As many as 1,023 COVID-19 positive cases found in 17 states have been traced to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation, the Union health ministry said on Saturday, underlining that about 30 per cent of the total novel coronavirus cases in the country are linked to "one particular place".
Joint Secretary in the ministry Lav Agarwal at the daily media briefing said the rate of doubling of COVID-19 cases in India is pretty less as compared to other countries.
He said there has been a rise of 601 COVID-19 positive cases since Friday.
A home ministry official said that nearly 22,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts have been quarantined across the country so far.
During the daily briefing, Punya Salila Srivastava, a joint secretary in the Union home ministry, told reporters that the Union government undertook "massive efforts" in coordination with states to trace the Jamaat members and their contacts to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The total number of novel coronavirus cases is 2,902 in the country, Agarwal said.
Giving the age profile of the cases reported so far, he said 8.61 per cent of the cases are in the age group of 0-20 years, 41.88 per cent between 21 and 40 years, 32.82 per cent between 41 and 60 years and 16.69 per cent are above 60 years of age.
He said 1,023 positive cases of COVID-19 related to Tablighi Jamaat congregation have been reported across 17 states and union territories.
The states and union territories from where the cases have been reported are Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar pradesh, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Karnataka, Uttarakahnd, Haryana, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Agarwal said.
"Rigorous contact tracing is on across the 17 states which have reported cases related to Tablighi Jamaat congregation," the health ministry official said.
He said that "around 30 per cent of the total cases so far are linked to one particular place where we could not sort of understand it and manage it."
The Tablighi Jaamat congregation took place earlier last month in Delhi's West Nizamuddin area, which has turned into a COVID-19 hotspot.
The government of India's response has been proactive, preemptive and graded and the rate of doubling of COVID-19 cases in India is "pretty" low as compared to other countries, Agarwal said.
"We are dealing with an infectious disease and it is an every day battle and all our efforts will go in vain even if there is a slightest of a mistake," the official said.
As many as 68 deaths, including 12 since Friday, have been reported, Agarwal said and added that 183 people have recovered or have been discharged.
Fifty-eight patients in the country mostly from Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi are currently in critical condition, he said.
The figure may vary on a daily basis based on ground situation, Agarwal said.
He said most of the deaths which have happened so far have been those who were old and had co-morbid conditions like diabetes, hypertension, kidney or cardiac issues.
Agrawal urged the high-risk population to follow the guidelines prescribed by the government.
India is increasing COVID-19 testing capacity progressively, the official said,
There is no need to panic but awareness is needed to fight the battle against COVID-19, he said.
Raman R Gangakhedkar, head of Epidemiology and Communicable Diseases at the ICMR said that 75,000 samples have been tested so far.
