Another COVID-19 positive case in Assam, count rises to 26

A new COVID-19 positive case related to Nizamuddin Tablighi Jamaat congregation was reported in Assam on Tuesday, taking the number to 26, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The new coronavirus positive case has been reported from Dhubri and the person attended the Nizamuddin Markaz event in Delhi, the minister tweeted.

Among the 26 positive cases so far, 25 are in some way linked to the Markaz event, including five women. The Health Minister has held discussions with the Tablighi Jamaat leaders in the state and urged them to submit a list of people who attended the event.

The Tablighi leaders have appealed to the people who attended the meet to come forward for test and the minister has warned of action, if despite several appeals, they do not come forward for examination.

The Health department has identified 617 people who attended the event and the samples of 128 of them are yet to be collected. The health minister had said on Monday that the state government was considering introducing entry permits for those who wanted to return after the lockdown has ended to regulate the inflow of people.