328 COVID-19 Cases In 24 Hours, Spurt Linked To Delhi Event: 10 Points

New Delhi: India reported 50 novel coronavirus-linked deaths this morning, according to data from the Union Health Ministry; 12 of those deaths were reported in the past 24 hours. Across the country 1,965 cases of coronavirus, or COVID-19, infection have been confirmed, with 328 in the past 24 hours. The number of people who have been discharged after treatment is now 151. On Wednesday the country recorded its highest single-day increase in the number of COVID-19 positive patients - 437 were reported, with Tamil Nadu leading the spike.

Here are the top 10 points in this big story:

1. The sharp increase in the number of cases has been linked to the controversial religious gathering held by Islamic group Tablighi Jamaat at the Markaz Nizamuddin in south Delhi. Thousands defied social distancing protocol to visit and stay at the 100-year-old complex. Overall at least 7,600 Indians and 1,306 foreigners with links to the group have been identified so far. Testing and isolation of suspected patients has begun but the number could increase as states hunt for more members.
2. Twenty-three states and four union territories have worked round the clock to identify 1,306 members of the organisation from other countries since the Markaz, or religious centre, was identified as a novel coronavirus hotspot by the centre. Data collected by the Home Ministry till Wednesday shows that of them, over 1,000 have been quarantined, 21 have tested positive and two have died.
3. Also on Wednesday the Delhi government concluded a 36-hour evacuation operation to remove 2,361 people from the complex. The operation began after over 130 COVID-19 cases and seven deaths were linked to the gathering. Of those evacuated, 617 were sent to hospitals and the rest to quarantine facilities. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the entire complex has been sealed and will be sanitised.
4. Delhi government has also said it will use mobile phone signals to trace the movements of those instructed to remain under quarantine. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the measure was temporary and that over 25,000 numbers had been given to Delhi Police so far. Delhi has 152 active COVID-19 cases so far, with two deaths and six recoveries.
5. North East India has reported 20 COVID-19 cases so far, with 18 of those linked to the Markaz Nizamuddin gathering. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh have both reported their first coronavirus cases. In Assam, which has seen an explosion of cases, a 52-year-old cleric who runs a madrassa located 300 kilometres from Guwahati has tested positive for the virus. He had visited the Nizamuddin area in Delhi but did not attend the event.
6. Government sources in Arunachal Pradesh have confirmed a patient from Lohit district has been quarantined. Seven others have also been isolated and their samples are being tested. All eight visited Delhi in December last year and stayed at the Markaz.
7. A 56-year-old man who had tested positive for the highly infectious virus in Mumbai's Dharavi, which is Asia's largest slum cluster, died late Wednesday evening. Sources said seven other people staying in his house had been quarantined and will be tested today. The house has been sealed, but authorities are concerned at a possible spike in cases given more than a million people live in that 5 square kilometre area.
8. As per numbers on Wednesday, Tamil Nadu reported the largest increase in the numbers of active cases; it saw 160 people testing positive in a 24-hour period. The state has, so far, 234 cases. One death has been linked to the virus and six have recovered after contracting it.
9. Other states that saw big jumps in the numbers of cases were Maharashtra; the state reported 86 new cases on Wednesday to take its total to 335. At least 13 have died so far and 42 have recovered.
10. Last week Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a 21-day "total lockdown" of the country in an attempt to stop the virus from spreading. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced a Rs 1.75 lakh crore package to protect the already stuttering Indian economy at this time. Both measures have been praised today by Tedors Ghebreyesus, the Director General of the World Health Organisation.