The COVID-19 outbreak cases connected to the Tablighi Jamaat meeting in New Delhi increased the total positive cases in the State to 111 on Wednesday, causing panic in at least eight districts where multiple cases were reported in a single day.
At least 70 of the 87 cases reported before 7 pm are of the persons who had attended the meeting in Nizamuddin in the national capital and their close contacts, while 16 are of foreign returnees and their close contacts and one is of a person who had come from Rajasthan, according to the Health Department bulletin. After 7 pm, 24 new cases were reported and the travel history of these persons was being tracked, officials said.
During the past 24 hours as of Wednesday evening, over 470 samples, all of Delhi returnees and their contacts from eight districts were tested and 43 tested positive.
The authorities found out that about 1,085 persons from the State attended the event and more than 1,050 of them have been traced, quarantined and samples taken for testing.
CM’s plea
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at a press meet said 21 Delhi returnees are to be traced and appealed to them to come forward by utilising the 104 helpline and protect the lives of themselves as well as their families. He said results of samples of the remaining Delhi returnees were awaited.
Before 7 pm on Wednesday, 812 samples of Delhi returnees (543) and their contacts (269) and 358 samples of foreign returnees (218) and their contacts (140), besides 143 samples of persons who showed COVID-19 symptoms were tested.
Guntur district has reported 20 cases till date followed by Krishna, Kadapa and Prakasam with 15 cases each.
West Godavari has reported 14 cases till date followed by Visakhapatnam 11, East Godavari 9, Chittoor 6, Nellore 3, Anantapur 2 and Kurnool one.
All the cases in Kadapa and West Godavari districts have been reported in the last 24 hours.
Two patients, including a senior citizen, recovered and were discharged. People can dial the 104 helpline for reporting COVID-19 symptoms or for any other information related to the outbreak.
People can also inform the authorities about the whereabouts of the unreported Delhi returnees or foreign returnees.
