India registered its highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases on Sunday with 8,380 new infections reported in the last 24 hours, taking the country's tally to 1,82,143, while the death toll rose to 5,164, according to the Union health ministry.
The number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 89,995, while 86,983 people have recovered and one patient has migrated, it said. "Thus, around 47.75 per cent patients have recovered so far," according to the health ministry.
The death toll has gone up by 193 since Saturday morning, of which 99 were from Maharashtra, 27 from Gujarat, 18 from Delhi, nine each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, seven from West Bengal, six each from Tamil Nadu and Telangana, five in Bihar, three from Uttar Pradesh, two from Punjab, and one each from Haryana and Kerala.
The home ministry on Saturday said 'Unlock 1' will be initiated in the country from June 8 under which the nationwide lockdown effectuated on March 25 will be relaxed to a great extent, including opening of shopping malls, restaurants and religious places, even as strict restrictions will remain in place till June 30 in the country's worst-hit areas.
While announcing the extension of the lockdown in containment zones across the country, the Union home Mmnistry said temples, mosques, churches and other religious places and shopping malls will be allowed to open in a phased manner from June 8, while a decision on opening of schools and colleges will be taken in July in consultation with the states.
Issuing fresh guidelines to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far claimed 4,971 lives and infected 1,73,763 people in India, the home ministry has given more powers to the states and union territories to ascertain and define a containment zone. Delhi at present has 122 containment zones and about 30 municipality areas in the country are considered to be the worst-hit. Unveiling the phased reopening, which the home ministry termed as 'Unlock 1', the guidelines said activities at religious places, opening of hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services and shopping malls will start from June 8.
However, cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums and similar places will continue to remain shut. The home ministry asked the Union health ministry to issue standard operating protocols for the sectors which were allowed to open after consulting other ministries, departments and other stakeholders to ensure social distancing and to contain the spread of COVID-19.
-Inputs from PTI
