Islamabad takes action after Tablighi Jamaat members diagnosed with coronavirus

The Islamabad administration has decided to impose a “complete ban” on the movement of people in the city’s Kot Hathyal, Bhara Kahu after at least a dozen members of the Tablighi Jamaat were diagnosed with coronavirus on Monday, according to officials. According to a notification issued by the city administration, there is a complete ban on the movement of people and gathering until further orders in Kot Hathyal, Bhara Kahu. An official of Islamabad police told SAMAA Digital that at least 11 members of the Tablighi Jamaat, who were staying in a mosque in Bhara Kahu area, have tested positive. “We are imposing a full lockdown in Kot Hathyal area,” he added. According to another police official, the members of Tablighi Jamaat had met dozens of people in the area. They have been moved to isolation wards now. “A foreigner was also part of this group and tested positive too,” he said. “The entire area has been turned into quarantine and the people of the area will be tested.” On Sunday, the Palestinian authorities had confirmed first two cases of the coronavirus in Gaza. Both the members were tested positive after their return from Pakistan, according to Gaza’s health ministry. According to reports, both the men had attended annual Tablighi Jamaat's Ijtema near Lahore. The annual five-day Tablighi Ijtema had started on March 11 but was called off by the organisers late March 12 because of heavy rains. About 250,000 people had gathered in Raiwind near Lahore this year to attend the ijtema. In Karachi, four people, who had attended the Tabligi Ijtema, were diagnosed with the virus, the provincial health department confirmed. Over 800 known cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in the country and six people have died due to the virus.