The total number of corona cases in the state climbed to 471 with 18 fresh positive cases reported on Thursday, Telangana health minister Etela Rajender informed.

Addressing a press conference, he said the Telangana government had initiated tough measures with an aim to become corona-free state by April 7, but unfortunately the state had witnessed a sudden spurt in Covid-19 cases only after people from Telangana who attended the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin area were found infected.

Holding attendees of Tablighi Jamaat event in Delhi responsible for the spike in corona virus cases in the state, Etela Rajender said, “Otherwise, Telangana by now would have been a corona-free state.” Of the 471 positive corona cases, Rajender said 388 cases are Jamaat attendees from the state, he said. “Had there been no Tablighi Jamaat incident, the state would have overcome the problem,” he said referring to the spurt in corona cases after many Tablighi Jamaat meeting returnees and their family members tested positive during the last few days. “The other cases are all foreign returnees. There is not a single local case,” he said.

More than 1,300 people from the state had attended the Tablighi Jamaat in Nizamuddin and returned to Telangana and around 26,000 foreign returnees who returned from various countries were quarantined so far. The health minister said 414 people are undergoing treatment in various hospitals. “Only one patient is on ventilator,” Etela Rajender said.