1,023 COVID-19 cases with links to Tablighi Jamaat reported from 17 states, UTs: Health ministry

As many as 1,023 COVID-19 positive cases found in 17 states have been traced to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, the Union Health Ministry said on Saturday, underlining that 35 per cent of the total novel coronavirus cases in the country are linked to the event.

Joint Secretary in the ministry Lav Agarwal at the daily media briefing said the rate of doubling of COVID-19 cases in India is "pretty" less when compared to other countries.

He said there has been a rise of 601 COVID-19 positive cases since Friday. The total number of novel coronavirus cases is 2,902 in the country, Agarwal said.

Agarwal said 1,023 positive cases of COVID-19 related to Tablighi Jamaat congregation have been reported from 17 states and union territories.

The ministry in a statement said, "Out of the total 2,902 reported, 1,023 cases have been linked to Tablighi Jamaat across 17 states (and union territories) which include Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh."
During the briefing, he said that "around 30 per cent of the total cases so far are linked to one particular place where we could not sort of understand it and manage it."
India is increasing COVID-19 testing capacity progressively, the official said,