church the way you open markets.

It is safer to be in a church than in the market. People do not move around in the church like in the market.

But we are Nigerians, we don't like to hear anything about church.

masterP042:
These business centres, how I wish they can be closed forever.

Continue Wishing For The Impossible

Newcreature2020:
Question? why aren't the market place or malls having these same rules? Now it's obvious the fight is against the church

The guidelines is meant for all religions and not for churches alone. Please be guided in your public utterances

We can't meet up with this requirement in in masjid, Leaving space In-between us in prayer is not allowed. OBSERVING OUR SOLLAH AT HOME WITH FAMILY WOULD BE PREFERABLE. May Allah forgive our shortcomings and Clean this virus off the World