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The Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) on Sunday asked churches to limit the Easter celebrations to chapel activities.

This is because the ban on public gathering is still in force to contain the spread of COVID-19.

The Council said, in particular, that Easter conventions in public places, Palm Sunday processions and Easter Monday picnics must be avoided.

“These activities have the tendency to spread the virus, hence could be celebrated quietly in our chapel buildings while adhering to the protocols,” a statement to mark the annual Easter celebration said.

The statement, signed by Reverend Dr Paul Kwabena Boafo, the Chairman of the CCG, and copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra, said the two-hour duration for church services as announced by the Government was still in place and should be enforced.

It urged churches to continue to observe social distancing during service and intensify education on the wearing of masks, washing hands and using hand sanitizers.

The statement said preachers and choristers should also be in their masks when ministering, while churches must ensure that they sanitised microphones in-between use.

“We encourage all members to avoid crowded places and to stay at home as much as possible, before, during and after the Easter festivities. We should also limit Easter-related travels and family reunions as much as we can,” it said.

The statement reminded Christians of the essence of Easter as a period of personal reflection on the love of God, which “He exhibited through the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”

“Our reflection on God’s love towards humankind should lead us into genuine repentance and cause us to embrace the grace of God for our own salvation.”