Tablighi row: Six pockets in Kanpur declared 'red zones'

Kanpur: Six pockets in Kanpur district have been declared ‘red zones’ after six Tablighi Jamaat members, including two foreign nationals, who attended a congregation in Delhi and visited a number of places here, tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Sunday.

District Magistrate Brahmadeo Ram Tiwari said Halim Primary Masjid in Chamanganj, Humayun Masjid in Colonelganj, Suffa Masjid in Babupurwa, Badi Masjid in Baripal village in Sajeti, Naubasta and Ghatampur visited by Tablighi Jamaat members, including the six who have tested COVID-19 positive, have been declared as ‘red zone’.

Police have deployed drones in the ‘red zone’ areas to monitor people’s movement and unlawful assembly amid the lockdown.

“The decision to barricade the area of around one kilometre of each hotspot was taken on Saturday night after six Tablighi Jamaat members, including two foreign nationals, were found coronavirus positive in a single day,” Tiwari said.

He said, “Red zone is marked in a radius of one kilometre from the spot visited by the Tablighi Jamaat members. Instructions have been issued to sanitize the area properly and restrict the movement of people.”

Kanpur Chief Medical Officer Dr Ashok Shukla said 31 people had returned from the religious congregation in Delhi’s Nizamuddin.

“Twenty-two are admitted in Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital. Of these, six have tested positive for coronavirus. Nine are admitted in Ursula Hospital,” he said.

Those who have come in contact with any Tablighi Jamaat member or was present at the religious congregation in Delhi have been requested to self-identify themselves.

“We are also making efforts to zero in on those who came in contact with the COVID-19 positive positive people. Once traced, they all will undergo a medical checkup and quarantined for the stipulated time period,” the Kanpur district magistrate said.