COVID-19 cases climb to 62 in Haryana, 23 Tablighi Jamaat members among fresh cases

The number of COVID-19 cases climbed by 18 to 62 in Haryana on Saturday, with 23 Tablighi Jamaat members among the total positive cases.

Palwal district reported the highest jump from three to 16, the state health department said.

The total includes 14 patients who have been discharged. There are 48 active cases in the state, it said.

According to Haryana's Home and Health Minister Anil Vij, Tablighi Jamaat members who entered the state before the lockdown account for the majority of the total cases.

The number of Tablighi members who are positive include 16 from Palwal, one from Gurgaon, two from Ambala, one from Kaithal and three from Nuh.

On a sudden spurt in the number of coronavirus cases, Vij said the Haryana dispensation is prepared to tackle any situation.

As many as 652 of the 1300 Tablighi members have been traced from Nuh district alone, he said.

Vij, who held a meeting with officials of the health department to review the situation in Haryana, said it has been decided that all the Tablighi Jamaat members who have been tracked down in the state will be tested for coronavirus.

The samples of all of these members will be taken irrespective of the fact whether they show any symptoms or not, he said.

In addition to Palwal, Bhiwani and Gurgaon reported two fresh cases each, the health department bulletin said.

Of the total 62 cases, the bulletin said, one person is from Nepal, while 19 are from other states of India.

These include five from Tamil Nadu, three each from Kerala and West Bengal, two each from Telangana and Bihar, and one each Punjab, Delhi, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Haryana reported its first coronavirus death on Wednesday as a 67-year-old man from Ambala died at PGIMER here.

Over 1,300 Tablighi Jamaat members, including 107 foreigners, came to Haryana before the lockdown came into force on March 25, Director General of Police Manoj Yadava had said on Friday.

All of them have been quarantined, he said, adding that five FIRs have been registered under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Foreigner's Act against the foreigners among the Tablighi Jamaat members for various violations.

Meanwhile, Haryana's Public Works (B&R) Department has decided to allow district administrations to use boarding and lodging facility free of cost in the PWD (B&R) rest houses across the state for the doctors, paramedical and essential services staff who are at the frontline of the battle against COVID-19.