- Title: COVID-19 protocols hamper Nigeria's Eid celebrations
- Date: 20th July 2021
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (JULY 19, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HIJABS AND TURBANS ON DISPLAY AT MARKET MARKET SCENE TRADER HELPING CUSTORMER TRY ON CAP TRADER UNFOLDING CAP MARKET SCENES OF SHOPPERS MAN LOOKING ON VARIOUS OF MUSLIM ACCESSORIES AND BOOKS VARIOUS OF STATEMENT READING (English): "PRESIDENTIAL STEERING COMMITTEE ON COVID-19" (SOUNDBITE) (English) DRIVER, ADEAGBON MUFTAU, SAYING: "We are preparing with our own face mask and the hand gloves. that's the hand sanitizer to protect ourselves. After praying finish, we go to kill our ram and we start enjoying the festival.†VARIOUS OF RAMS AT MARKET STALL BUYER, AKINWUNMI YUSUF SHOPPING FOR RAMS VARIOUS OF RAMS ON DISPLAY VARIOUS OF MAN PULLING A FLOCK OF RAMS (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAGOS RESIDENT, AKINWUNMI YUSUF, SAYING: "We have already bought ram, COVID will not disturb our celebration so we are going to do it by the grace of Allah, we will do it peacefully." (SOUNDBITE) (English) TRADER, FOLARIN ONIGEMO, SAYING: "This year's sales is too poor, I am not sure it is because of the COVID. It is just that people are not buying, maybe they didn't have much money and the ram are just too expensive but maybe it because of what is going on in the north." SHOPPERS WALKING THROUGH MARKET MELON SEEDS ON DISPLAY PEPPER TRADER LOOKING ON PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH MARKET
- Embargoed: 3rd August 2021 10:47
- Keywords: COVID Celebration EID Nigeria Religion
- Location: LAGOS, NIGERIA
- City: LAGOS, NIGERIA
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Africa,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001EMN95QV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Muslims in Lagos, Nigeria are were out on Monday (July 19) in a last-minute rush, shopping for the Eid Al-Adha holiday, which marks the end of the Ramadan season.
Also known Eid el-Kabir in Nigeria, the festival celebrates the day of sacrifice when Muslims the world over slaughter animals and feed the poor to seek God's forgiveness.
Shoppers were out looking for a good bargain in food stalls, clothing stores and for the best ram in markets.
On Saturday (July 17) the government announced that it had put six states on red alert after seeing a 'worrisome' rise in COVID-19 infections, urging people to curb gatherings and hold prayers outside the mosque.
Nigeria marks Eid el-Kabir on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.
The news has left many Muslims disappointed, but also taking precaution against the third wave of coronavirus infection.
"We are preparing with our own face mask and the hand gloves, that's the hand sanitizer to protect ourselves. After praying finish, we go to kill our ram and we start enjoying the festival," said Adeagbon Muftau, a driver.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, like most parts of the continent, is now facing a COVID-19 third wave after detecting the more transmissible Delta variant.
For business owners, this has kept buyers away and sales low this season.
"This year's sales is too poor, I am not sure it is because of the COVID. It is just that people are not buying, maybe they didn't have much money and the ram are just too expensive but maybe it because of what is going on in the north," said trader, Folarin Onigemo referring to an insurgency in the country's north.
The head of the presidential steering committee on COVID-19, said Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory had been placed on red alert as part of preventive measures against the pandemic.
The government said there was potential for wider spread of the virus during gatherings.
They also suspended Durbar, an annual Muslim festival in northern Nigeria, which is marked by colourful horse-riding events watched by large gatherings.
Last week, Nigeria, which has recorded 169,329 cases and 2,126 deaths said it expected to receive nearly 8 million additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines by the end of August, including from a U.S. government donation.
(Seun Sanni, Angela Ukomadu, Nneka Chile) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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