COVID-19: Ekiti stakeholders call for concerted efforts to contain spread as churches reopen

As churches reopen in Ekiti State after five months of shutdown by the government as parts of efforts to contain the spread of Coronavirus pandemic, a clergyman, Rufus Osunlade, has called for concerted efforts to ensure strict compliance.

Osunlade, the Assistant Pastor In-Charge of Province 7 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Ado Ekiti, made the appeal while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti.

The clergyman, who thanked government at various levels, particularly the Ekiti State Government, for providing the necessary precautions to ensure smooth reopening of worship centres, admonished worshippers for absolute cooperation.

He said: “We give God Almighty all the glory for saving us in Ekiti and we thank the state government for putting in place necessary precautions to ensure that the spread of COVID-19 is contained.

“If every clergyman can obey and ensure maintenance of government’s directives on COVID-19 protocols, the pandemic may soon become a thing of the past.”

Osunlade assured the state that churches under the province would maintain social distancing, adhere to the use of face masks and body temperature test for each member before entering the church among other directives.

Also speaking with NAN, Remilekun Falua, the head of COVID-19 protocol at the Christ Apostolic Church, Chapel of Glory in Basiri, Ado-Ekiti, said his church had met all the government’s conditions stipulated for reopening of churches.

Falua said: “We have fumigated the church and its environment under the government’s supervision.

“Our hand washing materials are available.

“We are maintaining the two metres social distancing sitting arrangement.

“We ensure that every member wears a face mask.

“Its rule of ‘no face masks, no entry’ is pasted on the church’s entrance and exit doors.

“The church’s service started by 10am and we ended it at exactly noon.

“There were no children of age zero to age 12 and no adult of age 75 and above in the church.”

In separate interviews, Lara James and Patrick Adebayo expressed joy for the eventual reopening of worship centres in Ekiti.