Federal government has lifted the two-months ban on religious gatherings imposed to check the spread of coronavirus.
The Chairman of the presidential task force (PTF) COVID-19, Boss Mustapha announced this during the daily briefing of the PTF on Monday in Abuja.
Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, announced that President Buhari has approved the relaxation of the ban for only four weeks.
He said;
The PTF submitted its recommendations and the President has approved the implementation of the recommendations over the next four weeks spanning 2nd – 29th June, 2020, subject to review.
The recommendations includes: Cautious advance into the Second Phase of the national response to COVID-19; application of science and data to guide the targeting of areas of on-going high transmission of COVID-19 in the country; Mobilisation of all resources at State and Local Government levels to create public awareness on COVID 19 and improve compliance with non-pharmaceutical interventions within communities.
Other include the sustenance of key non-pharmaceutical interventions that would apply nationwide like ban of gatherings of more than 20 people outside of a workplace and relaxation of restriction on places of worship based on guidelines issued by the PTF and protocols agreed by state governments.
According to National Coordinator of PTF, Dr Sani Aliyu, all schools are to remain closed till further evaluation as well as restaurants, but hotels can reopen.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has also requested the aviation industry to start developing protocols for domestic flights to possibly resume from June 21.
