In the national fight against Coronavirus, religious leaders in Yaounde held a consultation meeting with officials from the Ministry of Health and the UNICEF on the role and contribution of religions to help with the fight against this pandemic as quickly as possible. The following recommendations were made :
- Suspending gatherings of worshippers in churches and mosques can significantly reduce the spread of the virus.
- Marriages and bereavements can be celebrated in strict family privacy.
- Mosques doors and temples should remain open for private use, but not for group gatherings.
- Christians and Muslims as well as all other believers should strictly follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization.
- The real information on this crisis in Cameroon can be found on two web sites, that of MINSANTE and that of the WHO.
- If the worshippers meet in small groups to pray and worship God, they should stand 1.50 metre away from each other. These prayers should be as brief as possible.
- The entrance and exits of temples and mosques should be arranged to reduce touching contact between people and hugging between worshippers.
- Each preacher or man of God must carry a message of awareness and education to his faithful.
- Every member of the congregation must consider the safety of his family of the utmost importance.
- If the worshippers or the religious leader suspect or discover a sick person, they should immediately call 1510 and contact the National Council (CEPCA, CENC, CISC and CIDIMUC) for accompaniment.
It is better to stop the spread of this virus now than to deal with sick people later. God is great.