Govt says nearly 30 per cent coronavirus cases linked to Tablighi event

The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said 4,291 or about 30% of coronavirus cases in the country have been traced to Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi out of 14,378 cases in the country. In Delhi, 63% of the reported 1,707 cases are linked to the same gathering.

The total number of confirmed cases in India is 14,378, 1,991 have been cured and 480 people have succumbed to the disease. There are 11,906 active cases in the country.

The mortality rate due to COVID-19 is 3.3%.

Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary Health Ministry, said that 4,291 coronavirus cases are epidemiologically linked to the Nizamuddin Markaz case. "These cases are spread across 23 states and Union Territories, which include most of the high degree burden cases -- Tamil Nadu has 84 per cent cases, Delhi 63% and Assam 91%, Uttar Pradesh 61% and Andaman & Nicobar 83%.

"If lockdown and social distancing norms are not followed, then the entire country would have to face the consequences", said Agarwal. The country in the last 24 hours saw 991 fresh COVID-19 cases and 43 deaths.

He also added that 47 districts in 23 states have shown positive trends in the fight against coronavirus outbreak in the country. "One district each in Puducherry and Karnataka has not reported a positive coronavirus yet along with 22 new districts, split across various states, have also not reported new cases in the last 14 days", added Agarwal.

The health ministry official also added that the RT-PCR test is standard frontline test for COVID-19 diagnosis and the rapid antibody test to be used for surveillance in hotspots.