The Ekiti State government on Friday postponed the earlier date set for the reopening of worship centres closed across the state over the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
The State governor Dr Kayode Fayemi had during his last broadcast declared that worship centres would be allowed to open for services this weekend in full compliance with already laid down guidelines.
But the Commissioner for Health, Dr Mojisola Yaya-Kolade in a statement made available to Saturday Tribune noted that the shift in date to August 14, 2020, became necessary following the inability of religious centres to show satisfactory readiness in meeting the already prescribed guidelines.
According to her, the shift in the date was to give churches and mosques the ample opportunity to fumigate their environment and put in place other guidelines.
She noted that the government would be not pressured in the opening of the worship centres closed since March and expose residents to the deadly coronavirus, stressing, “ the government is totally committed to its constitutional responsibility for the safety of lives and property of all inhabitants of Ekiti state.”
On the measures expected from the worship centre before the new date of reopening, Yaya-Kolade said churches and mosques would be given certificates of worthiness from the state ministry of Environment after fumigation of their premises.
She added, “ Social distancing of 2 meters (6feet) should be observed in the sitting arrangements of congregants in churches. Each church must provide infrared thermometer for the testing of the temperature of the people at the entrance of the church and service will only be allowed once in a week for a period of two hours either on Saturday or Sunday as the case may be.”
Yaya-Kolade declared that persons from 65years and above including children between age 1-12 years are exempted from the worship centres as a result of their vulnerability to the attack of COVID-19.
