The first case of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Indian capital of Delhi was reported on 2 March 2020. Delhi has the seventh-highest number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India. The total number of cases reported as of Apr 2022, is 1,867,572 consisting of 26,158 deaths and 1,840,342 who have recovered.
On 22 March, Delhi observed a 14-hour voluntary public curfew (the Janata curfew) along with 75 districts in India, at the directive of the Prime Minister. A nationwide lockdown was later issued for 21 days from 24 March.
Thousands of "stranded migrant workers" from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar gathered in the Anand Vihar Bus Station on 29 March 2020, trying to get back home after the nationwide lockdown was imposed. More than 3000 people from a religious gathering in the Nizamuddin Markaz Mosque (in the Nizamuddin West area) were quarantined after suspicions that they had come in contact with infected people. 1300 Tablighi Jamaat were part of this crowd, including foreigners in Markaz.
It was reported that air quality index of Delhi improved on 28 March 2020, after the lockdown had reduced traffic. In April 2021, with cases increasing daily, CM Arvind Kejriwal announced a weekend curfew in Delhi every weekend. Notably, the traffic in the capital city decreased by a large amount. On 19 April 2021, Delhi turned the weekend curfew to a week-long lockdown. The lockdown was extended several times - on April 25, May 2, May 9, May 15 until May 24 (as updated on May 19). Now lockdown is unlocked on 8 June.
Timeline
The first case of COVID-19 in Delhi was confirmed on 2 March 2020 when a 45-year-old person from East Delhi, with a history of travel from Italy, tested positive for the coronavirus. A total of 92 people had been in contact with this person, 14 of which were from Delhi, and the remaining 74 were from other states. Out of these 14 in Delhi, two were symptomatic, but tested negative for COVID-19. On 5 March 2020, the second victim, a 26-year-old Paytm employee from Uttam Nagar, West Delhi, tested positive, having recently traveled to Italy and France. His family members were asymptomatic, however. 91 contacts were found, out of which 18 contacts were from Delhi, and the remaining 73 from other regions On 6 March 2020, three positive cases were reported from Uttam Nagar. 105 contacts were found for the first case, 95 for the second, and 11 for the third. On 9 March 2020, 4 positive cases were reported. 76 contacts were found. On 11 March 2020, a 46-year-old male who travelled to Japan, Geneva and Italy contracted the virus. On 12 March 2020, a 69-year-old female was infected. On 13 March 2020, the mother of the 46-year-old died. She was the second COVID-19 death in India. Also, a resident of Rajasthan and an evacuee from Italy was quarantined at Manesar Camp. On 15 April 2021, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a weekend curfew along with tight restrictions on weekdays in order to curb the second wave of COVID-19 infections. On 17 April 2022, Delhi sees a rise in cases, but the positivity rate has relatively reduced from 5.33% to 4.21%
Tablighi Jamaat event
The Tablighi Jamaat wanted to meet in Vasai, Maharashtra, but an outbreak of COVID-19 caused them to relocate to Nizamuddin West. The Nizamuddin faction of the Tablighi Jamaat held the religious congregational program (Ijtema) in Nizamuddin West, Delhi. The Delhi Government's order that no seminars, conferences or any big event (beyond 200 people) should be held was ignored. Many foreign speakers violated safety protocols, including misuse of tourist visa for missionary activities, and not quarantining for two weeks.
At least 24 of the attendees had tested positive for the virus among the 300 who showed symptoms by 31 March 2020. It is believed that the sources of infection were preachers from Indonesia. Many had returned to their states, and also provided refuge to foreign speakers without the knowledge of local governments. Eventually, local transmissions started, especially in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir and Assam. The entire Nizamuddin West was cordoned off by the Police as of 30 March, and medical camps were set up. 167 of the attendees were quarantined in a railway facility in southeast Delhi amid concerns over their safety and over transmission of the virus. The Tablighi Jamaat gathering emerged as one of India's major coronavirus hotspots, On 18 April 2020, Central Government of India said that 4,291 cases (or 29.8% of the 14,378 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in India) were linked to the Tablighi Jamaat, and these cases were spread across 23 states and Union Territories.