Karimnagar, Telangana district from where Tablighi Jamaat scare started to be corona free soon

Telangana reported its first group of COVID-19 pateints on March 17 and 18, when ten Indonesian citizens visiting Karimnagar were traced back to the gathering in Nizamuddin, Delhi which created ‘Tablighi Jamaat’ scare across the country.

After less than a month, Karimnagar is now set to become Telangana’s first district to be Corona-free as among its 19 COVID-19 patients only two are left to be discharged, a report in The Indian Express said.

No death has been reported in Karimnagar district, Telangana.

There were 7 containment zones in the district, the report said. With restriction lifted from the 6 zones, Karimnagar is down to just one.

The Indian Express quoted Health Officer Dr G Sujatha as saying, “Even before the national lockdown was announced, we had sealed Karimnagar town, especially the affected zones. We also tracked 770 foreign returnees and after checking them, put them in home quarantine.”

District Collector K Shashanka formed teams and ordered door-to-door surveys to identify people who may have come in contact with those Indonesians, Health Officer added.

“At least 400 people from Telangana had participated in the Tablighi Jamaat meeting, at least 17 of them from Karimnagar. They returned between March 13 and March 18, with five of them accompanying the Indonesians,” Officials said.

According to The Indian Express, the police and a health worker first spotted the foreigners’ group. The first foreigner from Indonesia tested positive on March 17 and the remaining nine the next day, after which they were moved to Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad.

It was found that the group of Indonesian nationals had travelled from Delhi in AP Sampark Kranti Express and de-boarded at Eddapalli district on March 13.

Before visiting Karimnagar on March 14 they had reportedly visited many mosques.

The district administration put special focus on senior citizens and those with co-morbidities in its surveys. Indian Medical Association was roped in to conduct rapid fever surveys in particular areas.

480 samples were tested in the containment zones, among the 480 samples 19 tested positive, of whom 17 have been cured and discharged.

The other two who tested positive have recovered fully and completed their 14 days quarantine as well. As the state has now extended quarantine to 28 days, they are waiting this to get over so that they can be discharged.

The Indonesian nationals who have been cured are waiting for the lockdown to end so that they can return to their native places.