Nizamuddin event spikes country’s case load

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31

India today saw its highest single-day spike in Covid-19 cases with a new cluster in Delhi’s Nizamuddin being linked to many fresh cases from across the country and at least seven deaths.

Many states reported cases linked to people who had attended a Tablighi Jamaat’s event at Nizamuddin recently. Six deaths in Telangana and one in Kashmir involved people who had attended the Nizamuddin gathering.

The government, meanwhile, said this was no time to find faults but acknowledged that lack of people’s cooperation in observing lockdown had led to a significant rise in Covid cases.

The number of confirmed cases rose from 1,024 on Monday to 1,397 by Tuesday night, recording a rise of a whopping 373 cases—an increase of 36.44 per cent in a day. There were six deaths during the day.

“The increase in cases is due to lack of people’s cooperation in maintaining lockdown protocol. The government has repeatedly stressed that the battle against Covid-19 is a collective national fight. Non-cooperation of even one person will bring national efforts to a naught,” Health Ministry spokesman Lav Agarwal said.

Sources said a large number of cases related to the Nizamuddin event were emerging from across India and many clusters were feared formed. In Delhi alone, the single-day rise in confirmed cases has been 44—from 53 on Monday to 97 today.

A massive contact-tracing effort is on to identify all those who attended the event organised by the Tablighi Jamaat, which faces prospects of an FIR after CM Arvind Kejriwal wrote to LG Anil Baijal recommending a case against the organisers for allegedly breaking prohibitory orders. An estimate suggests that over 2,000 persons were at the Jamaat’s Delhi dormitory over March.

In Delhi alone, 24 persons linked to the event tested positive today, setting off alarm bells over potential community cluster formations. The Delhi Government said out of those who attended the Nizamuddin gathering, 441 persons had been hospitalised with symptoms and were being tested.

In all, 1,339 Jamaat activists showing Covid symptoms were quarantined at Narela, Sultanpuri, Bakerwala and other hospitals, including AIIMS-Jhajjar. “Nizamuddin could well turn out to be the cluster India never wanted to have,” a top public health specialist said.

Many states are currently in touch with central experts to trace people who were either at the gathering or in their contact.

The Health Ministry was on the edge all day, looking for potential cluster formations after Telangana linked 40 of its 70 Covid cases to the Delhi event. Similar linkages have emerged as regards cases in Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Tamil Nadu. West Bengal also said it was looking for anyone who was at the event. The government is, meanwhile, maintaining a close watch on 10 Covid-19 hotspots—Nizamuddin and Dilshad Garden in Delhi; Kasargod and Pathanamthitta in Kerala; Pune and Mumbai in Maharashtra; Bhilwara in Rajasthan; Ahmadabad in Gujarat; Meerut and Noida.

Asked to comment on the Nizamuddin issue, Lav Aagarwal said, “This is not the time to find fault. We will act as per containment plan. Suspected and symptomatic cases are being handled, but I want to repeat India’s success in the battle against Covid-19 will be in direct proportion to community support to social distancing and lockdown.”

The Group of Ministers also met today to take stock of India’s two-month-long fight against Covid-19. After the meeting, a task force was formed to focus on research related to Covid and look for drugs and vaccines.

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