1/3rd of total cases linked to Tablighi
New Delhi, April 4: 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 about 30 per cent of the total novel coronavirus cases in the country are linked to “one particular place”.
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 as 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, he said.
Giving the age profile of the cases reported so far, he said 8.61 per cent of the cases are in the age group of 0-20 years, 41.88 per cent between 21 and 40 years, 32.82 per cent between 41 and 60 years and 16.69 per cent are above 60 years of age.
He said 1,023 positive cases of Covid-19 related to Tablighi Jamaat congregation have been reported across 17 states and union territories.
The states and union territories from where the cases have been reported are Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Karnataka, Uttarakahnd, Haryana, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Agarwal said.
“Rigorous contact tracing is on across the 17 states which have reported cases related to Tablighi Jamaat congregation,” the health ministry official said.
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.”
The Tablighi Jaamat congregation took place earlier last month in Delhi’s West Nizamuddin area, which has turned into a Covid-19 hotspot.
The government of India’s response has been proactive, preemptive and graded and the rate of doubling of Covid-19 cases in India is “pretty” low as compared to other countries, Agarwal said.
Fifty-eight patients in the country are currently in critical condition, he said.