Coronavirus Outbreak: Over 200 stranded at Majnu Ka Tilla gurdwara quarantined; what we know so far

Around 210 people have been stranded at a gurdwara in Majnu Ka Tilla in North Delhi since 28 March after the government announced a 21-day lockdown to restrict the spread of the novel coronavirus. [caption id=“attachment_8215881” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Over 200 people stranded at a gurdwara in Delhi are being evacuated. ANI[/caption] Authorities in Delhi and Punjab have stepped in to evacuate the people and are shifting them to a school in Nehru Vihar where they will be quarantined. Along with pilgrims, other people were also taking shelter in the gurdwara after the lockdown came into effect on 25 March. The area has been cordoned off and the gurdwara and the area in its vicinity are being sanitised. Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjinder Singh Sirsa tweeted an appeal to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to provide help and take immediate action to rescue the people. “It would be a disaster if any one of them is COVID-19 positive,” Sirsa said. https://twitter.com/mssirsa/status/1244950683213647872?s=20 Sirsa, a BJP legislator, said that people from Noida, Faridabad, Gurugram walked near the gurdwara in anticipation that they would get buses to Punjab. Click here for LIVE updates on coronavirus “None of the 205 people stranded are gurdwara employees or related to them. They are the ones who have come here to seek shelter,” he added. There had been no cases of infected people and the doctors are completely monitoring and checking them, he said. https://twitter.com/mssirsa/status/1245273203393441794?s=20 The incident comes within a few hours after several people linked to a religious congregation at a Nizamuddin markaz were tested positive for coronavirus. The coronavirus pandemic raging across the world has affected over 1,600 people in India, killing 38. The national capital so far reported 120 confirmed cases. Globally, the virus has affected over 8 lakh people.