Doctor, 35, Third COVID-19 Case In Mumbai's Dharavi In As Many Days

A 35-year-old doctor from Mumbai's Dharavi tested positive for COVID-19. He has been quarantined and contact tracing has begun to isolate all those who came in contact with him.

The doctor's family has also been quarantined and will be tested for infection today, the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) said, adding that the building he was living in had been sealed by health department officials.

This is the third case of novel coronavirus infection in Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, in as many days.

On Thursday a 52-year-old man, a civic worker who lives in Worli but had been posted to Dharavi tested positive for the virus. The day before a 56-year-old man died after having testing positive for the highly contagious virus earlier. He had no travel history.

Also on Thursday the Congress's Varsha Gaikwad, who is the MLA representing Dharavi, visited the slum after the first cases was reported to "take stock of the situation".

"I visited Dharavi & took stock of situation after the first coronavirus case was reported here. Also, held meetings with police and municipal officers. There is no need to panic but the lockdown should be strictly followed," Ms Gaikwad, who is also a Maharashtra cabinet minister, was quoted by news agency ANI.

I visited Dharavi & took stock of situation after the first #Coronavirus case was reported here. Also, held meetings with Police & Municipal officers. There is no need to panic but the lockdown should be strictly followed: Maharashtra Minister&Dharavi MLA, Varsha Gaikwad #Mumbaipic.twitter.com/z4XRdgzC6i

— ANI (@ANI) April 2, 2020

More than a million people live in Dharavi, a five square kilometre slum that has a maze of dirty lanes and cramped huts packed with large families. Over 70 per cent of the residents use community toilets. Small industries and workshops for leather goods, pottery and textiles operate from the area.

Thickly populated zones like Dharavi are a huge challenge in efforts to enforce social distancing critical in checking the novel coronavirus, which spreads easily from person to person.

Mumbai is among the virus hotspots identified by the government, with nearly 200 cases and nine deaths linked to the virus.

The total number of positive cases in Maharashtra is 335 and at least 16 deaths have been reported.

The number of COVID-19 cases across the country crossed 2,000 late Thursday evening, with 253 new cases detected in a 24-hour period. Fifty-six deaths have been confirmed by the Health Ministry.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed the nation this morning via a brief video message, met chief ministers of several states on Thursday evening to review the situation.

In the meeting the Prime Minister asked the chief ministers to prepare a plan for phased movement of people once the 21-day nationwide lockdown, that he had imposed last week, comes to an end.

With input from ANI