Govt figures put number below 3K, but realtime data claims 3,500 +ve cases; 601 new cases; death toll at 68
As coronavirus cases continued to swell in the country, adding 400-500 patients a day since Wednesday, the Centre on Saturday again linked the rise to the Tablighi Jamaat members congregating in Delhi’s Nizamuddin Markaz in mid-March, saying they alone contributed 30 per cent of the total cases.
The Ministry of Health said total number of cases as on Saturday morning stood below 3,000, including 68 death and 601 new cases reported over the last 24 hours.
“Till now there are 2,902 positive cases in India. 601 positive cases have been reported since Friday, 12 deaths also reported on Friday, taking the total to 68. One eighty three people have recovered/discharged,” said Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary in the Ministry.
But according to the total of figures collected from States, the overall numbers of positive cases stood at 3,510 by 8.30 pm on Saturday. Maharashtra stood at the peak 537 positive cases, including 47 new. It was followed by Tamil Nadu with 485 positive cases, including 74 new. With 59 new cases, Delhi was on the third spot.
The national Capital has overall 445 positive cases. Kerala with 304 positive cases, 11 of them new was placed fourth. Telengana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan had more than 200 cases each.
Meanwhile, Dharavi in Mumbai reported two more cases of coronavirus, taking the total number of positive cases in the area to five.
Agarwal said 1,023 coronavirus cases in 17 States were related to the Jamaat’s congregation. “Around 30 per cent of the total cases are related to the religious congregation so far. We need to understand that we are as strong as the weakest link,” he said.
Punya Salila Srivastava, Joint Secretary in the Home Affairs Ministry, said through a massive coordinated effort around 22,000 Tablighis and their contacts have been quarantined.
All issues related to the ongoing lockdown are being monitored by a 24x7 control room of the Ministry of Home Affairs here, she said, adding that about 200 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Central Armed Police Forces are linked to it on the ground level.
The officer said all measures to implement the three-week nationwide lockdown, set to end on April 14, have been effective till now and the supply of essential goods and services has been “satisfactory”.
Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to States and Union Territories to ensure that the supply chain of essential items is not obstructed during the lockdown period, she said.
The first installment of Rs 11,092 crore under the State disaster response fund was released by the MHA on Friday. States can utilise this money for ensuring aid to migrant workers and other calamity-related work, she said.
States and UTs are running relief camps for migrant workers and other needy people in coordination with NGOs and other community groups, she added.
