Nigeria releases COVID-19 guide to re-open places of worship

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the nation’s public health institute, continues to support the Federal Government’s efforts in curbing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. This is reflected in the increased testing capacity and guidelines that have resulted in the identification and treatment of cases in the country.

The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has begun rolling out policies designed to combine the health sector response with a look at easing the economic and societal restrictions placed as a result of the pandemic. This includes the restricted opening of places of worship, guided by state government protocols and stated guidelines.

To support this, NCDC has published new guidelines for the safe re-opening of places of worship, which highlights measures to be carried out which include:

• Provision of hand washing and sanitizing facilities at point of entries
• Attendance to not exceed 1/3 of sitting capacity.
• Regular sanitising routine to disinfect frequently touched surfaces

The NCDC remains committed to working under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Health, and in collaboration with government Institutions through the PTF, to scale up Nigeria’s response.

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.