New Delhi: Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain on Friday said the coronavirus is at the local transmission stage, the second stage of COVID spread, as people living together are becoming positive in large numbers.

The local transmission of an infection begins when the source can be traced. It is the second stage of the transmission when it is transmitted between closely connected people.

Speaking to the media, Jain said the local spread is when people living together test positive for the infection.

"It is spreading among those having close contacts. It is local spread. In local spread, large cases are reported from people having close contacts, be it family or those living nearby."

He said people need to understand that this infection can spread.

"That is why we are requesting that everyone should stay indoors."

The national capital has reported a large number of positive cases from the containment zones. The total patient count of the virus is about 2,400, with 50 deaths reported.

There are at least three stages of the virus spread.

In the first stage, the cases are reported from people who have had travel history to an already affected country.

Then there is the stage of local transmission - when people who have brought the virus into the country transmit it to people they come in contact with, usually friends and family. At this stage, it is easy to trace the spread and quarantine people.

The third stage is when the source of the infection is untraceable, and occurs when people who haven't had travel history get affected by the virus - once here, the spread is extremely contagious and difficult to control.