The Kaduna state government has said that worship centers and markets in the state will continue to remain shut.
Residents of the state had thought such places will be opened as the Presidential taskforce on COVID-19 lifted the ban on them on Monday, June 1.
However, in a statement released last night, the state government said relevant government agencies are currently engaging business, community, and religious leaders to discuss and agree on the protocols for the safe opening of businesses and market, and resumption of congregational worship.
The statement adds that public places such as markets and worship centers remain shut as the consultations have not been concluded.
”Until these consultations result in a formal announcement authorising businesses, markets and places of worship to reopen, it will be a violation of subsisting Quarantine Orders to reopen any unauthorised facility, market or places of worship or to conduct congregational worship of any sort. Places of worship in Kaduna State were not closed by the Federal Government.The decision to close places of worship in Kaduna State was taken and enforced in March 2020 by the state government as part of the proclamation of the Quarantine Orders in the state.
Kaduna State is not one of the three states and the FCT where the Federal Government imposed a lockdown. The steps taken to ease such federally-imposed lockdowns in the concerned places should not be construed as the Federal Government relaxing in all states conditions that it did not impose in the first place.” the statement read