Coronavirus: 300 attendees to be tested after Delhi mosque event
What's the story
Over 300 people in Delhi's Nizamuddin were taken to different hospitals on Monday to be tested for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The people had attended a religious gathering of Tablighi Jamaat preachers at Nizamuddin's Alami Markaz Banglewali Masjid in mid-March. Reportedly, one person who attended the event has died while ten others tested positive for COVID-19. Here are more details.
Contact tracing
COVID-19 patients, including one deceased, traced to mosque gathering
According to NDTV, authorities identified the mosque as the common point of contact between a patient who died in Srinagar and 11 Indonesians who tested positive in Hyderabad. The gathering of around 200 people was held without permission from authorities, police told PTI. Earlier this month, the Delhi government restricted religious, social, cultural and political gatherings. Further contact tracing is currently underway.
Information
Srinagar COVID-19 patient who died also went to Deoband
The man who died in Srinagar was a religious preacher and had also visited the Deoband seminary in Uttar Pradesh before returning to Jammu and Kashmir. Reportedly, a man who tested positive for COVID-19 is connected to this event.
Details
Around 2,000 people living in shrine complex
Reportedly, there were about 1,200 people at the mosque, mostly from South India. The police had escorted them to the airport on March 23, the day after the Janata Curfew, before domestic flights were banned, NDTV reported. However, the group returned, the police told the publication. There are now 2,000 people, including 280 foreigners, in the shrine complex staying in a six-floor dormitory.
Action
Area in Nizamuddin cordoned; drones used to monitor people's movement
The Delhi Police has cordoned off a major area in Nizamuddin where several people showed symptoms of COVID-19. Reportedly, over 300 people were taken to different hospitals via buses to be tested for the disease. The police is using drones to monitor the movement of people in the area. The police has also served notices for holding a religious gathering there.
Twitter Post
If required, FIR will be filed: DCP South East
We have served notices for holding a religious gathering here (in Nizamuddin) during #CoronavirusLockdown. We are examining the matter. Action will be taken if required and then FIR will be filed immediately: RP Meena, DCP South East. #COVID19 https://t.co/yiiePctNVr pic.twitter.com/RzoUyFlYhv
— ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2020
Outbreak
Delhi coronavirus cases jump to 97
Meanwhile, the total number of COVID-19 cases in Delhi jumped to 97 with 25 new cases reported on Monday, the Delhi Health Department told ANI. The cases include two deaths: a 68-year-old woman in Janakpuri and a 60-year-old Yemeni national. As of 10:30 am on Monday, the Union Health Ministry had reported 1,071 COVID-19 cases, including 29 deaths and 99 cured/discharged patients.
COVID-19
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 was first reported in China's Wuhan city in December 2019. The disease is caused by a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. The virus attacks a host's respiratory system triggering symptoms such as fever, cough, and breathing difficulties. In severe cases, it may cause pneumonia, multiple organ failure, or death. COVID-19 has spread to roughly 170 countries, killing over 34,000 and sickening 7.2 lakh.