Karnataka quarantines 78 persons with links to Delhi's Tablighi Jamaat

BENGALURU: Karnataka on Tuesday, confirmed that the government has identified and quarantined 78 persons in the state who were linked to Delhi Nizamuddin’s Tablighi Jamaat that has now turned out to be Covid-19 hot spot. It includes people from the state as well as foreign nationals who dispersed to various masjids after assembling in Delhi.

The government, however, maintained that it was not certain if all those who were identified and quarantined indeed participated in the religious congregation held between March 5 and March 20. “We have quarantined them because as a group they have met frequently and there is a chance of spread,” Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Jawaid Akhtar told reporters.

He said that even those who have participated in the congregation have claimed to have completed their isolation period of 14 days. “We are still keeping them under observation and doing medical check-up,” Akhtar said.

Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai appealed to people of the state who have links with Tablighi Jamaat and have participated in the congregation to voluntarily come forward and inform district authorities. “We have a huge challenge to identify those who have taken part in the congregation and all those people they have met after returning,” he said.

In Bidar, Deputy Commissioner H R Mahadev said 26 people from the district had returned from Jamaat in Delhi and none of them showed symptoms. “We have quarantined them and we have also collected their swab samples for testing just to rule out the possibilities of Covid-19,” he said.