22,000 Tablighi Jamaat members, their contacts identified, quarantined: Govt

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 4

The government on Saturday said it has identified nearly 22,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts so far and quarantined them across the country so far.

Giving details on such persons, Join Secretary in the Ministry of home Affairs (MHA) Punya Salila Srivastava, while addressing a daily press conference on the Covid-19 updates, said the Union government undertook “massive efforts” in coordination with states to trace the Jamaat members and their contacts to contain the spread of deadly virus.

She also informed that most of the issues relating to the ongoing lockdown are being monitored by a 24x7 control room of the MHA here. She also went on to add that about 200 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and thousands of Central Armed Police Forces are working round the clock on the ground.

Srivastava 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 (UTs) to ensure that the supply chain of essential items is not obstructed during the lockdown period, she said.

The first instalment 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, the officer said.

States and UTs are running relief camps for migrant workers and all those affected by the pandemic in coordination with NGOs and other community groups, she said, adding that everything remained under control.

The rate of rise in COVID-19 cases in India less than other countries, a health ministry official said.

Addressing the daily media briefing, the official added: “The condition of 58 COVID-19 patients is critical and they are in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi.” With PTI

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