The Government of India has issued strict directives for continuous lockdown to control the COVID-19 outbreak.
As part of this, the government has called for the shutdown of all educational, public and religious institutions.
But here is a shocking alert of new hundreds of COVID-19 cases linked to a religious gathering!
In a sudden update, Delhi-based headquarters of Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin West emerged into a new hotspot for COVID-19 cases.
As the reports say, around 300 new COVID-19 positive cases are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat meet in the area.
The meet is a congregation of various Islam leaders and followers from different parts of the world.
According to the latest reports, 9 Indians – 6 from Telangana and one each from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and J&K, have reportedly died of the coronavirus outbreak.
Coming to other nationals who attended the meet, the virus has claimed the life of one Filipino and infected around 19 other foreign nationals.
18 out of 25 COVID-19 cases from Delhi reported on March 20, 2020 were from this meet alone.
Around 250 foreign nations stepped in the capital in the first week of March 2020 to attend this religious gathering and have later travelled to many other states accompanied by many Indian followers.
There were around 1,500 members residing in the mosque as per earlier reports and 300 of these were likely suffering from cough, fever and cold.
As a result, the headquarters of the Jamaat has been sealed and all the remaining members are screened for COVID-19.
The foreign members of the group have reportedly come from Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, among other nations and have been residing in mosques in different states after their work at the Nizamuddin headquarters.
Experts suspect more COVID-19 cases as many of them have reportedly been in touched with the infected ones.
“All foreign workers of Tablighi Jamaat have been located and all DGPs have been alerted for maintaining strict surveillance,” said a government official.
“A group of 10 have travelled from Mumbai to Delhi for the convention. One of them, a preacher from The Philippines, died at Kasturba hospital,” add the sources.
Meanwhile, 85 preachers have been admitted in Lok Nayak hospital on March 30, 2020, while 6 were tested positive.
Another hotspot for disease spread through Jamaat followers was reported as Tamil Nadu.
After reporting 38 positive cases on March 20, 2020, the state has been on high alert tracing other 980 Tamil Muslims who attended the meeting.
Many were also found travelled back to UP and Telangana, among other states.
About Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat is a movement started in 1926 in Mewat Province.
These groups, who reflect the way Muslims lived during Prophet times, move to different locations to spread and enlighten groups of their role as a Muslim.
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