Two more persons, both evacuated from Tablighi Jamaat's Nizamuddin Markaz here, died of coronavirus, taking the death toll in the national capital to four while the number of positive cases also rose sharply to 293, the Delhi government on Thursday.
The figure of COVID-19 cases on Wednesday in Delhi was 152. The total number of 293 cases includes 182 people who took part in a religious congregation of the Jamaat last month.
The number may shoot up in the coming days as the government has decided to test all those who were evacuated from the Markaz, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said in a digital press conference.
The Markaz has emerged as a hotspot of coronavirus cases in Delhi.
A total of 2,943 people, including 1,810 from the Markaz, have been quarantined by the government, Kejriwal said, adding 21,307 people have been directed for self-quarantine at their homes.
He appealed to Delhiites to stay indoors and follow the ongoing 21-day lockdown.
Also Read
On Wednesday, the Delhi government, in coordination with the police, evacuated over 2,000 people. Since then the building has been sealed and area sanitised.
The Delhi Fire Service personnel were also roped in for disinfecting the area.
Meanwhile, Maulana Saad Kandhalvi, the head of the Nizamuddin Markaz said he has quarantined himself on doctors' advice. The police have already registered an FIR against him and is on a lookout.
"We should help and support our government in dealing with this crisis. I have also quarantined myself in Delhi under instructions from doctors. This precautionary measure is not against the principle of faith so it's important to adopt such steps," he said in an audio clip.
"I appeal to all my jamaat to follow the instruction of our government," Saad said in the clip.
He said there has been no doubt that this pandemic is the "result of sins we humans have been committing".
Instructions of ulemas, government, and doctors need to be followed and no one should stray out of home and organise gatherings, he added.
The Delhi Police Special Branch has also identified and quarantined 275 foreign nationals, who have been staying in various mosques in the city after attending the Jamaat's congregation.
Of these 275 foreign nationals, 172 are from Indonesia, 36 from Kyrgyzstan, 21 from Bangladesh, 12 from Malaysia, seven from Algeria, two each from Afghanistan and the US and one each from France, Tunisia, Belgium and Italy.
Eighty-four of them have been staying the northeast Delhi and 109 in central Delhi, they said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content