Ebola Outbreak: Lagos Orders Churches To Stop Crusades

Following the death of two victims of Ebola Virus Disease, EVD, in Lagos, western Nigeria, the state government has ordered churches and Muslim prayer groups in the state to suspend all crusades and other programmes that will attract large gatherings to avoid spread of the disease.

At a news conference in Lagos on Wednesday, Lagos Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris said the government had already written to churches and mosques to stop holding crusades and other big programmes that would attract large crowds.

According to him, large gathering should be avoided at this period until further notice, while religious groups in different parts of the state should put on hold any crusade, congress or convention in the meantime.

He also said more volunteers were urgently needed to join the crusade to defeat Ebola as the situation is extremely dire.

“More volunteers are needed urgently, especially contact trackers, case management personnel, especially those with experience and expertise in infectious disease control, such as doctors, nurses, environmental health workers and so on,” he said.

Idris assured that government would guarantee the safety of doctors and others that would volunteer and would give them life insurance cover.

The commissioner also disclosed that two of the patients with EVD were in critical condition at the Isolation centre where they were being treated, resulting in the need for more intensive health attention and care to save their lives