The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) – Region 12 reported Monday that 19 Filipinos who attended a religious event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
NCMF-Region 12 Director Mama Sinsuat told GMA News that the Malaysian Health Ministry informed him that 19 Filipino tablighs or religious missionaries who were diagnosed with the highly contagious disease were not allowed to leave Malaysia.
“There was no clearance given to them to go back (to the Philippines) after medical checkups found they have been positive for COVID-19,” he bared.
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The 19 Filipinos were among the 21 missionaries contracted the disease, two of those who attended were able to return in Mindanao.
One of the two who returned succumbed to the disease while the other one, a 23-year-old man, remains at a hospital in Cotabato City.
The 21 were part 215 Filipinos who joined the tabligh gathering that occurred between February 27 to March 1 at the Jamek Sri Petaling mosque.
Malaysia urged all participated in the religious event to undergo testing after one of the attendees was diagnosed with COVID-19.
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There are 1306 cases of COVID-19 in Malaysia.
It is not yet known if the 19 Filipinos are part of the country’s tally.
