COVID-19: Delta takes steps to reignite economy …Permits worship centres to operate in full capacity

[dropcap]D[/dropcap]elta State Government, Thursday, said it had asked contractors handling various road projects in the state, to return to the site and ensure that projects do not suffer on account of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The government said that was part of decisions it has taken to grow the economy of the state amid the COVID–19 pandemic.

State Commissioner for Information,  Charles Aniagwu said this in Asaba while briefing newsmen on some of the decisions taken by the government to rejig the state’s economy.Aniagwu noted that the state was desirous to open up the economy for growth activities despite fighting the pandemic which had slowed down the economic activities considerably.

He said the state had also taken the decision to reopen worship centres but advised that appropriate social distancing and respiratory hygiene must be maintained at all times.

“The issues of COVID-19 and the challenges it poses to our economy and other economies of the world dominated public discussions and to that extent, it has greatly impacted developments particularly on infrastructure and also our social behaviours.

“But as a government in Delta, we have examined the need for us to make progress even as we continue to take steps to fight the pandemic.

“We are very much determined to continue to work with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and sustain our efforts at curbing the spread of the virus in our state,”

He said that the state was determined to ensure that different protocols of regular washing of hands, use of sanitisers, wearing of face masks, maintaining of social distancing and good respiratory hygiene were adhered to by residents of the state.

“As a government, we have taken certain decisions with a view to ensuring that our development plans are not jeopardised entirely and to that extent, we have asked that contractors, particularly those involved in road construction should go back to the site now that the rains are not disturbing yet.

“The Commissioner for Works is already moving around and has been able to inform us that a number of the contractors are busy at their different sites because we don’t want to suspend development because of COVID-19.

“From the last time we issued some directives on partial relaxation of the lockdown, we have taken steps to ensure that religious places of worship including Christians and Muslims can worship without having a congregation that can jeopardise the interest of our people.

“We have now removed the ceiling on 100, 50 or 20 worshippers but if they must congregate, they must observe proper social distancing in their places of worship whether it is in the church or in the mosque.

We do not want where people will gather and cluster and because we needed to have as many people to worship God and also pray, we have allowed the Christians to hold as much as three services in a week in this case we have approved Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, he said.