THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Inter-Agency Task Force (Barmm-IATF) on coronavirus disease (Covid-19) have traced and verified 37 of the identified 196 Filipino attendees to a Tabligh gathering in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The 196, who were identified, were among the 215 Filipino attendees in the gathering from February 27 to March 1, this year in Malaysia.

Minister Saffrullah Dipatuan of the Barmm’s Ministry of Health, said in a statement Friday that they have gathered the date of the 37 trace and verified participants such as the names and addresses.

“To ensure everyone that we are taking this seriously, we have the names and addresses of these people. However, the copy of their names is confidential,” Dipatuan said.

He said that they are from the following places: 14, Lanao del Sur; six from Maguindanao, including the former patient from Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC); six, Basilan; seven, Sulu; two, Tawi-Tawi; and, two, Lamitan City.

He said most of the 37 attendees are in good health and have not shown serious symptoms of the Covid-19.

However, he said the list gathered by the Barmm-IATF does not include the already identified patients, who tested positive for Covid-19, with the same travel history to Malaysia.

“They were examined. Naka-usap sila at nabigyan na ng instruction on how to do home quarantine. Karamihan dito ay natapos na ang quarantine period,” he said.

Barmm Cabinet Secretary and IATF Spokesperson Mohammad Asnin Pendatun stressed that other participants of the gathering may not be residents of the region, since it was a religious gathering.

“Hindi tao ang target natin dito, kung di ang virus,” Pendatun emphasized.

Meanwhile, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF) has issued a directive to all of its base commanders to help in the information dissemination on Covid-19 and assist the local government units in tracing the whereabouts and health conditions of the tabligh participants in Malaysia.

As of Friday, Barmm has 185 patients under investigation (PUI) and 6,697 persons under monitoring (PUM).

There are five confirmed Covid-19 cases across the region, two are admitted, one under strict home quarantine, and two fatalities. (SunStar Zamboanga)