73 Tablighi Jamaat participants test positive in Tamil Nadu

Another 73 people, who attended the Tablighi Jamaat meet in Delhi, have tested positive for COVID-19 in Tamil Nadu, state health secretary Beela Rajesh said here on Saturday.

With this, the number of coronavirus positive people from the Nizamuddin cluster has gone up to 422 in the state.

The total number of infections in Tamil Nadu is now at 485 and eight people have recovered or discharged so far.

"A total of 74 COVID-19 positive cases were reported in the state today out of which 73 had attended the Tableeghi Jamaat event at Markaz Nizamuddin in Delhi. The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 485, out of which 422 had participated in Delhi's Jamaat event," Rajesh told media here.

The health secretary also said that a total of 1,200 people, who participated in last month's Nizamuddin congregation have been traced in the state. "All of them have been placed under quarantine, and 1,097 samples have been tested so far," she added.

Earlier today, a 51-year-old COVID-19 positive patient who attended the Tablighi Jamaat event, passed away in Viluppuram.

Out of the total cases of COVID-19 in the country, around 30 per cent are epidemiologically linked to Tablighi Jamaat cluster at Nizamuddin, the Centre said on Saturday.

"Till now we have found cases related to Tablighi Jamaat from 17 states. A total of 1,023 COVID-19 positive cases have been found to be epidemiologically linked to this event. Out of the total cases in the country, around 30 per cent are linked to one particular place," Lav Aggarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, told media in Delhi during the daily briefing.

The Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi has emerged as a hotspot for COVID-19 after several positive cases across India were linked to the gathering, including deaths in Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana.

Several people who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin have tested positive in different parts of the country, following which hundreds have been identified and isolated, and search is on to locate the others.

Tamil Nadu is the second most affected state after Maharashtra which has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country. A health infrastructure committee has been formed in the state and they are working in tackling the COVID-19 infection.

The total positive cases of COVID-19 in India rose to 3,072 on Saturday, including 2,784 and 75 deaths, as per the Union Health Ministry.