The Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh, which had so far remained untouched by the coronavirus infection has reported 8 positive cases in a span of two days, impelling the authorities to declare the Sarai Tarin locality in Sambhal as a Coronavirus hotspot, thereafter sealing the area. According to reports five of these eight cases had visited the Tablighi Jamaat congregation which emerged as the coronavirus hotspot in the country.
Dr Amita Singh, Chief Medical Officer of Sambhal, confirmed that out of the eight, two people have been admitted to a hospital in Moradabad on Monday while the other six cases which were confirmed on Tuesday were admitted to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Lucknow.
This sudden surge has forced local authorities to immediately seal the area declaring it a coronavirus hotspot. Soon the local administration will be sanitising the Sarai Tarin locality. The residents have been ordered not to venture out of their respective houses.
While one person had a travel history to Saudi Arabia, other five had reportedly attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz. According to officials, a total of 11, including these 5 positive cases, from Sambhal district had visited the Tablighi Jamaat event in the national capital last month.
Novel Coronavirus in India has doubled in the last couple of days crossing the 10,000 mark. The Tablighi Jamaat congregation has prolonged the entire process of containment of the deadly Wuhan coronavirus in the country, compelling the government to extend the nationwide lockdown by another 19 days.
The Uttar Pradesh health department said that 75 new coronavirus cases were reported in the state on April 13 Monday, including 35 related to Tablighi Jamaat. The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 558.