'29 of 32 who tested positive on Wednesday attended Nizamuddin event': Delhi Health Min

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Thursday said that of the 32 people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the national capital on Wednesday, 29 had attended Tablighi Jamaat event in Nizamuddin. "A total of 700 possibly infected and confirmed cases of COVID-19 are in different hospitals in Delhi," said Jain.

At least 7,600 Indians and 1,300 foreigners have been identified with links to an Islamic missionary group that organised a religious congregation in Delhi last month and has emerged as India's biggest hotspot in the coronavirus pandemic, the Union Home Ministry said on Wednesday. 

Maulana Saad may address media at 4 pm

Meanwhile, sources said that Maulana Saad, the chief of Tablighi Jamaat who organised the Nizamuddin Markaz event in Delhi and hosted around 2000 people in mid- March amid Coronavirus outbreak, will brief media at 4 PM. Though still untraceable, sources said that he may be picked up by Police by the evening or may release a video of him stating that he has home quarantined himself.

The Nizamuddin West area emerged as a hotspot of COVID-19 spread, days after 24 people who attended the congregation tested positive, leading to a nationwide tracing of the attendees.

Tablighi Jamaat scare

A religious program was organized at Tablighi Jamaat's headquarters Markaz Nizamuddin mosque between 13-15 March which was attended by over three thousand people, from India and abroad, who since dispersed. After attending the meeting, which took place prior to the nationwide lockdown, many of the attendees returned to other parts of the country.

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The police registered an FIR against Maulana Saad and others members of the Tablighi Jamaat under the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for violating government directions prohibiting public gatherings and maintaining social distance to contain the spread of coronavirus.

READ | Tablighi Jamaat scare: UP Police traces, isolates 569 persons who attended event in Delhi

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Affairs on Thursday reported that the toll due to COVID-19 rose to 50 in the country, while the number of cases spiked to 1,965. Out of these, 151 have been cured/discharged, according to the ministry. According to the ministry's data, there has been an increase of 131 cases in the last 12 hours, with 1764 active cases.

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