The Delhi government has sealed 21 COVID-19 hostspots with the posh Bengali Market being the latest to be added to the list to contain the spread of novel Coronavirus in the national capital.

The New Delhi District Magistrate has “contained” the Bengali Market area, along with Babar Road, Todarmal Road, Babar Lane and School Lane after three positive cases were found in the Bengali Market area.

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DM Tanvi Garg issued the order on April 8, after a surveillance team of NDMC and police detected three positive cases in the Bengali Market area.

Garg evoked the containment plan for “Bengali Market/Babar Road and adjoining area of Todarmal Road, Babar Lane and School Lane”.

The order, signed by her, said “non-compliance of this order shall attract penal action as per the Disaster Management Act, 2005, read in conjunction with Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 and Penal provisions of IPC.”

According to reports, 35 workers were found on the rooftop of a pastry shop at Bengali Market, a popular family haunt in the heart of the capital.

An FIR has been filed against Bengali Pastry Shop for endangering lives by defying the lockdown.

The workers, according to the police, were found on the terrace of the shop in unhygienic conditions huddled together in a tight space with no social distancing. They have been quarantined at a shelter home.

The DM has directed the NDMC to immediately sanitize the entire Bengali Market under containment plan to prevent further spread of COVID-19.

Delhi Government order calls for sanitising Bengali market area under containment plan and stop movement of persons in the area and move some people living in unhygienic conditions to the nearby shelter home. pic.twitter.com/ifRT6w1s4T

— COVID19 Social Security, welfare & justice Orders (@COVIDIndiaTrack) April 8, 2020

On Wednesday, the Delhi government announced the sealing of 20 COVID-19 hotspots in the national capital to combat the spread of the novel virus.

The decision was taken in a high-level meeting of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal with ministers and top officials.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, “Nobody will be allowed to enter or exit from these areas.”

The administration will ensure door-to-door delivery of the essential items, he added.

So far, several pockets in the city have been declared containment zones, including parts of Nizamuddin, Dilshad Garden, Vasundhara Enclave, Kalyanpuri, Pandav Nagar, Krishan Kunj, Khichripur, Malviya Nagar, Sangam Vihar and Patparganj.

The 20 identified hotspots apart from Bengali Market are: 1. Entire effected street near Gandhi Park, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi; 2. Entire effected street of Gali No 6 , L 1 Sangam Vihar, New Delhi; 3. Shahajahanabad society, plot no 1, Sector 11, Dwarka; 4. Dinpur Village; 5. Markaz Masjid and Nizamuddin Basti; 6. Nizamuddin West (G and D block) areas; 7. B Block Jhangirpuri; 8. H. No 141 to H. No 180, Gali no. 14, Kalyanpuri Delhi; 9. Mansara Appartments , Vasundhara Enclave, Delhi; 10. 3 Galis of Khichirpur including Gali containing H. No. 5/387 Khichirpur, Delhi; 11. Gali No 9, Pandav Nagar , Delhi 110092; 12. VarDhaman Appartments , Mayur Vihar, Phase I , Extension, Delhi; 13. Mayurdhwaj Appartments , I P Extension, Patparganj, Delhi; 14. Gali no. 4, from H. No. J- 3/115 ( Nagar Dairy) to H. No. J- 3/108( towards Anar wali Masjid Chowk), Kishan Kunj Extension, Delhi; 15. Gali No. 4, from H. No J- 3/101 to H. No. J – 3/107 Krishan Kunj Extension Delhi; 16. Gali No. 5, A Block ( From H No. A- 176 to A-189), WestVinod NagarDelhi 110092; 17. J & K , L and H pockets Dilshad Garden; 18. G, H, J, Blocks old Seemapuri; 19. F- 70 to 90 block Dilshad Colony; 20. Pratap khand, Jhilmil Colony.

Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting, via video-conferencing, with members of Parliament from Delhi regarding the prevailing Coronavirus situation in Delhi. He made clear that wearing face masks was compulsory in the national capital for anyone stepping out of house.

On Tuesday, Kejriwal had announced a five-point action plan which includes one lakh rapid anti-body tests in hotspots to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The total number of coronavirus cases in the national capital on Wednesday mounted to 669, with 93 fresh cases reported in a day, according to the Delhi Health Department.

The total cases include 426 people who took part in Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin area in March, they said. Delhi has so far reported nine deaths.

Decision to seal COVID-19 hotspots in Delhi came shortly after the Uttar Pradesh government announced that it would seal Coronavirus hotspots identified in 15 districts of the state till the end of the 21-day nationwide lockdown on April 14.

The districts where orders will be implemented are Agra, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Lucknow, Varanasi, Shamli, Meerut, Bareilly, Bulandshahr, Kanpur, Basti, Ferozabad, Saharanpur, Maharajganj, and Sitapur.

The total tally of novel coronavirus cases in India reached up to 5,734 on Thursday, the data of Union Health Ministry said.

As per the Ministry data, of the total number, 5,095 are active cases, 166 are dead, one has migrated, while 472 people have been discharged after recovery.