The Ijtema at Alami Markaz Banglewali mosque in Nizamuddin took place in March | Photo Credit: PTI

New Delhi: The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said that nearly 400 coronavirus positive cases recorded in the country so far have been linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Delhi last month. The Ministry of Home Affairs, meanwhile, said that of the around 2,000 persons evacuated from the Tablighi Jamaat headquarters in Nizamuddin, 1,804 have been quarantined and 334 admitted in hospitals.

The Nizamuddin Markaz of Tablighi Jamaat has emerged as the COVID-19 hotspot.

Amidst the huge concern over coronavirus spread, a huge number of people from various states as well as abroad had travelled to New Delhi to attend Ijtema at Alami Markaz Banglewali mosque in Nizamuddin last month.

States have now been left with the daunted task of tracing those who participated in the event and returned, many suspected of carrying the deadly corona infection. Some of the followers have already been tested positive for coronavirus.

Nizamuddin Markaz, Delhi: State-wise list of Tablighi Jamaat congregation attendees

Tamil Nadu – 1,500

News agency IANS mentioned Tamil Nadu officials as saying on Tuesday that around 1,500 persons from the southern state had gone to Delhi to attend a meet at Tablighi Jamaat's international headquarters Nizamuddin Markaz in the national capital in March. Health Secretary Beela Rajesh told reporters on Wednesday that a total of 264 attendees from the state have so far tested positive for the contagion.

Maharashtra – 1,400

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday said that more than 1,400 people from the state participated in the huge gathering in Delhi last month. "Over 1,400 people from Maharashtra attended the Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi. Out of which, around 1,300 have been traced till now and are being quarantined in Maharashtra. Their samples will be collected for COVID-19 testing," said Tope.

Uttar Pradesh – 1,300

As per Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi, over 1,300 people from Uttar Pradesh, who had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event, have been identified. Out of these, 884 have been traced and quarantines. The Times of India mentioned Awashi as saying that 304 people have been identified in Meerut, 197 in Varanasi, 187 in Gorakhpur, 170 in Gautam Budh Nagar, 145 in Bareilly, 104 in Agra, 93 people in Lucknow, 40 in Prayagraj, and 33 in Kanpur.

Haryana – 1,170

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said that 1,170 people have been identified in five districts who attended a religious congregation in Delhi's Nizamuddin. He further said that 725 people have been kept under quarantine after returning to the state.

Andhra Pradesh – 1,085

IANS on Thursday reported that 1,085 people from Andhra Pradesh attended the Nizamuddin Markaz event last month. Out of them, 758 were traced and their samples were collected too. Officials had yesterday said that 91 Tablighi Jamaat attendees from Andhra Pradesh have tested positive for coronavirus.

Telangana – 1,000

Telangana Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Wednesday said that over 1,000 from Telangana attended Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Delhi. He added that barring 160, all other attendees were traced. Nearly 750 people have been sent for screening at the Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, said the minister. The death toll in Telangana stands at nine; all of them had attended Tablighi Jamaat congregation.

Assam – 456

Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday told media that the state government is aware of 456 people from the state, who were either in or around Nizamuddin Markaz during the congregation. "We don't know if there were more people from Assam in the religious event. This is the list we have presently. Through mobile tracing, we got their names, address,” he said. Meanwhile, at least 148 attendees have been quarantined in the state's different districts. All the 16 COVID-19 positive cases had attended the Delhi congregation.

Karnataka – 391

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday told reporters that 391 people, who had visited the Nizamuddin Markaz, have been traced and quarantined. "Eleven out of 91 persons who were tested in Bidar are COVID-19 positive," Yediyurappa added.

Uttarakhand – 245

Uttarakhand's Directorate of Health Services said on Thursday that 245 Tablighi Jamaat followers have been quarantined in the state. Earlier, DG (Law and Order) Ashok Kumar had said, “The gathering gathered at Nizamuddin in Delhi also included 26 people from Uttarakhand, mostly people from the districts of Haridwar and Dehradun. The police have verified them and they are still in Delhi. They will return back after completing the quarantine period.”

Punjab – 200

DGP Dinkar Gupta on Thursday said that around 200 people from Punjab visited Nizamuddin and returned to the state at different times. He added that 12 districts of the state are believed to be affected. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had yesterday banned all gatherings, including religious, in the state.

