By CISA
LOMÉ, OCTOBER 12, 2021 (CISA)-The Episcopal Conference of Togo (CET) has implored the faithful to strictly respect and adhere to the guidelines put in place to control the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
“Having received from the authorities that places of worship are again authorized to open, the Conference of Bishops of Togo comes to inform you of this by urging you to scrupulously observe the measures to combat the pandemic,” reads a statement issued on October 9, by Bishop Benoît Alowonou, President of CET.
On October 8, the Minister of Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Territorial Development, Payadowa Boukpessi authorized the reopening of places of worship and directed the deployment of mobile vaccination centres near the places of worship.
“Taking into account the evolution of the infection in our country and after an exchange with the actors, the places of worship are now authorized to open,” reads the press statement by the Minister.
However, the Minister maintained that the guidelines, “will be adjusted depending on how the pandemic evolves in the country,” adding that “restrictions implemented last month will be systematically reintroduced if cases increase significantly.”
The places of worship in Togo were closed on September 17 following an upsurge in coronavirus cases, a directive that the episcopate had denounced, reiterating that the closure of Churches was ill-informed.
