20 more Jamaat attendees test positive in Haryana

At least 20 more members of the Tablighi Jamaat, who returned from the congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin Markaz in March, were tested positive for coronavirus in Haryana on Saturday, taking their total number in the past 24 hours to 25.

Thirteen, mostly belonging to Bangladesh, were reported from Palwal district, while five from Faridabad and two from Bhiwani.

Also, Faridabad reported three other patients, taking the total number of cases in the district to 14.

Five Jamaat attendees tested positive on Friday. They included three from Muslim-dominated Nuh district.

With them, the total number of patients belonging to Nizamuddin Markaz rose to 25 in the state, an official told IANS.

"Samples of 88 people who came from the Jamaat were tested and 13 of them have been found to be positive," Chief Medical Officer of Palwal, Brahmdeep Singh, told the media.

Palwal district has 17 positive cases, comprising 16 who returned from Nizamuddin Markaz, the highest in the state. One patient was discharged after fully cured.

Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Vijai Vardhan has said 107 foreigners who attended the congregation were kept under quarantine after returning to the state.

He said they came to India on a tourist visa and first information report (FIR) has been registered against them at Palwal, Faridabad, Panipat, Ambala and Nuh.

Vardhan told the media through video conference that the Tablighi Jamaat attendees entered different districts and their maximum number was in Nuh.

Haryana on Friday reported nine cases of coronavirus patients, taking the total number of cases to 44 in the state.

Officials said nine include five patients, including four foreigners, were those who came to the state after attending the religious congregation in Delhi.

The state saw one death of a COVID-19 patient from Ambala city at the PGI Hospital in Chandigarh.

Fourteen patients, including nine from Gurugram, have been discharged. IANS