Timeline

On 30 January, India reported its first case of COVID-19 in Kerala, which rose to three cases by 3 February; all were students who had returned from Wuhan, China. No significant rise in cases was seen in the rest of February. On 4 March, 22 new cases came to light, including those of an Italian tourist group with 14 infected members.

The transmission escalated during March after several cases were reported all over the country. Most of which were linked to people with a travel history to affected countries. On 12 March, a 76-year-old man who had returned from Saudi Arabia became the first victim of the virus in the country.

Confirmed cases crossed 100 on 15 March, 1,000 on 28 March, 5,000 on 7 April, 10,000 on 14 April,15,000 on 19 April and 20,000 on 22 April. The death toll crossed 50 on 1 April, 100 on 5 April, and 500 on 19 April.

India: COVID-19 – Super Spread

A Sikh preacher that returned from travel to Italy and Germany, carrying the virus. He turned into “super spreader” by attending a Sikh festival in Anandpur Sahib from 10–12 March. Twenty-seven COVID-19 cases were traced back to him. Over 40,000 people in 20 villages in Punjab were quarantined on 27 March to contain the spread.

On 31 March, a Tablighi Jamaat religious congregation event that took place in Delhi. In early March emerged as a new virus hotspot after numerous cases across the country were traced back to the event. Over 9,000 missionaries may have attended the congregation. With the majority being from various states of India, and 960 attendees from 40 foreign countries. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 4,291 out of 14,378 confirmed cases were linked to this event in 23 Indian states and union territories till 18 April.

On 6 April 2020, in Mumbai’s Wockhardt Hospital. 26 nurses and 3 doctors were found to have been infected with the virus. The hospital was temporarily shut down and declared a containment zone. Negligence of the hospital administration has been blamed for the infections.

India: COVID-19 Confirmed cases, deaths, and recoveries by state and union territory

Increase in Cases per Day In INDIA