A PIZZA deliveryman tested positive for coronavirus leaving up to 72 households he had taken food to in quarantine.

The unnamed fast food worker was diagnosed with Covid-19 after a day’s work while complaining of a cough on April 11 in Delhi, India.

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South Delhi district magistrate BM Mishra said the deliveryman believed he just had common flu, reports Hindustan Times.

His condition then worsened and he was taken to the RML Hospital in Delhi where he was diagnosed with coronavirus.

Health authorities have now placed families and residents at the 72 houses he had visited over the last 15 days under home quarantine.

Also 17 other workers at the restaurant where he works have been taken to a quarantine facility at Chattarpur for observation.

India is currently under the world’s biggest lockdown – covering 1.3billion people – with dine-in restaurants banned but takeaway services still allowed.

The outlet where the deliveryman was working has now been closed for two weeks as a precaution.

Zomato – an food delivery service like Deliveroo based in India – said it was encouraging all its riders to wear masks and take precautions.

The firm assure all other deliver riders who had come into contact with the patient have been tested negative, reports India Today.

In a statement, the Zomato said: “We are not sure whether the rider was infected at the time of delivery.

“This restaurant had instructed their riders to wear masks, and follow strict hygiene to keep customers safe from any unintended mishap.

“All co-workers of the said rider have been tested negative.

“And as a precaution, the restaurant where this rider worked has suspended operations.

“At Zomato’s end, we are leaving no stone unturned to make sure that our customers, our delivery partners and our restaurant partners are safe.”

Domino’s Pizza in India took to Twitter to confirm the incident had nothing to do with them.

India is currently in the midst of a lockdown which has been extended until May 3 – with 12,759 coronavirus cases and 423 deaths.

Announcing the lockdown on March 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: “To save India, to save its every citizen, you, your family… every street, every neighbourhood is being put under lockdown.

"The next 21 days are crucial for us… If we are not able to manage this pandemic then the country and your family will be set back by 21 years.”

India has been hit by a wave of racist attacks on Muslims amid unfounded accusations about the minority population spreading the coronavirus.

The country's health ministry fuelled the inaccurate accusations by saying an Islamic seminary was to blame for the virus, which sparked a wave of violence.

A police officer had his hand hacked off with a sword after being attacked by a mob as he attempted to enforce the nationwide lockdown in Punjab.

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