Lagos raises committee to monitor worship centres’ compliance to COVID-19 protocols

Adebayo Obajemu

Not ready to take chances, the Lagos State government has set up a committee to ensure compliance to COVID-19 protocols.

The government has constituted a Monitoring and Compliance Committee to ensure worship centres comply with the COVID-19 protocols, as they open for services.

Disclosing this on Friday was the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Prince Anofiu Elegushi via the state government’s Twitter handle.

Recall that a few days ago, the state government introduced some measures and conditions that must be met/fulfiled by all religious centres and places of worships that are planning to reopen, following further relaxation of lockdown.

Some of the measures are:

* Only regular services/gatherings are permitted to hold. Night vigils and other non-regular programmes remain prohibited until further notice.

* Attendees above 65 years are strongly discouraged from attending worship services.

* Consider holding services and gatherings in large, well-ventilated areas or outdoors, as circumstances and faith tradition allow.

* No face mask, no entry policy, must be maintained throughout the duration of the services.

* Regular cleaning and disinfection of facilities must be carried out to maintain clean and hygienic environments before and after every service.

In the meantime, Prince Elegushi said that the State Government is satisfied with the readiness of religious leaders
to observe the criteria on protocols for the re-opening of worship centres in the State.

He stated that the partial re-opening of Churches and Mosques is a pilot scheme that is predicated on the strict observance of protocols of monitoring, compliance and enforcement of COVID-19 guidelines by worship centres across the state.