Himachal Pradesh – 167

Superintendent of Police (Law and Order) Khushal Sharma on Wednesday told IANS that 167 Nizamuddin Markaz attendees have been identified in Himachal Pradesh. As per Sharma, most of the participants hailed from Baddi in the Solan district, while some also belonged to Sirmaur, Shimla, Una, and Chamba districts. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur had on Tuesday said that 17 people from the state attended the Delhi congregation. Saying they have no symptoms of COVID-19 so far, Thakur added they were under 14-day quarantine in Delhi.

Kerala – 157

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that 157 attendees hailing from his state have been identified. "All these people have been traced. They hail from all the 14 districts of the state. Two of them have tested COVID-19 positive and are under treatment. Some of them are either in home isolation or under observation at hospitals. Some of them are still in Delhi."

Madhya Pradesh – 107

The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday backtracked on its earlier claim that all the 107 attendees from the state have been traced. In a meeting, the officials said that out of 107 citizens of the state, only 67 have been quarantined as the "names and addresses of the remaining 40 could not be found".

Chhattisgarh – 101

As many as 101 people from Chhattisgarh, who attended the Nizamuddin meet, have been identified so far and put under quarantine. "Of them, 32 have been placed under quarantine, while 69 are in isolation in different places," said the official. He clarified that though most of them belong to Chhattisgarh, a few hailed from different states and were found staying in mosques in the cities.

Gujarat – 93

As per officials, 76 people from Surat had attended the Delhi meet. Gujarat DGP Shivanand Jha, meanwhile, said an initial probe so far had revealed that some persons from Bhavnagar were also a part of the gathering.

Jammu and Kashmir – 88

Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir, PK Pole, told IANS that at present, 87 people from Kashmir, who were in Nizamuddin, have been put in quarantine in Delhi itself. On March 24, the 65-year-old, who had died in Kashmir, was a part of the congregation at Nizamuddin. He had returned to Kashmir on March 16.

Bihar – 86

Bihar Director General of Police Gupteshwar Pandey on Wednesday told reporters: “86 residents of Bihar and 57 foreigners, who had attended Markaz in Delhi, are being traced and will be monitored. Forty-eight people have been quarantined already. Some of 86 Bihar residents are not in the state but other parts of the country and have been quarantined in other states. We are coordinating with other states to trace them.”

West Bengal – 73

West Bengal Home Secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay tweeted on Tuesday, "All those from West Bengal who have participated in this event (Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi) are being identified and will be immediately tested for COVID and put under mandatory 14 days quarantine." Meanwhile, IANS mentioned senior Delhi Police officers as saying that 73 people have been identified from West Bengal, who attended the Delhi congregation.

Jharkhand - 46

Jharkhand reported its first confirmed coronavirus positive case on Tuesday. As per officials, the 22-year-old woman had boarded a Ranchi-bound train after attending the event at Markaz in Nizamuddin. "A Malaysian woman, who is among the 24 persons found staying in a mosque in Ranchi, has been found positive. She is absolutely normal and asymptomatic," said Principal Secretary (Health) Nitin Madan Kulkarni. As per jagran.com, 46 people from Jharkhand had attended the congregation in Delhi.

Odisha – 27

According to Odisha Health and Family Welfare Department: "27 persons associated with Tablighi Jamaat have been traced in the state so far, out of which 19 persons have been tested negative for COVID-19."

Rajasthan – 22

Officials on Tuesday said that 22 people, who had attended the religious congregation, have been quarantined in Rajasthan.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands – 21

As per a report by PTI, 21 people from Andaman and Nicobar Islands attended the Nizamuddin meet. On Tuesday, Deputy Director Health and Nodal Officer in Andaman and Nicobar, COVID-19, Abhijit Roy, had said that nine out of the 10 people, who tested positive for coronavirus in the Islands, had attended the Tablighi Jamaat event.

Manipur – 14

The Manipur government had on Tuesday stated that it has found out 14 people who attended the religious congregation in Delhi. A 65-year-old man, who had participated in the congregation, tested positive for COVID-19 in Manipur yesterday, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to two.

Puducherry – 9

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said on Wednesday that his administration had identified nine persons from the Union Territory who had attended the religious gathering in Delhi's Nizamuddin area. "We have identified 6 people from Puducherry and 3 from Karaikal who had attended Tablighi Jamaat meeting in Delhi. Their samples have been taken and sent for tests. I appeal to all other people who had attended the meeting to come forward and identify themselves," Narayanasamy said.

Meghalaya – 7

The Shillong Markaz informed the state police on Tuesday that seven persons from Meghalaya attended the religious congregation in Delhi.