GUWAHATI: Assam Health Minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday expressed concern that Tablighi Jamaat local officials in the state have not come forward with proper information about the people from the state who had attended the congregation at Nizamuddin Markaz in New Delhi last month as health department has so far tested 812 persons related to the congregation which has turned out to be the biggest epicentre of COVID-19 pandemic.
“I renew my appeal for to those who had gone to Nizamuddin Markaz congregation, to voluntarily come forward for undertaking test as out of the 25 COVID-19 positive patients in the state so far, 24 are related to Nizamuddin congregation,” the health minister said while addressing the media at National Health Mission (NHM) office here.
“So far, health department has tested 812 persons related to Nizamuddin Markaz congregation and 24 (who were personally there in the congregation) have been tested COVID-19 positive. So, the government’s patience is being tested. We may have to engage the police force to trace those hiding participants of Tablighi Jamaat if they don’t come forward to undergo test on their own by Sunday,” the minister said.
Out of the 812 persons related to Nizamuddin hotspot, who have been tested, 24 have been found COVID-19 positive, 636 have tested negative while 152 results are being awaited. All of them are now under 14 days’ quarantine.
Meanwhile, businessman Manish Tibrewal, a resident of posh Spanish Garden in the city, who has tested positive for COVID-19 infection has appealed through Whatsapp to all those who had recently come into his contact to inform the authority voluntarily. He is the only COVID-19 positive case in the state so far who is not related to Nizamuddin hotspot.
Health Minister informed that, the businessman’s family had helped the authority to trace 111 persons so far who me Tibrewal recently. “He had come to Guwahati from Delhi on March 2, but the businessman has met many persons coming from Delhi and Kolkata in Guwahati since then. So, it is not a case of local community transmission,” the minister said.