COVID-19: Police urge those with information on tabligh participants to contact Health Ministry

Members of the public with information on participants of the tabligh rally held at Masjid Jamek Sri Petaling here on February 28, have been urged by the police to contact the Health Ministry, as this will help efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Comm Datuk Seri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani today said only about 1,500 participants had registered with the mosque committee so far.

"Members of the public who know of family members, neighbours or friends who attended the tabligh programme are advised to come forward to give this information.

"Up to now, the Health Ministry has not contacted the police to ask for assistance in tracing the tabligh participants," he told Bernama, adding that police could only advise the participants to voluntarily undergo health screenings.

On March 11, the Health Ministry had announced that a participant at the rally had tested positive for COVID-19. Following this, health personnel worked round the clock to conduct mass health screenings at the mosque.

Acryl Sani also said that the 61 policemen from both the Brickfields and Cheras district police headquarters who had been stationed at the tabligh assembly, had been identified and will be undergoing health screenings undertaken by the Health Ministry.

On March 12, Bernama reported that the mosque would be closed temporarily to enable disinfection activities to be conducted, while on March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the coronavirus had become a pandemic. - BERNAMA