A mosque in northern England has been closed after around 250 people attended a funeral there and its imam tested positive for Covid-19.
The Jamia Ghosia mosque in Blackburn hosted the funeral on July 13. The British government advises against more than 30 people attending a funeral, to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
On Sunday, the mosque said it would close the building indefinitely while a deep clean took place.
Messages from mosque staff to worshippers seen by the Lancashire Telegraph urged those who attended the funeral to self-quarantine for at least a week.
“Unfortunately our Imam who led the Janazah [funeral] prayer has been tested positive for Covid-19 and is recovering from the virus,” the note read.
“There is a possibility that other attendees may also have been infected at the Janazah prayers.
“It is our legal obligation to strongly advise you to isolate yourself for seven days, or attend your local Covid-19 testing station for Covid-test.”
“Any future Janazah prayer will consist of 30 people only and all Covid-19 Janazah will NOT be allowed in the Mosque as we experienced this week, this must take place in the Blackburn Cemetery,” it added.
Britain has been one of the hardest hit countries by the novel coronavirus. It has recorded more than 45,000 deaths and nearly 300,000 cases
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