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Mr Boss Mustapha, the Chairman, Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19, has advised religious leaders to without fear or favour continue to prevail on their congregations to wear a facemask.
Mustapha gave the advice while responding to questions during the PTF media briefing on COVID-19 on Monday in Abuja.
The Chairman, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, expressed displeasure over the way some people had started moving about without facemask.
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He said that religious leaders and traditional rulers have a lot to do to curb the further spread of the pandemic.
“The best we can do for our people and our country is to adhere to these non-pharmaceutical interventions that have been put in place.
“Wear your mask, observe social distancing. Stay away from the large crowd and if you have no business don’t travel.
“It is sad when people gather and they do not think it is appropriate to wear a mask.
“What we can do is to continue to appeal to our people that COVID-19 is still alive, it has not gone on any vacation.
“It is not relaxing. As much as we are not seeing the figures reflecting in our country, does not mean that inflations are not going on in other countries.
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“People are dying on a daily basis from COVID-19. The high, the mighty are dying. So it is a very serious issue.
“And I will keep on saying this as we expect vaccines to show up on the horizon. The only vaccine we have in our hand now let us apply it.
“And the only vaccines we have are the non-pharmaceutical interventions.
“So we will continue to appeal to our people in places of worship to ensure that they insist on members of their congregation to wear mask either in the mosque or in the churches and we will continue our engagements.
“Because we have ceded communication of the risk to the communities now.
“We will often time remind them at this level that it is the responsibilities of traditional rulers and religious leaders to drive home that point,” Mustapha said.
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