Lagos state governor orders religious houses to reduce number of worshippers attending church as third wave of Covid-19 hits

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered all religious houses to reduce the number of worshippers at a time.

This comes as a third wave of COVID-19 pandemic hits Lagos.

In an update on Sunday evening, July 11, Sanwo-Olu said isolation centres in the state have recorded a five per cent increase in occupancy in two weeks, indicating the start of a third wave of infections.

He said, “Since the beginning of July, we have seen a sharp increase in the number of daily confirmed cases, with the test positivity rate increasing from 1.1 percent at the end of June 2021 to 6.6 percent as of July 8th, 2021.

“The rapid increase within a week gives great cause for concern. Also, within the last two weeks, the occupancy rate at our 2 isolation centres increased from an average of 1% to 6%. This is the new and disturbing reality that now confronts us.

“Greater vigilance is required at this time in our Churches and Mosques and other places of religious worship. Even as we are pleased that religious houses are now open for worship, after the lengthy closures of 6 2020, we must not allow ourselves to be carried away by the illusion that all is now back to normal. This is especially critical, as Sallah approaches, in a little over a week from now.

“The festivities will no doubt bring people together in large numbers and create conditions that can sadly cause the spread of the Coronavirus. We must not allow this to happen.

“For this reason, we are mandating full compliance with all protective protocols. Compulsory use of masks in all public places, Social distancing, Temperature checks, Provisions for hand-washing and sanitizers, and a maximum of 50 percent occupancy in enclosed spaces. Resisting Pandemic Fatigue Whilst both the Federal and State Governments have a huge role to play in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, the responsibility of managing the third wave ultimately belongs to all of us.”