Agency Report
Togo’s government has ordered all places of worship to shut down for one month starting on Friday, following a “worrying upsurge” in coronavirus cases in recent weeks.
The West African nation of about eight million people has recorded just over 23,000 cases and 203 deaths but the true tally could be higher given low testing rates.
“The number of deaths keeps increasing,” Didier Koumavi Ekouevi, president of the country’s scientific council said on Wednesday.
“In June, we had four deaths, on July 22 and on August 23. We are recording four times more patients.”
From Friday, weddings and funerals are banned, as well as cultural, sporting and political events, the government said.
Bars and nightclubs have also been ordered to temporarily close.
The authorities warned that sanctions would apply to those who violate the new measures.
