Amid rising number of coronavirus cases, a locality incentral Delhi - Chandni Mahal - has reported three coronavirus or COVID-19 deathsin three days and at least 52 positive cases after 102 people were evacuatedfrom 13 mosques earlier this week. The area has been sealed under strictcontainment measures to control the spread of the virus.

Many of those evacuated, including some foreigners, camefrom the Nizammud in headquarters of Islamic sect - Tablighi Jamaat - that helda religious gathering last month. The religious gathering has been linked tomore than 450 coronavirus cases in the national capital. The city has so farrecorded more than 900 cases - the third highest in India - and at least 13deaths. Across India, the gathering has been linked to more than 1,000coronavirus cases.

On Monday, 102 people were evacuated from 13 mosques inChandni Mahal and isolated at a quarantine centre in Gulabhi Bagh, about 8 kmaway. Of these 52 tested positive for coronavirus; three deaths linked to thehighly infectious illness were reported in the area in last three days.

This is one of the biggest clusters that has come across inthe city after evacuations at the Nizammudin headquarters of Tablighi Jamaatlast month. Over 2,000 delegates, including from Indonesia and Malaysia,attended the congregation in March.

Chandni Mahal has now been cordoned off and the districtmagistrate has ordered "door to door supply of essentialcommodities", asking officials to ensure that the residents are notallowed to leave their houses. "The interaction between the people testedpositive and residents of Chandni Mahal can't be ruled out," a letter bythe District Magistrate Nidhi Srivastava reads.

The entire area will be sanitised under the containment planto prevent further spread of the illness, it adds. Those who came in contactwith the people who have died will be tested for COVID-19 and will remain underhome quarantine.

The national capital has identified 30 COVID-19 hotspotswhere strict containment measures are being taken including a total ban on peopleleaving their homes.

One of the containment zones - a locality in East Delhi'sDilshad Garden - has become a "coronavirus-free" area following the"Operation SHIELD" protocol of the government, Health MinisterSatyendar Jain told NDTV on Friday. No new cases were reported from the area inthe last 10 days.

Announced by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday,SHIELD involves steps like sealing, home quarantine, isolation and tracking,essential supply, local sanitisation and door-to-door checking.

More than 7,400 people have contracted coronavirus in thecountry, at least 230 people have died due to the outbreak. Worldwide, thenumber of those infected soared to 16 lakh on Friday, more than 1 lakh havedied.