By Boluwaji Obahopo

LOKOJA—Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Kogi State, Dr. Zubair Kabiru, has described as ill-conceived plans by the state government to lift ban on religious gatherings, as the coronaVirus, COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage parts of the country.

Dr. Kabiru who spoke yesterday in Lokoja, said though the state has not recorded one positive case of the virus, but the state government decision to lift ban put the state in great danger of there is an outbreak.

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According to him, “The lifting of ban on religious gathering at this time is not the wisest decision because the country is just entering another phase of the spread of corona virus. The first phase cases that tested positive were 90 percent imported; which comes from people who traveled outside the country and returned. But in the last few days, reported cases are community based; which must have contracted from people who returned to the country.

“It is obvious now that we are entering a new phase. And when it comes to religion, Nigerians are very fanatical, and religious houses are where you get large gatherings of people. Though there are other gatherings but none can be compared to religious gatherings. Corona virus is highly contagious. One person can linked it to several people in short time; religious gathering can increase its spread quickly.”

Vanguard