50 from UP's Jaunpur who attended Nizamuddin Markaz event quarantined

The Jaunpur administration has quarantined about 50 people who attended a Tabligh-e-Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin area and returned to the district recently. He said their addresses and the places they visited after attending the religious congregation are being ascertained.

"People who returned two days ago from Delhi and Noida on buses were scanned. Of this, there were around 50 persons who returned after attending the Tabligh-e-Jamaat. These people have been quarantined at Shia College, and their health check-up is being done," District Magistrate Dinesh Kumar Singh said.

ON TAPE: Markaz chief urges Muslims to defy lockdown, terms Coronavirus a 'conspiracy'

What is the Nizamuddin COVID-19 scare?

On Monday, sources reported that a religious programme was organised at Tablighi Jamaat's headquarters Markaz Nizamuddin mosque between 13-15 March which had over 300 foreign attendees from Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan apart from hundreds from several states in India. After attending the meeting, prior to the nationwide lockdown, all these attendees returned to several parts of the country, possibly spreading the COVID-19 virus.

Nizamuddin Markaz: Delhi Police files FIR against Maulana Saad, others of Tablighi Jamaat

On Sunday, around 50-70 people, who were hiding in a mosque, were taken to LNJP hospital as they were all COVID-19 suspects – 24 have tested positive. The mosque has claimed that while they were letting small groups of attendees leave from the venue prior to the Janta Curfew, several were stuck in the area – which has now been entirely quarantined – owing to the nationwide lockdown.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs, on Tuesday, informed that 1746 individuals were staying in Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz as of March 21 - 216 foreigners, 1530 Indians. Moreover, 824 foreigners who had spread out across the nation for various Tabligh Jamaat activities are currently being screened and quarantined, according to MHA. Apart from these individuals, MHA stated that 2137 persons have been identified in different states and have been quarantined, adding that the process of identifying is ongoing.

Big surge in COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra: Tally swells to 302; 82 reported on March 31