Around 22,000 Tablighi Jamaat members, contacts quarantined: MHA

Nearly 22,000 Tablighi Jamaat members and their contacts have been quarantined across the country so far, a home ministry official said on Saturday. During the daily briefing, Punya Salila Srivastava, a joint secretary in the Union Home Ministry, told reporters that the Union government undertook "massive efforts" in coordination with states to trace the Jamaat members and their contacts to contain the spread of COVID-19.

All issues related to the ongoing lockdown are being monitored by a 24x7 control room of the Ministry of Home Affairs here, she said, adding that about 200 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Central Armed Police Forces are linked to it on the ground level. The officer said all measures to implement the three-week nationwide lockdown, set to end on April 14, have been effective till now and the supply of essential goods and services has been "satisfactory".

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has written to states and Union Territories to ensure that the supply chain of essential items is not obstructed during the lockdown period, she said. The first installment of Rs 11,092 crore under the state disaster response fund was released by the MHA on Friday. States can utilise this money for ensuring aid to migrant workers and other calamity-related work, she said.

States and UTs are running relief camps for migrant workers and all those affected by the pandemic in coordination with NGOs and other community groups, she added.

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