KASUR: As many as 47 ‘preachers’ (members of Tableeghi Jamaat), including five Nigerian women, suspected to be carriers of coronavirus, were admitted to the District Public School quarantine centre set up here in the Officers Colony on Sunday.

The 47 preachers, including 10 from Nigeria and 37 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwah, have been kept at the Officer’s Colony quarantine centre, along with 65 other members of Tableeghi Jamaat already housed there.

These suspected virus carriers were picked from a Tableeghi Markaz (preaching centre) on Raiwind Road (Kasur) and various mosques in the city.

The sources said 11 groups of preachers had been formed at the Raiwind Road Tableeghi Markaz in February, which spread in the areas of Kasur, Chunian and Pattoki for preaching.

After the government’s recent instructions for Tableeghi Marakaz closure, the local administration had detained these preachers in the centre and various mosques, including Masjid Rehmatul Alamin, Ali Ahmed Shah Colony, Alharam Masjid , Rukanpura, Jamia Masjid Saddique Akbar, Basti Piaray Lal and Jamia Masjid , Olakh Otar, for the last three days.

Meanwhile, Young Doctors Association (YDA) local chapter president Dr Tahir Shaheen said that the preachers were being monitored at the quarantine centre and so far none of them had shown any virus symptoms.

He said if any of them showed the symptoms, his/her samples would be sent for tests.

SHEIKHUPURA: A Tableeghi Jamaat Markaz in a city mosque here was converted in a quarantine centre on Sunday following the direction of the deputy commissioner.

According to officials, DC Ms Sidra Younas, received information that some 45 ‘preachers’, including six foreigners, had been staying at Madani mosque Tableegi Jamat Markaz and would go door to door in groups to preach Islamic injunctions.

On the orders of the DC, a team led by Assistant Commissioner Shabir Butt along with a police contingent reached the mosque. The AC declared the Tableeghi Markaz at the mosque as a quarantine centre for 14 days, barring the preachers from leaving it during the period.

Later, a team of doctors called to the centre thoroughly examined all the preachers to see whether they had any symptoms of Covid-19.

The AC told the reporters quoting doctors that so far none of the preachers had any symptoms, adding that they would be examined again after 14 days to ensure they were not virus carriers.

SHIFTED: Two minor sisters who are patients of thalassemia have been shifted to the Mayo Hospital, Lahore, for blood transfusion on the orders of the district police officer.

As per officials, DPO Sulahuddin Ghazi was informed that the minor sisters, residents of Qila Sittar Shah locality, had been suffering from thalassemia and would have blood transfusion every month at the district headquarters hospital.

However, because of suspension of public transport during the lockdown, they could not reach the DHQ hospital for necessary blood transfusion. The girls’ father, who worked abroad, uploaded a video message on social media narrating their plight.

The DPO, after knowing about the situation, sent an official vehicle to shift the minor sisters to the Mayo Hospital, Lahore.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2020