Gujarat covid count rises to 144 with 16 new cases

Ahmedabad: Gujarat reported 16 new coronavirus cases on Monday, taking the total number of such cases in the state to 144, a health department official said.

Ten of these new patients have direct or indirect link to religious congregation organised by Tablighi Jamaat at Nizamuddin in Delhi last month, Principal Secretary (Health) Jayanti Ravi said.

Of the 16 new cases, 11 are from Ahmedabad, two from Vadodara, and one each in Mehsana, Patan and Surat.

Nine patients from Ahmedabad and one from Mehsana have link to the Nizamuddin religious event, the official said.

So far, 11 patients have died while 21 have been discharged after recovery, she said.

Intensive testing in COVID-19 hotspots of the state has led to several cases coming to light and many new patients have link to the Nizamuddin congregation, Ravi said.