India on Tuesday reported another surge in the number coronavirus disease cases. The country recorded 9,987 cases in the last 24 hours, which took the overall tally to 2,66,598, according to the Union health ministry.
The number of active cases in the country is 1,29,917, while 1,29,214 have been cured or discharged, the health ministry update at 8 am showed.
The number of those killed by the disease reached 7,466 on Tuesday after 266 fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours.
India recorded the deadliest day due to the Covid-19 outbreak, a compilation of data released by states showed on Monday when the fatality count rose by 342, taking the total number of deaths due to the illness to 7,476.
Monday’s jump in fatalities is only the second time the number has been in the 300s. On Friday, this number was exactly 300, the data released by officials across the country showed.
The first of the major relaxations as part of India’s three-phase ‘unlocking’ plan came into force in several parts of the country on Monday. Across the country, restaurants, malls and religious places such as temples, mosques and churches opened for the first time after the imposition of the nationwide lockdown on March 25, albeit with far fewer footfalls then before.
Signs marking where people will stand, new screens between diners and separate entry and exit routes were commonly seen in these places, along with thermal screening and hand sanitisers that visitors were being required to apply before entry.
In metropolitan cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, traffic jams were reported during rush hours and a large number of people was seen at bus stops, particularly since in both these cities, the metro and local rail transit are yet to resume.
Meanwhile, the World Bank said on Monday that the coronavirus pandemic will plunge the world into a severe recession, the deepest since World War II, shredding per capita incomes and pushing millions into poverty.
The global economy is expected to shrink 5.2% in 2020, it said.
