Christmas: FG Warns Churches Against Holding Carol Services

FG has urged Nigerians not to conduct usual Christmas carol services this year.

News Rain Nigeria gathered that the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 urged Nigerians not to conduct their usual Christmas festivities such as carol services this year.

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Chikwe Ihekweazu, stated this during the weekly briefing of the task force in Abuja on Monday.

Christmas: FG Warns Churches Against Holding Carol Services

Speaking further, Ihekweazu said Christmas carols, travels, and other gatherings during the festive season could turn out to be “super spreaders” of the coronavirus.

He said: “This is really to re-emphasize the call by the PTF that many of the traditional meetings that we engage in at this time of the year, whether they are Christmas carols or festivals, trips, family gatherings, each of those could end up being a super spreader event.

“So, we must take this into consideration as we make our choices.”

PTF national coordinator, Dr. Sani Aliyu disclosed that for every 1,000 passengers coming into the country, about 10 positive cases of COVID-19 are recorded.

“Please, for this period, if your travel is not essential, stay where you are. We are actively discouraging Nigerians abroad from coming home this Christmas because of COVID-19 and the number of infections we have outside the country.

“So, the message is; if you do not want to get stranded, if you do not want to bring COVID-19 to your elderly relatives in Nigeria, please stay where you are. There will be other holidays,” he added.