States scramble to identify Tabligh attendees as Delhi govt evacuates 2,361

Delhi has removed more than 2,000 people from a place where an Islamic group organized a gathering in mid-March that the government says caused coronavirus infections. 
 

"The medical staff, administration, police and DTC staff worked together in this 36-hour operation, putting their lives at risk. Hats off to all of them," said Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday.   

Six people from Telangana and one from Jammu and Kashmir, who attended the event, earlier died of coronavirus infection. State governments across the country are identifying the people who took part in the religious gathering at war footing to begin their self-isolation and quarantine. Here is what's happening

 

People wearing masks as the police cordoned off an area in Nizamuddin after some people showed coronavirus symptoms, in New Delhi | Photo: Dalip Kumar

25 attendees traced in Thane, 35 found in Ahmednagar district

Authorities have so far identified at least 25 people from Mumbra in Maharashtra's Thane district who had attended the religious event. "On the directions from the Centre, a team of seven to eight medical officials has been deployed along with the police to carry out inspection and for identifying those who had attended the event. So far they have identified at least 25 persons from two madrasas in Mumbra and the search is still on," PTI quoted Dr RT Kendre, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in charge of coronavirus cases for Thane as saying.

Meanwhile  35 people have been traced in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district. As many as 29 of them are nationals from Indonesia, Tanzania, South Africa, Ghana and other countries, while the rest are locals. The official added that a foreigner and a local who were part of the group have found positive to coronavirus infection.

Odisha puts fourth Nizamuddin returnee in isolation

The Odisha government, during the day, identified another participant of the markaz and put him under isolation, the fourth from the state coming back from the coronavirus hotspot. The man was picked up from his house on Tuesday night and put in hospital isolation as he comes under the high-risk category for COVID-19 while his family members have been kept under home quarantine, Kendrapara District Collector Samarth Verma told PTI. We will send his blood sample for the COVID-19 test. If there is any positive signal, those who came in contact with him will be traced, " Verma said, adding the police is on the job to ascertain whether any other person from the district had joined the Tablighi Jammat function in Nizamuddin.

107 MP residents who attended Nizamuddin meet quarantined

All 107 people from Madhya Pradesh, who attended the religious congregation at Nizamuddin have been identified and quarantined, a senior official said on Wednesday. "We have identified all the 107 people from Madhya Pradesh who attended the Tabligh-e-Jamaat's event in Delhi. They have been put under quarantine and are being examined thoroughly," Bhopal Collector Tarun Kumar Pithode told PTI. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday directed the officials concerned to quarantine over 100 people from the state who attended the congregation in the national capital.

People wearing masks leave for hospital in a bus from Nizamuddin area, after several people showed symptoms of coronavirus in New Delhi (Photo-Dalip Kumar)

300 people from Karnataka attended Nizamuddin jamaat

Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Wednesday said about 300 people from the state who had attended the religious congregation of Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin Markaz Masjid in New Delhi last month, and 40 of them have been identified and quarantined. In a tweet, the Minister also said COVID-19 test reports of 12 of them have come out as negative. Stating that the government has got information about 62 Malaysia and Indonesia nationals who had attended the congregation have come to Karnataka, in another tweet Sriramulu said, 12 of them have been identified and quarantined.

167 who returned from Delhi's Nizamuddin quarantined in Himachal

A total of 167 people who returned to Himachal Pradesh after attending the congregation organised by the Tablighi Jamaat in New Delhi's Nizamuddin last month have been quarantined, Director General of Police Sitaram Mardi said here on Wednesday. The DGP said they were identified and quarantined in different districts of the state.

569 participants identified in UP

The Uttar Pradesh government has identified in the state as many as 569 participants and has isolated or quarantined them. Additional Chief Secretary Home Awanish Awasthi on Wednesday said besides these 569 people, 218 foreign nationals, who had come to Uttar Pradesh at different stages on tourist visa, too have been identified but they cannot be said to be linked to the Tablighi Jamaat. Various district magistrates and police chiefs of the districts have been directed to ensure proper quarantine of these persons along with adherence of the proper medical protocol, said Awasthi.

Men wearing protective masks walk to board a bus going to the hospital amid concerns about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at Nizamuddin Area in New Delhi. Photo: ANI

Search on for Nizamuddin returnees in Gujarat

The number of coronavirus cases in Gujarat rose to 82 on Wednesday after eight more people tested positive, officials said, adding that efforts were on to trace nearly 1,500 people from the state who recently visited Delhi's Nizamuddin area. Efforts were underway to trace these people, and information is also being gathered if those who came in contact with these people display any symptoms of the virus, the state health department said in a release.

50 idenitified in Jodhour

Jodhpur police have traced 40 people in different mosques of the district in its search for followers of Tablighi Jamaat who appear to have participated in a religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin. The people belong to states including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra and had come to Jodhpur at different periods but could not move out after the natiownide lockdown was imposed last week.

71 people from Bengal identified: CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her government has identified 71 people who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin. Banerjee said 54 people from that group have been sent into quarantine. "We are monitoring this situation," she told a press conference here.