Tablighi Explosion Results In Sharp Spike In COVID-19 Cases To 2,069

Publish On: 03 Apr, 2020 09:29 AM | Updated   |   Shivalik  

After the Tablighi Jamaat connection to coronavirus cases in India exploded, the country's total active cases reached 2,069 as of Thursday night.

There are 53 deaths so far while one person has migrated. A total of 155 positive cases are cured till date. The total number of confirmed cases stands at 2,069, as per the data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Maharashtra remains the most affected state with 335 confirmed cases. The national capital now has a total 219 confirmed cases.

According to the Health Ministry update issued on Thursday evening, about 400 positive cases found across 10 states and Union Territories have links to the Tablighi Jamaat cluster in Delhi's Nizamuddin area.

The figures still spike as more are testing positive. By night, between Tamil Nadu and Delhi, the cases are 264 and 124, respectively, showing the most number of cases. In fact, all the nine deaths in Telangana have Tablighi connection.

Tamil Nadu has seen 234 cases so far with 1 death. Most of those cases are connected to the Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation held in the capital last month.

On Thursday, in state after state, the trend is that nearly all new cases are coming with a Markaz connection. The Tablighi connection has now become the only biggest source of the coronavirus spread despite 130 crore people being put under total lockdown in India.

Before this outbreak happened in Nizamuddin, the spike in cases had mellowed and a few commentators had even suggested that India may see an end to this sooner than other countries.

Lav Agarwal, the Joint Secretary in the Union Health Ministry, said that additional testing to spot new cases is underway. The official from the Health Ministry added that out of nearly 2,000 Tablighi Jamaat members in Delhi, 1,804 are quarantined while 334 are admitted to different hospitals.

According to the Delhi Health Department, 129 new cases were reported from the Nizamuddin Markaz during a day. Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Thursday that the number of positive cases can increase massively.