More of India's states have opened up with crowds of commuters trickling onto the roads in many of cities, as a three-phase plan to lift the nationwide coronavirus lockdown begins despite an upward trend in new infections.
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Businesses and shops reopened on Monday in many states and the railways announced 200 more special passenger trains. Some states also opened their borders, allowing vehicular traffic.
The coastal state of Maharashtra, home to the financial hub of Mumbai and Bollywood, allowed the resumption of film production with some restrictions in place. In New Delhi, the capital, authorities announced the reopening of all industries and salons, while keeping the borders sealed until June 8 to try to prevent a spike in new cases.
But as India eases more restrictions, the country continues to report a rise in infections.
India on Monday climbed to the seventh spot in countries worst hit by the virus, passing Germany and France, as its confirmed cases rose to more than 190,000, including 5394 deaths.
The first phase of the easing of the lockdown, called Unlock 1, will restrict curbs to containment zones - areas which have been isolated due to coronavirus outbreaks. It gives states more power to decide and strategise lockdown implementations locally.
More than 60 per cent of the country's virus deaths have been reported in only two states - Maharashtra and neighbouring Gujarat. The new cases are largely concentrated in six states, including New Delhi.
Critics fear the lockdown, starting more than two months ago, is being eased too soon. There are concerns the virus might be spreading through India's villages as millions of jobless migrant workers return home from big cities.
Experts warn the pandemic has yet to peak in India, and many states have begun to identify more high-risk zones where coronavirus lockdowns will continue until June 30. But restaurants, malls and religious venues are permitted to reopen elsewhere on June 8.
In a radio address to the nation on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioned citizens and asked them to remain vigilant.
"Becoming careless or lackadaisical cannot be an option," he said. Modi's government has stressed restrictions are being eased to focus on promoting economic activity, which has been hit severely by the lockdown.
India implemented the lockdown - one of the world's strictest - on March 25, ordering everyone to stay inside, except for emergencies and essential services, leading to a sudden halt to the economy. The lockdown was devastating for daily labourers and migrant workers, who fled cities for their family homes in the countryside.
The country's unemployment rate rose to 23.48 per cent in May, according to official data released on Monday.
Australian Associated Press
