Over one-third COVID-19 positive cases in India can be linked to the Tablighi Jamaat event in New Delhi. As per the ministry updates, this also includes 14 deaths including 2 foreign nationals.
1,306 foreign Tablighi Jamaat workers in India identified so far, spread over 16 states/UTs. 1,051 quarantined and 21 tested positive for COVID-19 as on April 1. 7,688 local Tablighi workers and their contacts traced as on Apr 1, of which 171 tested positive & 12 are dead
— Bharti Jain (@bhartijainTOI) April 1, 2020
The Union Health Ministry has confirmed 1,637 positive cases of Coronavirus infection in the country and 38 casualties as on 1 April 2020. The government said that the number of Novel coronavirus cases spiked yesterday mainly because of the religious congregation of Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi’s Nizamuddin area. A total of 386 people were found infected with the deadly virus since yesterday. 7,688 Tablighi members were traced on Wednesday, of which 171 tested positive.
Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal, while addressing the press along with the other officials of the home ministry said that the steep increase in the coronavirus cases is mainly because of Tablighi Jamaat-organized religious congregation that took place at Alami Markaz in New Delhi’s Nizamuddin area earlier this month.
Agarwal said, “As several people who had attended the religious congregation in the national capital, have returned to their respective hometowns, the state governments have been asked to initiate rigorous contact tracing and containment strategies.”
Agarwal asserted that 1800 people related to Tablighi Jamaat have been sent under isolation to 9 hospitals and quarantine centers. States have been tasked to carry out intensive drives to ensure tests of those who came in contact with the affected people. The Joint Secretary urged the people to follow guidelines during the lockdown period and avoid congregations and religious gatherings reiterating that social distancing is the best solution to win against the deadly epidemic of COVID-19.
Health Ministry spokesperson informed that 5,000 coaches of Indian Railways have been modified to set up quarantine facilities, and the Indian Railways is also setting up 3.2 lakh isolation and quarantine beds and 20,000 coaches being modified in the process. The states and Union Territories are ensuring the delivery of essential services and items. The officials confirmed that 21,486 relief camps have been set up across the country and 6,75,133 have been provided shelter. 25 lakh people are being provided with daily meals.
While addressing the media persons at the same forum, the Indian Council Medical Research official said that 47,951 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted in the country so far out of which 4,562 tests were done at ICMR network labs.
