India reports biggest 24-hour rise in virus cases as lockdown eases

Prime Minister Narendra Modi relaxed rules in areas with lower caseloads

A migrant worker from another state waits in long queue to get his name registered so that he can board a train to his village during a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of new coronavirus in New Delhi, India. APShow less

India registered some 6,000 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Friday, the country's biggest jump in 24 hours, as New Delhi eases a nationwide lockdown and airlines prepare to resume some domestic flights.

The country of 1.3 billion people reported a total of over 118,000 confirmed cases on Friday, a roughly 5 per cent increase from Thursday's figures. Included in the total are 3,583 deaths.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended a lockdown, begun on March 25, to May 31, but relaxed rules in areas with lower numbers of cases and allowed state governments to issue their own guidelines on some matters.

India's airlines will be allowed to resume flights with about a third of operations as of Monday, but only on domestic routes and under rules that are among the strictest in the world.

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  Stranded Indian passengers who arrived by an Air India flight from Singapore wait for transport. EPA

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  Indian nationals in Oman wearing face masks get their body temperatures checked at a terminal in Muscat International Airport. AFP

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  A man wearing latex gloves and a mask checks airline tickets and travel documents in Muscat. AFP

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  Medical staff collect a sample from an Indian citizen flown home from Dubai by Air India flight at the Chennai International Airport in southern Tamil Nadu state. AFP

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  Indian citizens queue at Kuwait International Airport before boarding a repatriation flight to India. AFP

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  Stranded Indian passengers who arrived by an Air India flight from Singapore wait to come out of the terminal. EPA

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  A security personnel wearing protective gear stands guard as he waits for Indian citizens flown home from Dubai by Air India flight to arrive at the Chennai International Airport in southern Tamil Nadu state. AFP

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  Indian citizens flown home from Dubai by Air India flight arrive at the Chennai International Airport in southern Tamil Nadu state. AFP

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  Pavan Kapoor, India’s ambassador to the UAE, says the leaders of both nations have been in regular contact throughout the pandemic. Indian Embassy, Abu Dhabi

"This surge in cases has happened after movement of people has been partially allowed. But if you see overall, this is a much lower exponential trajectory as compared to the rest of the world," said Giridhar Babu, a professor of epidemiology with the Public Health Foundation of India.

"The only question now is: How do you reduce mortality? Do we have the capacity? The answer seems to be yes," Mr Babu added.

India's contagion hotspots include the capital New Delhi, financial hub Mumbai, Modi's home state of Gujarat, and the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

"Our Covid wards have been full for the past week, and we are expanding capacity to enable us to admit more patients," said Dr Lancelot Pinto, a respirologist at the P.D. Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai.

Millions of migrant workers have been making long and dangerous journeys across the country to return home as lockdown measures cause mass unemployment.

More than 200 domestic migrant workers have been killed in road accidents and at least 30 more have died of exhaustion after undertaking the treacherous journeys on foot or by bicycle.