19 Filipinos positive for virus after Malaysia event

COTABATO CITY—At least 19 of the 215 Islamic preachers who attended a religious gathering in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, had tested positive for COVID-19 and were being held in the Malaysian capital, the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) said. Datu Mama Sinsuat Jr., NCMF 12 regional director, said the Malaysian health ministry had informed him that 19 Filipino Muslim preachers, also known as “Tablighs,” are undergoing treatment in various hospitals in Kuala Lumpur for COVID-19. “They were not given clearance to travel back home. They were found positive of COVID-19,” Sinsuat told reporters. One attendee who was found positive for the virus has passed away. Governors and mayors within the Bangsamoro have been ordered to track the attendees, determine their health status and immediately report them to the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19. —Edwin O. Fernandez