As of Thursday night, India reported 2,580 COVID-19-positive cases, with 70 deaths. Thursday alone reported 544 new cases, of which 65 per cent accounted for those who attended the Tablighi Jamaat event at Nizamuddin from March 1 to March 15.
The organization has now held two events in the world that have become hotspots for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. Earlier in March, an event on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. That event saw 15,000 people, which included people from Canada, Nigeria, India, China, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Australia attending the event that was held between February 27 and March 1.
This is the state-wise break-up provided by state governments of the number of people who attended and/or came into contact with those who attended the event.
Notably, not everyone in this list has tested positive, and the numbers are still being evaluated. However, going by the way the graph has risen in the past few days, it won’t be surprising to see another exponential rise. With the number of COVID-19 patients going from 1,000 to 2,000 in four days, the speed taken to reach 3,000 may happen by either Saturday or Sunday. Currently, India has recorded 2,567 cases, 72 deaths. 192 people have recovered from COVID-19.
The Tabhighi Jamaat event held in Delhi's Nizamuddin earlier this month, even as officials asked people to avoid mass congregations, has had a problematic ending. Many of the attendees have since tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and some of them have passed away.
On Wednesday an undated audio clip emerged, purportedly of Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad Khandhlawi encouraging people to gather in mosques.
"If you think you will die if you assemble in a masjid, let me tell you, there is no better place to die," he had said at the time. Lamenting the fact that people "can't even pray", he had added that "they" wanted people to stop praying so that it wouldn't add to their difficulties.
"We will only accept that doctor's advice who follows the path of Allah and fears the almighty," he declared. However, even such a doctor would be ignored if he gave them similar advice, he had declared.
But with thousands of followers in quarantine, and many others testing positive for the virus, Saad appears to have had a change of heart.
In a new video he asks followers to listen to officials and self-quarantine themselves. Not only that, he now appears to believe that staying at home is the "only way to calm God's wrath".
"One should follow the advice of doctors and cooperate with the administration. Wherever our members are, they should follow the administration's orders," he said.
