30 per cent of India's total cases are linked to Nizamuddin cluster: Lav Agarwal

30 per cent of India's confirmed cases are linked to Nizamuddin cluster, said Lav Agarwal, an official from health ministry addressing the press. 1023 cases spreading across 17 states have been found linked to the religious gathering of the Islamic sect Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi, confirmed the ministry.

Giving the example of Nizamuddin cluster, the ministry reiterated the pressing need to maintain social-distancing and follow self isolation. 647 coronavirus cases reported over the last two days are linked to the religious gathering of the Islamic sect Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi, added Agarwal.

Nearly 22,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts have been quarantined across the country so far, said Punya Salila Srivastava, joint secretary in the Union Home Ministry. The govt undertook "massive efforts" in coordination with states to find out the Jamaat members and their contacts, added the official.


In an interim advisory, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had recommended the use of the rapid antibody test in the country’s coronavirus hotspots. Antibody positives to be confirmed by RT-PCR (reverse transcription-PCR) using throat/nasal swab, and antibody negatives to be quarantined at home, the ICMR advisory said.

To strengthen India's testing capacity, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Microbial Technology (CSIR-IMTECH) has stepped up to take up Covid-19 sample testing. Apart from testing of clinical samples, CSIR-IMTECH is also supporting healthcare professionals by providing Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) to prevent them from contracting any infection while serving patients.