CAN Submits Guidelines for Reopening of Worship Centres

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has submitted guidelines to the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 for the reopening of churches nationwide with effect from June 2020.

Some of the recommendations will ensure smooth running of churches while protecting worshippers from contacting the pandemic. 

In a related development, schools will reopen as soon as possible but there is no date yet. The source of the information that schools will open on June 8 is not from government as clarified by the Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba. 

The Federal Ministry of Education will release the Post COVID-19 guidelines for schools, he added.

CAN RECOMMENDATIONS TO FG

Part of the recommendations by CAN, which was led by Chairman, North Central Rev Dr Israel Akanji and the FCT CAN Chairman Rev Dr Jonah Samson, was that churches should disinfect their premises before reopening while physical distancing should be observed in sitting arrangements with a one-metre space between two worshippers.

The association provided that, for a start, churches should hold one-hour services and that all Sunday services should end by 5:30p.m. Also, to avoid crowding, there should be a 10-minute lapse between multiple services.

Others are: churches should provide alcoholic sanitisers, temperature readers, soap and water on their premises to be supervised by medical professionals in the church; every worshipper must use soap to wash his/her hands or apply sanitisers; the temperature of worshippers must be screened before they are admitted and people with the high recordings should be advised to see a doctor.

Every worshipper must wear a face mask; churches may use classrooms and multipurpose halls for services, where available, to accommodate more worshippers at once, and TV circuit and speakers can be used for those who are not inside the main auditorium.

Handshaking and hugging should be avoided before, during and after the service; children should worship with their parents; prayers should be offered to God for a speedy end of COVID-19 and quick recovery of patients; CAN would constitute a committee alongside law enforcement agencies to ensure compliance.

FOB News