43 Markaz attendees test positive in Andhra; 1,637 cases, 38 deaths in India

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: With fresh cases being reported from Delhi Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab Gujarat, the number of positive cases in India rose to 1,637 in India. The death toll stands at 38. On Wednesday, deaths were reported in Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, and Bengal. Three resident doctors working in government hospitals in Delhi are among the healthcare professionals who have been tested positive in the capital city.

Meanwhile, a nationwide manhunt is underway to identify, quarantine and test all those who attended a gathering in mid-March of almost 4,000 people in Delhi's Markaz Nizamuddin that has emerged as a virus hotspot. The number of cases in Andhra Pradesh doubled overnight from 44 to 87 after 43 Markaz attendees tested positive. The Home Ministry has asked state governments to identify and quarantine all Tablighi Jamaat foreigners and deport them after medical clearance.

In the United States, death toll from the coronavirus pandemic topped 4,000 early Wednesday, more than double the number from three days earlier, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. President Donald Trump warned Americans to brace for a "hell of a bad two weeks" ahead as the White House projected there could be 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the US even if current social distancing guidelines are maintained. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the pandemic the most challenging crisis since World War II and one that will bring a recession "that probably has no parallel in the recent past."

(Inputs and image from theindianexprss.com)