On Monday, a sudden spike in the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus was followed by Telangana Chief Minister’s Office reporting five new fatalities. In the press conference, the Chief Minister’s Office revealed that all the five deaths are traced back to Tablighi Jamaat meet in the NIzammudin area of Delhi.
The congregation happened earlier in the month when the lockdown was a far possibility yet. Of all the people who had been to the congregation, nine people have already died due to the infection of the novel coronavirus – six in Telangana and one each in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir. Among the attendees, at least one foreigner, a Filipino National, has tested positive for the COVID-19.
1500 members might be Infected
On Monday, the national capital, Delhi reported 25 fresh cases of coronavirus out of which 18 attended the congregation in Nizamuddin. According to the official of the state, close to 250 foreign nationals landed in the capital to attend the congregation after which they are believed to have traveled to other states. According to the sources, 1,500 members are still believed to be in the mosque. Among them, at least 300 were reported to have fever, cough, and breathlessness.
As soon as it came to the knowledge of the concerned authorities, most of them were rushed to hospitals looking to isolate them. The headquarters of Jamaat, Bangle Wale Masjid, has been sealed and the remaining members are undergoing screening for the COVID-19. Those who have checked out of the Mosque could be potential carriers of the virus.
An official confirmed that all the foreign nationals who attended the event have been traced and strict surveillance is underway. One of them was a preacher from the Philippines aged 65 has died in Mumbai’s Kasturba hospital. 85 preachers of the Jamaat were shifted to Lok Nayak Hospital whereas six who were confirmed positive were shifted to AIIMS. Another group of 200 were also shifted to the Lok Nayak Hospital who had symptoms of cough, fever, and breathlessness. According to a senior doctor, the chances of them turning out to be COVID-19 positive is high.
Another hotspot Tamil Nadu is also linked to the Jamaat congregation. Among the 38 new cases reported on Monday, many of them were found to be a part of the event. The state is now trying to trace 980 Tamil Muslims who took part in the congregation.
