Following a 'second-week' decline in the record of Lagos State Covid-19 confirmed cases, the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, recently directed the reopening of Worship Centers, Secondary Schools For SS3 and TECIII.
During the briefing which held at the State House, Marina- Lagos, on Saturday, 1st August, 2020; and which also marked the 17th briefing on COVID-19 response, the Governor directed the re-opening of places of
worship across the State, starting from August 7 for Mosques and August 9
for Churches. However, Only regular services or religious gatherings are permitted. Night
Vigils and other non-regular events remain prohibited until further
notice.
Furthermore, individuals beyond the age of 65 years of age, are strongly advised against attending worship centers. While Churches and Mosques must adhere to face mask guideline.
In addition, Social clubs with registered trustees and recreational centers are expected to be re-opened to the public from
August 14, but with the condition that they obtain a provisional safety
compliance certificate from the Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC).
According to the directive, permissible capacity for public gathering was increased from 20 to 50 persons at a given period.
Night Clubs, Cinemas are to remain closed.
The Directive in Length:
"It’s cheery news in Lagos State. A period of general decrease in
confirmed positive cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been
recorded in the State for the second week.
Following the decline
in positive cases, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has relaxed some of the
lockdown measures taken by the State Government in response to the
spread of the pandemic.
In his 17th briefing on COVID-19 response
held at the State House in Marina on Saturday, the Governor directed
the re-opening of places of worship in the State, starting from August 7
for mosques and August 9 for churches.
The Governor also
directed the re-opening of social clubs with registered trustees and
recreational centres from August 14, but with the condition that they
obtain a provisional safety compliance certificate from the Lagos State
Safety Commission (LSSC).
Besides, Sanwo-Olu relaxed the public
gathering regulation, increasing the permissible capacity from 20 to 50
persons at a given period. Night clubs, entertainment centres and
cinemas to remain closed, the Governor ordered.
From August 14,
restaurants can now resume in-dining services, but at 50 per cent
occupancy capacity. Also, safety clearance must be obtained from the
Safety Commission before resuming the in-dining services.
In the
case of places of worship, only regular services or religious gatherings
are permitted. Night Vigils and other non-regular events remain
prohibited until further notice. Also, attendees of over the age of 65
years are strongly discouraged from attending worship centres, the
Governor said, adding that all worship centres must adhere to face mask
guideline.
The Governor said the new development followed a
careful review of emerging positive events, stressing the decisions to
relax the lockdown measures was to create a balance between competing
demands of safeguarding lives of the residents and preserving their
means of livelihoods.
He said: “Having carefully reviewed the
current scenario in Lagos, we have taken some important decisions in
line with the ongoing objective of calibrating an effective balance
between the competing demands of safeguarding lives and enabling
livelihoods.
“Places of worship in Lagos will be allowed to open
from Friday, August 7, for our Muslim worshippers, and Sunday, August 9,
for Christian worshippers, but only at 50 per cent of their regular
capacity. Worship centres whose main worship period falls on Saturdays
are equally permitted to hold their services, subject to the same
guidelines as churches holding services on Sundays.
“Social clubs
and recreational centers will also be allowed to open from August 14,
on the condition that they have applied for and obtained a Provisional
safety compliance certificate via registration on LSSC website. The
clearance certificates are at this time being issued only to social
clubs with registered trustees.
“Restaurants will now be
permitted to open for in-dining services, from August 14, on the
condition that they maintain a 50 per cent occupancy capacity. The
restaurants must obtained a provisional safety compliance certificate
through the LSSC registration portal. We are also increasing the
permissible capacity for public gatherings from 20 to 50 persons. This
applies to a wide range of events, from funerals, social events to
corporate meetings.”
All the mandatory prevention and control
measures issued by the State Government must be strictly adhered to,
including physical distancing, mandatory temperature checks and use of
masks in public places, regular disinfection of premises, and strong
personal hygiene.
Worship centres and social clubs that re-open
without complying with the mandatory hygienic protocols and physical
distancing requirements will be shut down and face the wrath of the law,
the Governor warned.
Sanwo-Olu said the State Government
patterned its response strategy after Mumbai, an India populous city
that share similar demographic and climatic conditions with Lagos. He
observed that Lagos had recorded similar results and successes with
Mumbai in its COVID-19 response.
Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the
State Government, on Friday night, shut the Eti-Osa isolation centre,
adding that the Agidingbi isolation centre will also be shut for the
relocation of patients to a large capacity Centre in Anthony area, which
will be soon commissioned.
He added that the Government had
activated a process of reverting the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH)
in Yaba to its status as a care centre to cater to all forms of
infectious diseases. The tent built by Coalition Against COVID-19
(CACOVID) at IDH premises will remain strictly for management of
COVID-19 cases, Sanwo-Olu buttressed.
He said: “We have run
through a model that shows that we have built excess isolation capacity
over the last five months. We have to come to a stage where we need to
balance the economics of risk, as to which isolation facility should we
need to keep running. Some of the isolation centres are having less than
20 per cent of their occupancy capacities. This is why we concluded to
shut Eti-Osa facility and another one in Lekki.”
In the coming
days, the Governor said the opening hours for food and non-food markets
may be extended to 5pm on their opening days.
Sanwo-Olu said
secondary schools should re-open as earlier communicated by the Ministry
of Education, from August 3, for Exit Classes only – SSS3 and Technical
Studies III (TEC 3)students only.
This, he said, will allow them
to have two-week preparation period to participate in revision classes
in preparation for the West African Examinations (WAEC). The Governor
said all standard precautions must be put in place by school authorities
to protect the students.
Sanwo-Olu urged compliance to the
measures outlined in the new regulations, stressing that LSSC has a
statutory responsibility to monitor the activities and operations of all
organisations and worship centres that have been permitted to re-open.
He
said: “As I always say, people need to take responsibility for
themselves and their loved ones. Self-regulation is the order of the
day, and no one should wait for the government to regulate them or their
conduct, even though we will be doing so. Everyone of us must take up
the responsibility and ensure that we are self-regulating ourselves in
our interest and that of our loved ones.”
