Covid-19 update: ‘Report yourselves or face legal action’, Assam tells Tablighi Jamaat attendees

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The Assam government has said it will lodge cases against those from the state who attended the Tablighi Jamaat’s religious gatherings in Delhi last month but are yet to report themselves to the authorities.

Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday that action will be taken against them under provisions of the Disaster Management Act.

Except for one case from Guwahati, all other 25 Covid-19 cases detected in the state till date were those with links to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation.

“After receiving data from different sources we had to trace 617 persons from Assam who attended the event and had since returned to the state. We have been able to collect samples from 491 of them who 128 are yet to be located,” Sarma said.

On Sunday, the minister held meetings with Tablighi Jamaat office bearers and mosque committees and urged them to furnish details, of all those from Assam who attended the religious congregation in Delhi last month, by Monday.

“Action under provisions of the Disaster Management Act will be taken against those who don’t report themselves to healthcare or district authorities by Monday. They will be screened and tested and cases registered against them for wilful disobedience,” said Sarma.

On Monday evening, Assam police issued an urgent notice to all people who attended the Nizamuddin Markaz or have been to a state or country affected by Covid-19 recently.

“All such individuals are requested to present themselves at the nearest hospital or public health centre by 6 am on April 7. They may also call on Helpline No. 104 for informing the authorities of their presence and condition,” the police notice read.

“If such persons deliberately fail to present themselves by the given deadline or inform authorities strict legal action will be taken against the concerned individuals, their shelterers or those having knowledge of such travel history and have hidden it,” it added.

He informed that the state government might start a permit system to control the entry of people into the state once the lockdown restrictions are eased. This he said will be needed to ensure that they are quarantined properly.