6 fresh COVID-19 cases in Punjab, 2 of them attended Tablighi Jamaat

Two persons, who had attendedTablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month, are among six people who tested positive for coronavirus in Punjab on Friday, officials said.

With this, the total count of coronavirus cases in the state rose to 53, they said.

Two fresh cases were reported from Mohali, three Amritsar and one Ludhiana, according to a media bulletin.

"Two more positive cases in Mohali district. They had attended a religious congregation in Delhi," Mohali Deputy Commissioner Girish Dayalan tweeted.

Director General of Police Dinkar Gupta on Thursday said around 200 people from Punjab had visited Delhi's Nizamuddin for the congregation, affecting 12 districts in the state.

Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin West has emerged as the biggest hotspot of coronavirus in the country, following which a major area has been sealed and an FIR lodged against its cleric for violating government orders.

On Monday, the Telangana government had said that six people who attended the religious congregation between March 13 and 15 died due to coronavirus.

Subsequently, authorities across the country swung into action to trace the contacts of those who went to the gathering, attended by hundreds of people, including from Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

Of the total 53 cases in Punjab, Nawanshahr reported 19, Mohali 12, Hoshiarpur 7, Jalandhar and Amritsar five each, Ludhiana four and Patiala one.

The figure includes five deaths and one patient who was discharged from hospital after his second test results came negative.

A total of 1,585 samples have been taken in the state so far. Of this, 1,381 samples were negative and reports of 151 samples were awaited.