746 coronavirus cases in Delhi are from Nizamuddin Markaz area, says Satyendar Jain

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Monday informed that 746 out of the 1,154 coronavirus cases in the national capital are from Markaz area in Nizamuddin, which emerged as a COVID-19 hotspot after hundreds of people who attended Tablighi Jamaat event last month tested positive for the virus.

"746 patients are from Markaz area and 408 others are from Delhi. There are 1,102 COVID-19 positive patients in the hospitals including 50 who are in ICU and six on ventilator support," Jain told ANI.

"If three or more cases are reported in a locality, we declare it a hotspot. We seal the area and sanitise it. Residents of that area are screened. We also started random testing. Rapid testing kits are awaited," he said.

The minister said that essential services are being allowed in 43 containment zones in Delhi.

"Essential services are being allowed in sealed areas. Scanning is being done in hotspot areas. There are 43 containment zones in Delhi today," Jain said.

He also said that the government is increasing the capacity to accommodate coronavirus patients. The minister informed that 180 random samples were collected from Dilshad Garden, a COVID-19 hotspot in the national capital.

Jain stated that Delhi has received only 13,500 kits so far from the central government.

He said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has suggested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the lockdown for two more weeks in the country amid surging coronavirus cases.