Ondo state government has granted permission for churches in the state to hold Easter celebration services on Sunday April 12, despite the current ban on public gatherings due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The statement was released by the chairman of Ondo chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend John Oladapo, on Wednesday April 8. The permission is granted on the condition that all churches adhere strictly to precautionary measures to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
Complying with the conditions entail measures such as obligatory hand washing with soap and water, use of hand sanitizers, and limiting the number of attendees to 20 people in a small church building and 50 persons in a medium-sized one. Big and cathedrals have been instructed to maintain 3 congregants on a pew during services. The Easter services are scheduled to hold between 7am and 12noon on Sunday, with a warning against posting the church services on social media.
In confirmation of the development, the state Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, stated that the government has communicated the permission granted to the Ondo State Police Command. Ojogo also announced that there will be no Easter Retreat (Good Friday Programmes) or the Jumat service gatherings on Friday April 10th, or ‘Gallilee’ services on Monday April 13th. The ban on all social, political, and religious gatherings is set to continue until further notice.