53 contacts of coronavirus positive maulvi home quarantined in Maharashtra

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A maulvi, who came in contact with some Filipinos at a mosque in neighbouring Navi Mumbai, has tested positive for the coronavirus following which nearly 53 of his contacts have been placed under home quarantine, official said on Wednesday. The maulvi (priest) is among the 112 COVID-19 patientsfound in Maharashtra so far.

Samples of his wife and son have also been sent for testing, an official from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) said. Seven Philippine nationals visited the mosque located at Vashi in Navi Mumbai between March 3 and 12 for some spiritual work, and three of them later tested positive for the coronavirus.

One of the COVID-19 Filipino patient later recovered, but died on Sunday night at the Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai due to kidney failure. The maulvi also came in contact with

him, the official said. After the priest tested positive for the coronavirus on Tuesday, at least 53 people, who were present in the mosqueduring the period when the persons from Philippines visited the place, have been home quarantined, he said.

Over 1,200 houses around the mosque were screened and the area was cleaned with disinfectants, he said. So far, there have been five COVID-19 cases from Navi
Mumbai, including the mosque priest, three Philippinenationals and a resident of Airoli in Navi Mumbai, who had travelled to Turkey, he said.

Nearly 250 people have so far been advised to remain under home quarantine in Navi Mumbai and 58 people, who have history of travel to abroad, are kept at the NMMC's quarantine facility, the official said.

The home quarantine period of 10 people ended on Wednesday and since no coronavirus symptoms were found in them, they have been released, he said.