Coronavirus: Churches record partial compliance over ban in Lagos

Churches in some parts of Lagos State on Sunday recorded partial compliance to the ban on gathering of not more than 20 people over the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most churches in Lagos had their normal services while some had adjusted the number of persons and time spent in church.

At the St. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, NNPC, Ejigbo Rd, the masses were adjusted to seven on hourly bases from 6am to 12 pm and 5pm to 6pm as against the four masses from 6am to 1pm and 5pm to 6.30pm.

A parishioner, Mrs Agnes Awudi said there were masses but was adjusted hourly because of the Coronavirus directive and ban on number of persons at gatherings.

Awudi said it was the size of the church that made the church to reduce it to hourly mass.

She said there was a quite number of spaces among the parishioners and the mode of greeting during mass had changed.

NAN reports that there were not too many people in church as against the number of people that used to attend the services. .

At the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Tree of Righteousness Parish, Jakande Estate, Oke Afa, Isolo, the church service was adjusted to 50 person per service.

NAN reports that although the church was scanty, there was service going on and there was quite large spacing between worshippers.

A worshiper, Miss Yinka Anifaloyin, said that she was in church at her normal time of worship by 10am but was not allowed in due to the fact that the number had completed 50.

Anifaloyin however attributed the low turnout to online mode of worship put in place by the church’s headquarters.

She said that it all depended on your faith, whether to attend church or not.

At the Christ for All Mission church, Oke-Afa, Isolo, worshippers were seen in their numbers having their normal Sunday service.

NAN reports that the state government had earlier issued a new directive bringing down the maximum number of people that could gather at religious or social purposes to just 20 from its initial 50.

The directive became imperative after a parley with religious leaders, both Muslims and Christians and placed a ban on the religious gathering of over 50 people, while urging that the directive was complied with in order to curb the spread of the deadly virus in the state. (NAN)

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