The number of COVID-19 positive cases rose to 2,069 and the death toll reached 53 in the country on Thursday, the Union Health Ministry said.
The number of active COVID-19 cases in the country is 1,860, while 155 people were either cured or discharged and one had migrated, the ministry said. On Wednesday, the total number of cases stood at 1,637.
The highest number of coronavirus confirmed cases have been reported from Maharashtra at 335 so far, followed by Kerala at 265 and Tamil Nadu at 234. The number of cases in Delhi has gone up to 219.
Earlier in a press briefing, Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal said, "Yesterday, the cabinet secretary through video conferencing with chief secretaries and DGPs asked them to initiate intensive contact tracing of Tablighi Jamaat participants and implement containment measures on war-footing."
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Around 400 COVID-19 positive cases have been found whose epidemiological linkage can be traced to the Tablighi Jamaat cluster, he said.
This includes 173 from Tamil Nadu, 11 from Rajasthan, nine from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 47 from Delhi, two from Puducherry, 22 from Jammu and Kashmir, 33 from Telangana, 67 from Andhra Pradesh and 16 from Assam.
These numbers are increasing as more samples are being tested, Agrawal said.
Regarding the Dharavi COVID19 positive case, he said the building there has been sealed and sample collection and contact tracing is going on as per protocol.
The joint secretary said that the prime minister has urged states to manage the coronavirus crisis at the district level.
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Orders have been placed for over 1.5 cr personal protective equipment (PPEs) and supply has already started, he said, adding that domestic manufacturing of N-95 masks has been stepped up.
The official also informed that there have been limited cases of doctors on duty testing COVID-19 positive and asserted that it is important to follow infection prevention control at hospitals.
(With inputs from PTI)
