Health Minister Eatala Rajender said on Wednesday that over 1,000 people from Telangana went to New Delhi for Markaz prayers. Barring 160, all of them have been identified, and tests are being conducted.
The State government on Monday had stated that six people from Telangana who attended a religious congregation in New Delhi from March 13 to 15 succumbed after they contracted coronavirus.
Stating that the State government was the first to announce a lockdown, Mr. Rajender said they were the ones who informed the Centre about the Tablighi Jamaat congregation. He stressed that there was no community transmission in the State. Till Tuesday night, 77 active COVID-19 cases were reported here.
Two people were discharged from Government General and Chest Hospital, Erragadda, on Tuesday and two more from Gandhi Hospital would be discharged from Gandhi Hospital on Wednesday. They have to be under home quarantine for another 14 days.
Besides, 10 more people with COVID-19 who were isolated at Gandhi Hospital have tested negative for coronavirus. They too would be discharged if they test negative in second consecutive test.
Meanwhile, around 10 workers of the Tablighi Jamaat, including some from its Telangana and Andhra Pradesh leadership, were taken to the Government General and Chest Hospital for tests on Wednesday.
The move comes after several Jamaat workers who had returned from the Aalami (Global) Markaz in Banglewaali Masjid in Nizamuddin, Delhi tested positive for coronavirus.
According to sources, the workers were taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure, given the fact that they were operating from the Tablighi Jamaat Markaz in Jama Masjid Moazzampura in Mallepally, Hyderabad and could have come in contact with those suspected of being infected.
A source from the Tablighi Jamaat said that its Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Ameer (chief) Maulana Ikram was also taken to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Speaking to The Hindu , one of those who were taken to the hospital said, “While the masjid committee has closed the masjid, the Jamaat has its office in a room on the first floor. We have been fully cooperating with the police and Health department. Some of us were liaising with the authorities throughout the day. The Hyderabad police, as a precautionary measure told us last night to get tested. We have agreed and come to hospital,” a senior Tablighi Jamaat worker said.
He explained that the Jamaat office was closed voluntarily and temporarily. “Since we had to come here, we locked the doors of the office,” he said.
Later in the the day, the workers said that their swab samples were taken for tests on Wednesday and the results would be made available to them in a day or two.
