Himachal Pradesh tally doubles in a day as 3 test positive

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur directed officials to keep a close watch on people from the state who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation.

Thakur issued the direction during a video conference with deputy commissioners (DC) and superintendents of police (SP) after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a video conference with CMs of all states to review the COVID-19 situation.

“Such people should be kept under strict surveillance after being traced to check spread of COVID-19,” he said.
Till Thursday, a total of 190 people who returned to Himachal after attending the congregation in Delhi have been quarantined, DGP Sitaram Mardi said.

At 73, the maximum people were quarantined in Baddi, followed by 35 each in Una and Sirmaur, 23 in Shimla, 10 each in Kangra and Chamba and four in Mandi. Another 17 people from the hill state have been quarantined in Delhi itself.

“On March 19, the state had banned the entry of all tourists due to which hundreds of visitors were turned away in the following days. Even members of Tablighi Jamaat coming from other states were unable to enter the state,” said DGP SR Mardi.

Meanwhile, as per unconfirmed reports, the Union home ministry has sent a list of more than 700 people from Himachal Pradesh who attended the congregation. The list has reportedly been prepared after tracking the mobile phones of those who were present at the Markaz. However, despite repeated queries by the media, no one from the state police confirmed or denied it.

The DGP has urged the Muslims to hold Friday prayers in their homes instead of mosques. The police chief further said that the 11 Tablighi Jamaat members against whom an FIR was registered at Nerwa Police Station in Shimla district on Wednesday had not attended the congregation. They had come from Misarwala village located in Paonta Sahib Tehsil of Sirmaur district, he added.