Chhattisgarh government seals Katghora with reports of 8 new coronavirus patients

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh government has clamped a complete lockdown in Korba’s Katghora region, after eight residents were tested positive in 24 hours. All the essential services stand suspended till further orders.
Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has also instructed health department to make a special war room at Katghora and initiate process on war-foot level by putting in quarantine all those people who have traveled in past 20 days and take their samples for testing.Baghel asked officials to constitute a special team dedicated for Katghora and identify each person who has any travel history and with whom they have come in contact with. Baghel insisted that all health workers, doctors and government officials in the region should be mandatorily tested.
All eight had come in contact with the 16 persons of Tablighi Jamaat—one of them was tested positive few days ago and is under treatment at AIIMS-Raipur. The group of 16 had returned from Maharashtra in mid-March, and were under self-quarantine at a mosque in Katghora.
Officials said that Katghora town has been put under complete lockdown and its border has been sealed as a precautionary measure. Family members of the infected persons along with other 234 families living in the area have been kept under quarantine.
Korba collector Kiran Kaushal said that the wards falling in the range of mosque is under curfew and the whole region was being sanitised. No vehicles are allowed on roads except government's and a helpline number 9179320660 7974993846 has been issued for citizens to avail home delivery of essential services. Attempts were being made to find other people who had come in contact with them.
Katghora has a population of over 2000 Muslims and many of them are suspected to have come in contact with the Mosque and its residents. The tracing procedure is underway.
Korba SP Abhishek Meena said that the 16 members of Jamaat were being questioned regularly to check if they had visited Markaz in Nizamuddin. As of now, only one person— a 69-year-old, had accepted his attendance at the religious congergation, but was tested negative.
Earlier on Monday, Korba police filed an FIR against 16 members of Tablighi Jamaat -- including three minors, one of whom is a Covid-19 patient, for allegedly hiding travel history, misleading health officials and police, and resisting screening.
Meanwhile, State Waqf Board chairman Salam Rizvi has issued a statement appealing citizens and members of Muslim community to co-operate with state government and inform the officers in charge if they are aware or have come across any member of Tablighi Jamaat attended Markaz before the lockdown. He appealed the members of Tablighi Jamaat too to come forward and inform local police station, health worker or administration in such case and collectively fight against the pandemic.