16,000 devotees prayed and shared food at a mosque on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, while nCoV silently spread.

Muslims, including 1,500 foreigners, pilgrimage to the Sri Petaling cathedral complex on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from February 27 to March 1. They slept in huts full of people outside the cathedral, walking before dawn together, kneeling on the rows of prayer mats close together.

According to a list posted by an event participant on social networks, people from dozens of countries like Canada, Nigeria, India, Australia ... came to the ceremony in the cathedral. Chinese and Korean nationals, two countries with high rates of nCoV infection, were also present at the event.

The number of people participating in the pilgrimage was so crowded that many believers had to take buses to other places to sleep.

Social media posts show hundreds of church members praying side by side. "We are sitting close to each other. Holding hands during religious ceremonies is common in many countries. When I meet others, I hold their hands. It's normal. I don't know who spread my illness." an unnamed Cambodian citizen said.

The 30-year-old is one of the participants in a pilgrimage in Malaysia. He was found positive for nCoV on March 16 and is being treated at a hospital in Battambang province, Cambodia.

Two other unnamed followers said no one in the event organizers reminded people to wash their hands, or take other Covid-19 precautions. However, most guests wash their hands often, as this is considered part of the Islamic ritual.

Many also posted photos of devotees sharing food with each other. An unnamed person attending the event confirmed that guests from many countries ate the dishes served.

Malaysia Health Minister Adham Baba said on March 17 that a 34-year-old man who had been to the event died of nCoV, becoming the first death related to the pilgrimage.

Malaysia recorded hundreds of new cases of nCoV in the past two days, bringing the total to 637, of which nearly two thirds were associated with pilgrimage, but it is unclear who was the first source of infection.

The nCoV "bomb" exploded from the pilgrimage was an important factor forcing Malaysian officials to take drastic measures, including declaring a nationwide blockade for two weeks, ordering the closure of all religious facilities. , schools, businesses, and government agencies from March 18 to March 31.

Adham added that only half of Malaysian believers who came to Sri Petaling Church were tested for nCoV, raising concerns about the spread of the disease, amid hundreds of new infections across Southeast Asia. relationship to the event.

50/56 cases of nCoV in Brunei related to the ceremony in Sri Petaling. Singapore also recorded 5 similar cases, while this figure in Thailand and Cambodia were two and 13. respectively Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia have a total of nearly 700 citizens attending the event and they are all being checked. .

In Vietnam, a 42-year-old man in Ninh Thuan became a "patient 61" after a trip to Malaysia to attend the ceremony. He and 4 others on 4/3 from Malaysia to Tan Son Nhat airport on flight VJ826. Van Lam 3 village, Phuoc Nam commune, Thuan Nam district, where "patient 61" was lived, with about 5,600 people, was isolated 28 days.

The Sunni Tablighi Jamaat Islamic movement, which organized the pilgrimage ceremony, on March 16 decided to suspend its missionary activities, but did not comment directly on the event in Sri Petaling. The cathedral was also closed yesterday, while an anonymous follower said he and dozens of others were trapped inside due to isolation orders.

"The Tablighi event in Kuala Lumpur could spike the number of nCoV infections in the region. The government was irresponsible for allowing the pilgrimage to take place," Singapore diplomat Bilahari Kausikan wrote on Facebook. personal.

"I was really surprised that the event was still being held," said Surachet Wae-asae, a former Thai MP who also went to church in Malaysia but was lucky to be negative for nCoV. "However, God is very important to Malaysia. The faith here is very strong."

Some believers said at the time of the pilgrimage, the situation of Covid-19 in Malaysia was not serious, when the country recorded 25 cases of nCoV on February 28. "We were not worried, because Covid-19 at that time seemed to be under control," said religious teacher Khuzaifah Kamazlan in Kuala Lumpur.

Khuzaifah also attended the event and was negative for nCoV. The 34-year-old explained further that some Christians refuse to test because they want to rely on God's protection.

Karim, another Malaysian who attended the ceremony and was positive for nCoV, said the government should have canceled the event. "We are a little disappointed by the blame when the epidemic spread. That view is not fair. No one has banned us from gathering," the 44-year-old said.

"Now I'm worried about being positive for nCoV. Please pray for me," Karim said.