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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
Special Correspondent

Delhi to release quarantined Tablighi Jamaat members

A member of the Tablighi Jamaat shows the victory sign as he leaves in a bus from LNJP hospital for the quarantine centre during the nationwide lockdown, in wake of the coronavirus pandemic, in New Delhi, Tuesday, April 21, 2020. (Source: PTI)

The Delhi government will release 4,000 persons related to the Tablighi Jamaat — either “rescued” by it from a congregation in Nizamuddin or those who came in contact with its members — over the coming days, a Delhi government source said here on Wednesday.

While a little over 2,300 of the 4,000 had been rescued from the centre till April 1, the rest were either visitors or contacts of the rescued persons. Of the total 4,000, over 1,800 were placed under quarantine and over 500 were admitted to hospitals. All of them have completed the mandatory quarantine period.

According to the source, of the total 4,000 individuals, an estimated 900 were residents of Delhi and the rest belonged to other States.

They also fulfilled the requisite medical requirement of testing negative in two consecutive tests for COVID-19. However, some of them would be handed over to the Delhi police if they were part of the investigation related to the centre, the source said.

Also read: The story of India’s largest COVID-19 cluster

“Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain has issued an order which also states that those who are named in the investigation will be sent to the custody of the Delhi police,” the source said.

“The remaining will be sent back to their home States, for which purpose the Delhi government’s Home Department has been asked to get in touch with the resident commissioners of these respective States,” the source said.

Also read: Recovered Tablighis donate plasma

Officials evacuated 2,346 people from the centre in Nizamuddin in an operation that ended on April 1. While 1,810 of them who did not exhibit any symptom were moved to quarantine centres, 536 with symptoms were shifted to hospitals.

“Except an estimated 900 who belong to Delhi, the rest of these individuals are from the other States, especially Tamil Nadu and Telangana,” the source said. “The Delhi government is in touch with the other State governments to make transport and other arrangements for their return home,” the source said.

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