The Vashi police on Sunday booked 10 Philippines nationals who had visited Noor Masjid in Vashi between March 10 and 16 and did not inform the local authorities about it.
One of them tested positive for COVID-19 and later died on March 22 at Hiranandani Hospital in Powai. Two others tested positive and recovered, and are quarantined at Nagpada. “The other seven are in India and we are checking if they have left Mumbai,” senior police inspector Sanjeev Dhumal said.
According to the case, registered suo motu by the Vashi police, the Philippines nationals reached Vashi on March 10 and were staying in the mosque at Sector 9. “As per rules, they should have informed the local police station about foreigners visiting them, which they did not. The government learnt about them only after one of them tested COVID-19 positive,” a police official said.
The group had reportedly visited the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz in Delhi before coming to Vashi. They left for a mosque in Mumbai, while one of them stayed in Vashi as he was unwell and turned out to be COVID-19 positive.
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation alerted the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and the other nine were tested. Two of them were found to be positive and have now recovered and are in quarantine. The remaining seven were also quarantined for 14 days.
They have been booked under Sections 188 ( disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) of the IPC; the Foreigners Act, 1946; Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897; and Maharashtra COVID-19 Upayojana, 2020.