Five Malaysian couples kept under quarantine since 3 weeks in Karnataka
Officials have seized their passports and extended their quarantine period
Hubballi: At least ten Malaysian persons who comprise five couples have been kept under quarantine since more than 20 days in Karnataka’s Belagavi in the backdrop of outbreak of coronavirus.
The district administration has seized their passports despite them informing that they have not attended religious congregation held at Nizamuddin Markaz Masjid in New Delhi.
The official said that all these persons are religious teachers who had come to Belagavi to give their preaching.
These couples had left Delhi on March 9 and had reached Belagavi on March 11 by train to take part in religious preachings much before the function was held in Nizamuddin which has reportedly become a hotspot for coronavirus.
These couples have already completed the 14-day quarantine and no symptoms of the virus infection have been found.
The officials have extended their quarantine for a few more days after more positive cases were reported amongst people who attended the function held at the national capital. The officials also said that all ten persons will be relieved after quarantine for five more days.
Meanwhile, the officials in 6 districts of Mumbai-Karnataka region have stepped up their effort to trace the persons who had attended Nizamuddin religious function though only one coronavirus case has been found in the region since outbreak of the virus.
Belagavi deputy commissioner Dr S B Bommanahalli said that more than 10 persons have been kept under home quarantine soon after they returned from the religious gathering held at New Delhi.
He also said that their throat and blood samples have been sent to the laboratory to conduct tests. The district administration is also searching for more people who had visited New Delhi to attend the function.
Meanwhile, Dharwad deputy commissioner Deepa Cholan said that the officials have identified 15 persons who had attended the religious gathering and all of them are kept under home quarantine by taking their necessary samples for test.