COVID-19: Liberian churches, mosques reopen May 15, President Weah agrees as leaders plead

George Weah
Providence Baptist Church, Monrovia, Liberia. Inset is President George Weah. (File photo)

President George Weah has agreed to reopen Liberian churches and mosques in fulfilment of the request made by religious leaders for the ease of COVID-19 lockdown on worship centres.

Till date, Liberian has recorded 199 cases of Coronavirus with 20 deaths.

The religious leaders and other Liberians had called on the president to reopen the worship centre with the aim of “praying to God to see reasons in making the deadly virus which has ravaged the entire world to pass over Liberia and other countries.”

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It was based on this request, the Liberian leader, President George Weah, eased the lackdown on churches and mosques.

President Weak made the pronouncement on Friday, after the end of the initial two weeks given for the State of Emergency (SoE).

He said, he who would partially allow churches and mosques to hold prayer programmes, as lockdown will be extended in other parts of the country.

In a statement, the ex-international footballer also made it known that the emergency measures to curb the virus would still be extended for another two weeks but churches and mosques would be open with guidelines put in place for their programmes.

President Weah said all mosques in Liberia will reopen from Friday, May 15, while the churches will reopen from Sunday, May 17, while he noted that capacity at the places of worship will be limited to 25 per cent and social distancing measures will apply.

“There remains a ban on all movement between the country’s 15 counties, the closure of non-essential businesses,” the president said, adding that the stay-at-home orders for Monrovia’s roughly one million inhabitants, still remains in effect.

The lockdown measure still in effect in Liberia include daily curfew from 15:00 to 06:00 (local time), a ban on movement between counties, and the closure of all non-essential businesses.