Two Tablighis test positive in Pimpri-Chinchwad; 46 samples negative in Pune

Pune divisional commissioner Deepak Mhaisekar said 25 samples of those who were part of the congregation in Nizamuddin have been tested so far in the twin township.

PUNE: Two of the 25 samples of those who returned from Markaz Nizamuddin to Pimpri-Chinchwad area have tested positive for Covid-19, while all the 46 samples of those who returned to Pune have tested negative, district officials confirmed on Thursday.

Delhi fire officers disinfect an area at Nizamuddin, from where several people who attended an Islamic congregation earlier this month were tested positive for Covid-19, in New Delhi, on Thursday. (AP)

The state administration has traced as many as 106 of the 182 persons in western Maharashtra’s five districts who had either been or came in contact with those who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in New Delhi.

Deepak Mhaisekar, Pune divisional commissioner, said that the police and administration have tracked down those who had visited the Capital and find out if they were in contact with others.

“We are doing contact tracing, interviews and using other sources of information. So far, two are positive and 23 negative in Pimpri-Chinchwad and 46 are negative in Pune,” said Mhaisekar.

According to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) additional commissioner Rubal Agarwal, 14 samples had come negative on Wednesday night while results of the rest were reported on Thursday.

The Tablighi Jamaat’s headquarter in Delhi has emerged as a hotspot of Covid-19 suspects recently where a number of foreign nationals were found in the districts and taluka places doing missionary activity in the area. The worldwide Islamic missionary group is also known as Allah’s police in the local population of Maharashtra.

The state administration had earlier claimed that Pune revenue region’s five districts – Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur and Solapur – had started collecting swabs of 94 persons quarantined so far. The officials and police have also launched a search for those who have not been traced by tracking their call detail records (CDR).

6 found positive in Ahmednagar

Two foreign national Tablighi preachers who had participated in Nizamuddin event in Delhi earlier this month and four locals who came in contact with these persons have also tested positive for Covid-19 in Ahmednagar district of western Maharashtra on Thursday. With this, the total number of Covid-19 positive patients from Ahmednagar has reached 14, said officials from local administration. Earlier last month, a French and Ivory Cost national had tested positive for the virus in Ahmednagar district.