COVID-19: Delta religious leaders agree on social distancing

The Delta state government says it has agreed with religious leaders to enforce social distancing in worship centres across the state.

Commissioner for Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, disclosed this in Asaba, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting between the state task force on COVID-19 and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Muslim groups in the state.

He said that the state government is concerned about the health of Deltans and therefore, directed that not more than 50 persons should be allowed in worship centres across the state.

“For quite some time now, the governor has been very busy taking decisions and proactive steps with a view to ensuring that we are not caught napping with respect to the COVID-19 ravaging the country and international community.

“What we have done today is in furtherance to the precautionary measures. The governor today felt there is need to consult with religious groups; the Muslim community and the Christian community.

“After the meeting with these two bodies, the government has agreed that in the first instance, on no account should any of the religious groups gather more than 50 persons at a time.

“This is because we believe that there is need to practice social distancing and we are praying that as we make progress, we will have cause to review some of these decisions. But, we are praying that the state remains as safe as it is now. You know that there is no case of COVID-19 in Delta state.

“We have also made it known to them that they should try through other means to communicate to their members to try as much as possible to observe all the behaviours that we have rightly pointed out before now.

“But, what is more important is that they have seen the need to observe the different positions of the government with respect to maintaining social distance and not to for any reason, have more than 50 persons congregating in any of their worship centres at a time,” Aniagwu explained

Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Delta state chapter, Apostle Sylvanus Okorote, said that the meeting was all about control and prevention because the pandemic has no cure for now.

Also speaking, the leader of the Muslim community in the state, Alhaji Auwalu Tukur, thanked Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for his proactive steps in leading the state, assuring that decisions reached at the meeting would be implemented to the letter to ensure that the virus does not spread to the state.