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Churches in Ghana have stepped up precautionary measures to prevent members contracting COVID-19, following confirmation of cases in the country.

Most churches at their services yesterday provided hand sanitisers for use by congregants while the usual hugging and hand-shaking among friends have been ‘temporarily banned.’

The churches also used the pulpit to encourage their members to fully comply with the preventive directives given by the Ministry of Health as the nation goes on high alert over the spread of the disease.

PCG

A message from the Clerk of the General Assembly of the PCG, Rev. Dr Godwin Nii Noi Odonkor, and circulated to all congregations, declared Sunday, March 15 as a day of special prayers against the spread of the disease, particularly in Ghana and across the world.

Also, the PCG has banned all official travels related to activities of the church until further notice.

“Kindly note that the GAC has until further notice banned all official travels relative to the Church. This includes Presbyterians travelling outside the country and also any of our partners who intend to visit any PCG congregations, Districts or Presbyteries,” the message indicated.

Kaneshie congregation

At the Kaneshie Congregation, Rosalind K. Amoh reports that attendance was affected as many people chose to stay at home. The usually full auditorium was only half full and a similar situation was observed at the Children’s Ministry.

As people arrived for service, the usual pleasantries of hugging and handshaking was avoided, rather, they waved at one another or did the elbow tapping. A number of the youth also playfully did the leg tapping as advised.

Dispensers for hand sanitisers were provided at all the entry points into the auditorium and ushers ensured that everyone who entered the church used them.


Also, the surfaces of the pews were cleaned with wipes and rubbing alcohol to disinfect before they were occupied.

At the children’s ministry, hand sanitisers were also provided and every child who arrived for worship was helped to use on both hands.

Parents who could afford also provided their children with their small bottles of hand sanitisers for their personal use.

Additionally, members of the health committee of the church made 10 to 15 minutes presentation at both the adult and children’s ministry on the disease as part of the education and awareness creation.

CAC prays

The National Chairman of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) International, Apostle George Yeboah, has directed all branches of the church in the country to open their doors and cooperate with health officials to educate the members of the church about the COVID-19. Reports Donald Ato Dapatem

He also urged the members to also abide by the advice and directive of professionals and government.

He gave an assurance that CAC as a faith-based organisation was ready to partner government in health education to bring positive turnaround to the increasing threat of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Apostle Yeboah stated this when he addressed members of the church at a National Prayer Day organised by the church at the Independence Square in Accra on Friday.

The church prayed for God’s intervention in halting the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world, especially in Ghana, peaceful elections, unity in the country and a halt to the recent carnage on the roads. The church also used the opportunity to educate its members on the pandemic with the help of health experts.

Glory Congregation, Sunyani

At the Glory Congregation of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana at Dr Berko, a suburb of Sunyani, some amount of hand sanitiser was poured onto the hands of members before they entered the chapel, reports Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah.

The Catechist in charge of the church, Mr Joseph Nyamekye, himself stood at the entrance of the chapel to make sure that no member entered the chapel without going through the new ritual.

In the chapel, members were very cautious in interacting with others as was usually done.

Even though there was no official announcement that members should not exchange greetings by shaking hands, it was clear that nobody was prepared to do so.

Even when it became necessary that elders of the church should shake hands with a bereaved member of the congregation, they made sure that they had applied the hand sanitiser before doing so.

While part of the sermon also dwelt on the coronavirus, members also spent some time to seek God's intervention in finding solutions to the canker.

Church of Pentecost

Emelia Ennin Abbey reports that at the Church of Pentecost, Manhean District in Accra, there were hand sanitisers at the main entrances of all the six local assemblies of the church which all members were required to use before taking their seats.

Also, there were no handshakes which was replaced with using the elbow to greet each other or just waving and smiling.

All seats were also wiped with sanitisers with members being encouraged by the leaders of the church to avoid touching their seats and pillars in the church.

Before a microphone was used by any person, it was sanitised.

Prevention

A member of the church who is a nurse at the 37 Military Hospital, Mrs Doris Sackitey, took the congregation through personal measures they could adopt to prevent the disease.

She said COVID-19 was still affecting mostly people in China with some outbreaks in other countries with most people who became infected experiencing mild illness and recovering after a while although it can be more severe for others.

Also, she said, other measures could include maintaining social distancing of at least one metre or three feet between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

This is important because "when someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease," she said.

ICGC

The Holy Ghost Temple of ICGC, Frafraha, played two short videos in church to inform congregants about COVID-19 and how to conduct themselves, Edmund Smith-Asante reports.

Also, there were no handshakes but many congregants greeted each other with their elbows.

The church has also provided sanitisers at vantage points and congregants have been asked to use them. Even the photographer was seen taking pictures with gloved hands.

The head pastor, Rev. Christopher Annor, also led the church to pray instead of preaching and afterwards admonished congregants to take all precautionary measures as announced by the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and also pray that infections in Ghana and worldwide will stop spreading and a vaccine developed quickly.

From the Calvary Temple branch of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), Della Russel Ocloo reports that the church has taken precautionary measures against the Coronavirus infection where members and visitors had their hands sanitised before being allowed into the auditorium.

The usual handshakes which are synonymous with Christian greetings were also missing as the head pastor, Rev. Anthony Cudjoe, encouraged members to rather smile at each other as a sign of greetings.

Ushers of the church were also seen cleaning the handles of the various doors at the entrances of the church with sanitisers.

An educational video was also played to sensitise members to the need to maintain proper hygiene as well as avoid trips to places the pandemic had seen much outbreak.

Rev Cudjoe who also admonished members to also endeavour to carry out sensitisation in their communities, however, expressed regret that the state of the country's water flow systems had been a challenge.

Don’t take advantage

At the Good Shepherd City of Grace Church, Jennifer Kwasin reports that the head pastor, Rev Gideon Addo, in his sermon urged Ghanaians to be grateful to God for the number of cases recorded with regard to COVID-19 in Ghana because of the numerous cases recorded in other countries.

He appealed to businessmen not to take advantage of the situation to increase prices of hand sanitisers and other materials which were needed for preventing the disease.

“This is not the time to make money but the time to be there for one another. If the less privileged cannot buy a hand sanitiser for themselves then we have not helped in the prevention of the spread,” he reiterated.

He advised the public not to take advantage of the use of alcohol and drink more alcohol in the name of protecting themselves from contracting the virus.

“Let’s know the right measures and observe them judiciously and continue to pray to God to save us from this pandemic,” he said.

He admonished that everyone should observe the preventive measures as declared by the Ministry of Health and abide strictly by them to avoid contracting the disease.