Delhi reports 93 fresh coronavirus cases, two more deaths

Two more persons died while 93 more people tested positive for COVID-19 in the national capital on Thursday even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said there is no community spread and the government was prepared to handle any such eventuality.

At least one of the two persons who died and 77 of the fresh cases belonged to Tablighi Jamaat, which is linked to atleast 17 deaths due to COVID-19 across India as its followers spread across India after attending a religious gathering in Delhi in mid-march.

As of now, Delhi has a total of 386 cases out of which 259 belonged to the Islamic missionary movement. Altogether, 10 people have been discharged while one left abroad leaving 369 still in hosptial under treatment.

Kejriwal said most of the cases reported in the capital were linked to Tablighi Jamaat and there was no widespread virus infection among other people. "There is no community spread in the national capital at present. Most of the cases are related to Tablighi Jamaat. The government is prepared to handle the situation even if the virus is spread," he said.

Authorities had earlier this week evacuated 2,346 from the Tablighi Masjid headquarters that houses the Alami Markaz Banglewali Masjid. Of this, 536 symptomatic people were shifted to hospitals while the rest 1,810 were shifted to institutional quarantine facilities.

So far, officials said, 3273 samples were sent from Delhi for testing of which results of 296 are still pending. They said 2,151 people who travelled abroad are still in home quarantine while their 18,081 contacts are also yet to complete the 14-day cycle.

In Delhi, a bulleting had said on Thursday, 243 ventilators, 3,261 personal prevention equipment, 4.63 lakh surgical mask, 20,566 N-95 masks and 22,366 sanitisers are available.