Five Indian Cities Identified As Coronavirus Hotspots

India is doing its best to combat the constantly surging coronavirus cases which have clutched the country in its claws. At the time of filing this, there were 6,217 confirmed cases, out of which 184 proved fatal and 569 had recovered. The government, on Wednesday, identified 10 cities as hotspots for the transmission of the viral disease.

What is a Hotspot

A disease cluster is a localised area where at least ten cases of the infection have been reported. When several clusters are identified in a particular region, it becomes a hotspot.

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Here are the five hotspots in India.

Delhi (Nizamuddin)

Delhi's centuries-old locality is one of the biggest hotspots. The neighbourhood gained the attention of the authorities due to a religious congregation of Tablighi Jamaat held between March 1 and 15. Around 3,200 devotees from India and abroad participated in this and were in Delhi till March 22. As the devotees returned the infection is said to have trailed too and the decision of holding the congregation became a topic for primetime debate.

Indore

Ranked as the cleanest city in the country for the last three years consecutively, Indore has reported 213 cases. The commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh accounts for about 50 percent of the cases in the state. The death toll reached 22 after a doctor succumbed to the coronavirus. The local administration faced criticism for its strategy to combat the virus since the authorities did not establish a system to screen people going out and coming in during the initial stages. The officials have reported that the locals started pelting stones at them on Wednesday when asked to stay indoors.

Mumbai

The business capital of India and the city that houses the film industry is one which is the worst-hit by COVID-19. The total corona cases in Maharashtra are as many as 1297 with more than 600 people in the financial capital. The state recorded the highest jump in a single day on Thursday with 162 new cases, Mumbai accounted for 143 of these. There have been 72 deaths due to COVID-19 in Maharashtra, and 45 of these fatalities are from Mumbai. The state is planning to start rapid COVID-19 testing for early detection of the infection, using swabs instead of blood samples.

Pune

A total of 197 cases have been reported from Pune till date and the death toll rose to 20 as two more people died of the infection on Thursday. On Wednesday the Maharashtra district reported 10 new deaths. The city has mandated the use of masks in all parts and those in violation of the order will be liable to prosecution under Indian Penal Code section 188 and Provisions of Epidemic Diseases Act. The city announced stringent curfew measures even before the hotspots were identified by the government. The complete closure of roads and some markets have been announced to abide by the social distancing rules. People's groups in the city have taken the initiative to curb the work timings of establishments selling essential items, as per this report.

Noida

The city became a major hotspot with about twenty regions affected by the virus. The business hub recorded its first case in the beginning of March when a person with foreign travel history reported positive. His son had attended a birthday party and all the families were tested. The city, with struggling medical health facilities, was among the first ones to shut down schools and perform sanitization. As the cases escalated, many tested positive from major company outlets. The city has reported 60 cases and 11 patients have recovered and have been sent home. People started panic buying as soon as the sealing of districts was announced on Wednesday. Shops saw spiking prices and long arrays of people.

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Saavriti is an intern at SheThePeople.TV