Spike in coronavirus cases after several Tablighi Jamaat attendees tested positive

Coronavirus cases in India on Wednesday continued to surge after people across states were tested positive for Covid-19. The Union Health Ministry has reported 1637 cases of the deadly virus till today.

Several new cases from various states include attendees of Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi's Nizamuddin area. The gathering has emerged as a hotspot for COVID-19 after several positive cases across India were linked to the gathering, including deaths in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat and Jammu and Kashmir.

Here's a quick read on the Covid-19 related news that remained on the boil through the day

1. Addressing a press conference, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Lav Agarwal said one of the main reasons that the number of positive coronavirus cases increased as compared to the previous day is due to the travel by members of Tablighi Jamaat.

2. In Andhra Pradesh, 43 confirmed cases were reported today and all of these patients attended the religious gathering in Delhi. However, Agarwal said that the recent rise in cases does not represent a national trend.

"1,800 people in Delhi, who have been related with this Jamaat, are now shifted in nine quarantine centres. The recent rise in cases does not represent a national trend," he said.

3. Six people from Telangana, who attended the gathering have died due to coronavirus.

4. An FIR has been registered against Tablighi Jamaat head Maulana Saad and others under the Epidemic Disease Act 1897.

5. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that a total of 2,361 people have been brought out from Markaz, Nizamuddin and out of those 617 have been sent to hospitals while the rest have been sent to different quarantine facilities.

6. Several state governments are tracing and identifying all those who attended the gathering. A large number of people in different have already been placed under quarantine as a precautionary measure.

7. Earlier today, the health ministry informed that there are 1637 coronavirus positive cases in India, including 1,466 active cases, 133 cured/discharged/migrated people and 38 deaths.

8. A 56-year-old man has been found to be coronavirus positive from densely populated Mumbai's Dharavi, Asia's largest slum. Seven members of his family have been placed under home quarantine and will be tested tomorrow.

9. Delhi Police has been ordered to track mobile phones of people under home quarantine to check their movement and ensure there are no violations, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.

10. Total COVID-19 positive cases in Delhi has risen to 152 including 53 positive cases from Markaz Nizamuddin, the Delhi Government said.