COVID-19 cases rise to 152
NEW DELHI: The number of Coronavirus patients in Delhi linked to the Tablighi Jamaat’s congregation in Nizamuddin West, which is among the major COVID-19 hotspots in the country, rose sharply from 24 to 53 on Wednesday, while 617 people have been admitted to different hospitals, the city government said.
The national Capital has so far reported 152 positive Coronavirus cases, according to the figures released by the Chief Minister’s Office. It added that 53 cases are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat’s markaz.
The figure is likely to rise further substantially as the tests are being conducted on those admitted to hospitals, sources in the health department said.
On Tuesday, there were 24 patients in Delhi linked to the Nizamuddin congregation.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the Delhi government, in coordination with the police, evacuated 2,361 people from the religious centre in Nizamuddin in a 36-hour operation.
The police have already registered a case against Maulana Saad of the Nizamuddin markaz under sections of the Epidemic Disease Act and the Indian Penal Code for violating government orders on management of the centre in relation to social, political or religious gathering.
However, they said the cleric is on the run.
Taking to Twitter, Sisodia said out of the 2,361 people, 617 have been admitted to hospitals while the rest are quarantined.
“The medical staff, administration, police and DTC staff worked together in this 36-hour operation, putting their lives at risk. Hats off to all of them,” the Deputy Chief Minister said in another tweet.
Kejriwal too hailed the doctors for their work and announced Rs one crore for the families of healthcare personnel if they lose their lives while dealing with Coronavirus cases in the national Capital.
Interacting with doctors, the chief minister said at present, the Delhi government gives Rs one crore to the families of soldiers belonging to the national Capital if they die in the line of duty.
Referring to an incident that occurred on Tuesday, Kejriwal said a patient under quarantine tried to commit suicide at the Rajiv Gandhi hospital. He was apparently referring to a person evacuated from the markaz.
Kejriwal said he has spoken to the Home Secretary so that security can be stepped up for both patients and doctors.
“Some patients are behaving very aggressively and as a result, no one wants to go near them. Yesterday, one patient tried to commit suicide at Rajiv Gandhi hospital, doctors pulled him back and saved him,” he said.
Meanwhile, the residents of a railway colony in southeast Delhi’s Tughlakabad said that they feared for their safety after 167 people evacuated from the markaz were quarantined at a nearby makeshift facility.
Sources said of the 167 people, 97 were accommodated in Diesel Shed Training School Hostel Quarantine Centre, 70 were accommodated at RPF Barrack Quarantine Centre that are being used as isolation centres by the district authorities on Tuesday evening.
Residents alleged that the colony was not sanitised even 24 hours after the people were quarantined there. Fearing the spread of the virus, the residents remained indoors and could not even go out to procure
essentials.
“While standing near the bus, many of the people coughed, sneezed and even spat on the road. How are we to feel safe?” a resident said.
Sources say that senior officials of the railways have already spoken to the district authorities on the issue.
“Railways have informed the relevant authorities and steps are being taken to ensure their safety,” one of the sources said.
“At the quarantine centre, they misbehaved with the staff and even raised objections over the food being served to them.
“They even spit at the doctors and those attending them and refused to stop roaming around the quarantine facility.
“We have informed the DM
South East Delhi to arrange the necessary security to control them or to shift them to any other suitable place. At 5: 30 pm, four Delhi Police constables and six CRPF jawans along with PCR van have been deployed at Quarantine Centres, spokesperson Northern Railway Deepak Kumar said.
There are also reports that National Security Advisor Ajit Doval reached around 2 am on March 28-29 night at the Markaz and convinced Maulana Saad to get the occupants to be tested for the COVID-19 infection and be quarantined. Reverse tracking was also done and nine positive Indonesians at Karimnagar, in Telangana, were traced to the Markaz on March 18 itself.