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Athgaon Masjid declared �containment zone�

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 10 - The Athgaon Kabarsthan Masjid was today declared a �containment zone� after it came to light that three COVID-19 positive patients were present in a congregation of around 100 people there on March 12. �Investigations have revealed that there was a meeting of around 100 people at the masjid on March 12. Three of the COVID-19 positive patients � Md Jamaluddin of Karimganj, Rahimuddin of Bilasipara and Jamaluddin Haji of Dhubri � were present there. It would have been better had they told us about the meeting earlier,� Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, adding that the religious place is turning out to be a hotspot of the novel coronavirus.

The mosque has been sealed for 14 days. Those inside it will be provided essential commodities by the administration.

Sarma said the government is trying to get the list of people present at the congregation and so far 58 have been traced. Of these 58, eight had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation at Nijamuddin Markaz in Delhi, including two who have tested positive so far. Rahimuddin is believed to have contracted the virus from Jamaluddin Haji of Dhubri.

�A cleric from Morigaon led the congregation at the Athgaon Masjid and he is cooperating. We have put on quarantine all those we have traced so far and tests are being conducted,� the minister said.

While the patient from Hailakandi died today, the 28 other positive cases are �doing well�, the minister said.

Manish Tibrewal of Spanish Garden tested negative for COVID-19 on April 8 and 9, but he will have to be in hospital for a total of 14 days before being tested again and released as the health department is taking extra caution.

�Similarly, three patients in Golaghat and one in MMCH have also tested negative for coronavirus. But they will also be released after completion of 14 days of hospital admission,� the minister added.

Sarma also denied an allegation that there isn�t sufficient stock of PPE and N95 masks in the State.

�At GMCH we have 2,000 PPEs, AMCH has 1,000, JMCH 1,000, Barpeta 1,000, Tezpur 1,000 and MMCH 500. We are also getting another 50,000 PPEs in three-four days. We are satisfied with the stock we have,� Sarma said, adding that the government intends to buy 2 lakh PPEs in coming days.

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