India reported its largest surge in new COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period Saturday. The 11,458 new infections surpassed the previous record of 10,956 cases reported Friday. The surge comes as India has reopened stores, shopping malls, manufacturing plants and places of worship. The country's two-month lockdown that began in March has been eased, with restrictions remaining largely intact in high-risk areas. India's record surge of new cases propels the massive South Asian nation to fourth place worldwide, surpassed only by the US, Brazil and Russia. India's total caseload reached 308,993, including more than 150,000 recoveries. The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown in late March. India's caseload jumped by about 100,000 cases in a week, which coincided with the reopening of shopping malls, houses of worship and restaurants. In the capital of New Delhi, most public hospitals are full, and crematoriums and graveyards are struggling to manage a rash of bodies. Delhi's government has projected that cases in the capital area alone could expand to more than half a million by late July, and is considering taking over luxury hotels and stadiums to convert into field hospitals. — Agencies
