Seven more Tableeghi Jamaat members test negative

NOWSHERA: A total of 13 foreign members of Tableeghi Jamaat sent to Islamabad Markaz after seven more of their fellows reported negative for the coronavirus following treatment in the district.

Also, the Ali Baig village was locked down after two relatives of an elderly deceased man reported positive for the fast-spreading coronavirus test in the district.

Briefing media persons, Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan and District Health Officer Dr Gulman Shah said that seven more foreign religious preachers had recovered from the fatal virus infection and they were sent along with other six members of the Tableeghi Jamaat to Islamabad Markaz for their onward journey to their respective countries.

Similarly, they said that two other Pakistani members of the Tableeghi Jamaat identified as Muhammad Yamin from Karachi and Sultan Murad from Chitral reported negative for the Covid-19 test. The officials said that presently eight religious preachers including four foreigners were under treatment at the Pabbi Town Hospital in Nowshera.

They also said that Ali Baig village was locked down after the results of two of the relatives of 86-year old Saifoor Khan were declared positive for the coronavirus test. Saifoor Khan was admitted to the Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, in a serious condition a few days ago. He was suffering from fever and cough.

They said that his swabs were sent to laboratory for coronavirus test, which was later declared positive. They said that the patient was taken to KTH when his health condition deteriorated where he expired.

A large number of people had attended his last rituals, which had sent a shock wave in the district administration. DC Shahid Ali had expressed concern over noncompliance of health protocol by the people during funeral and burial of the deceased. He had said that the virus could spread and infect more people if they did not adopt safety measures against the viral infection. It was proved correct when two members of the deceased’s extended family reported positive for the Covid-19.

The officials appealed to the people to follow government instructions, adopt preventive steps and maintain lockdown so that the residents could be saved from the Covid-19 in the area.