Opening of worship centres: We’ve received over 1000 applications from religious centres – Lagos agency

The Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC), says it has received over 1,000 applications through the ‘Register to Open’ online application, www.lasgsafetyreg.com, since it became active last Wednesday.

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Lanre Mojola, stated this at the weekend at a press briefing to highlight the guidelines set for Religious Centres to operate, following the partial lifting of the ban on religious worship centres, following the announcement made by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on the second phase of easing the lockdown to control the spread of the Covid-19 disease, as regards mass gathering.

Mojola noted that the religious worship centres, both churches and mosques, can only hold their services on Fridays and Sundays, at 40 per cent maximum capacity, observing physical distancing, temperature checks, use of face masks and disinfecting of premises, before and after services.

The Safety Commission boss said children below the ages of 15, including babies and adults over the age of 65, are not allowed to participate in such gatherings, urging parents to make arrangements for caregivers to stay with their kids while going for services.

Mojola said though event centres are closed for now, they will be allowed to hold religious services, provided they have obtained the ‘register to open certificate’, while social centres with registered Board of Trustees will be allowed to open in two weeks’ time.

He added that while working closely with LASEPA, the Commission has sealed some centres flouting the rules of the safety guidelines on COVID-19 and handed over defaulters to the Police for prosecution and has continuously engaged residents, including market men and women to strengthen the protocols against the disease.