The Islamic religious conference by the Tablighi Jamaat preachers at the Banglewali Masjid, the Mosque near the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in Delhi has emerged as the ground zero for hundreds of potential Coronavirus infections.
Hours after Delhi CM revealed that as many as 441 people who attended the event have developed the symptoms of the deadly infection in Delhi, the Tamil Nadu health secretary, has confirmed that the 50 new positive Coronavirus cases announced in Tamil Nadu are linked to the Nizamuddin Markaz event by the Tablighi Jamaat.
“Out of 1500 members from Tamil Nadu who participated in the conference in Delhi (Markaz, Nizamuddin), 1130 returned to the state, rest stayed in Delhi. Of the 1130 who returned, we have identified 515 across several districts. Out of these people, who attended the conference in Delhi (Markaz, Nizamuddin), 50 have tested positive for #COVID19. Other than that 5 others have also tested positive today. Total number of positive cases in the state now stands at 124”: Beela Rajesh, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary.
Out of these people, who attended the conference in Delhi (Markaz, Nizamuddin), 50 have tested positive for #COVID19. Other than that 5 others have also tested positive today. Total number of positive cases in the state now stands at 124: Beela Rajesh, Tamil Nadu Health Secretary https://t.co/BFhQBcDmRl
— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2020
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Dr C Vijayabaskar, in his Tweet said: “Out of the 50 new positive cases in Tamil Nadu, 45 people have a travel history to Delhi. They all reportedly attended the gathering at Nizamuddin Markaz in Delhi. All these patients have been admitted in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Chennai and Namakkal hospitals and are stable”.
#UPDATE: 50 new #COVID19 positive cases in TN. 45 of them have travel history to Delhi. All admitted in Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Chennai and Namakkal hospitals and are stable. Will update details soon @MoHFW_INDIA #Vijayabaskar #Corona #CoronavirusOutbreak
— Dr C Vijayabaskar (@Vijayabaskarofl) March 31, 2020
The Tamil Nadu government raised an alarm over the Nizamuddin congregation after a high percentage of those who were screened tested positive for the pandemic virus.
Earlier in the day, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, briefing the nation on the ongoing Coronavirus situation in Delhi in the light of the Nizamuddin Markaz event revealed that out of the 1538 people were evacuated from Nizamuddin Markaz, 441 have symptoms of COVID-19 and 1107 under quarantine. While 24 cases have tested positive, the others’ results are awaited.
Kejriwal made the remark at a time when twenty-four people have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) while seven died in the national capital of India following a mass gathering of Tablighi Jamaat preachers at a religious event which was held at Alami Markaz Banglewali Masjid in Nizamuddin here.
Around 8,000 people from across the country attended a gathering between 13-15 March at the Alami Markaz Banglewali Masjid, the headquarters of the “Tablighi Jamaat” in Nizamuddin area of south Delhi. Many cases of coronavirus deaths have now been traced to the Muslim event at the Banglewali Mosque which had seen a large gathering. The Mosque is the global centre for the Tablighi network and the origin of the Tablighi Jamaat, as per Wikipedia.
The Mosque reportedly regularly hosts Islamic followers and preachers from all over India and from many nations in the world. From here, preachers are sent to Mosques all over India.
On March 29 (Sunday), around 50-70 people, who were hiding in the mosque, were taken to LNJP hospital as they showed COVID-19 symptoms. 24 have been tested positive.
On March 30 (Monday) it was again reported that as many as 200 people from the Nizamuddin Dargah and surrounding areas were taken to various hospitals in Delhi after they showed suspected coronavirus symptoms. As per reports, the area around the Nizamuddin Dargah and the Mosque near it has been cordoned off by Delhi police.
Now, a medical camp has been set up in the area and samples are being tested. Drones have been deployed to maintain strict vigilance over movements. As per reports, over 2000 people in the area are now under quarantine.
The sheer number of gatherers at the religious event among coronavirus suspected cases is a cause of worry because not only have they travelled across Indian before the lockdown kicked in, but also the larger possibility of contact transmission all over India.
