COVID-19: Nepal records 16 new cases; most in contact with man who attended Tablighi event in India

Sixteen people, including 15 who were already on quarantine after they came in contact with a religious leader who returned after attending the Tablighi Jamaat gathering in Delhi in March, have been tested positive, the health ministry has said.

All the 16 people were found COVID-19 positive on Sunday, it said, adding that the total number of coronavirus cases in Nepal now stands at 75.

Of the 16 patients, 15 were already on quarantine after they came in contact with a Muslim religious leader who had returned to Nepal after attending the Jamaat congregation in Delhi and was found COVID-19 positive later, the ministry said on Sunday.

All the 15 -- eight men and seven women -- are from the Nepalgunj area in Western Nepal.

Tablighi Jamaat members have emerged as the prime suspects among potential coronavirus carriers, not just in India, but also in Pakistan, Malaysia and Brunei.

In India, the Jamaat has come under severe criticism for defying the lockdown and organising the congregation in south Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz last month.

According to officials in Delhi, as many as 2,100 foreigners visited India for Tablighi activities since January 1 and all of them first reported at its headquarters in Nizamuddin.