With the Centre deciding to ease the lockdown norms on Monday, India recorded its biggest single-day spike in coronavirus cases.
The lockdown was partially relaxed on Monday in few of the less contaminated states to allow some manufacturing and agricultural activity to resume.
ALSO READ: Nationwide Lockdown Introduced Me To The Sadist Me
According to the data available India over the past 24 hours reported an additional 1553 cases as the national total went past 17000.
Moreover, at least 543 people have died from COVID-19 till now and epidemiologists forecast the peak may not be reached before June.
The nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was imposed on March 24, initially till April 14
However, on April 12 Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the lockdown until May 3, with partial relaxation from Monday, April 20.
And starting from Monday, limited industry and farming were allowed to resume where employers could meet social distancing and hygiene norms.
On top of it, migrant workers were also allowed to travel within states to factories, farms and other worksites and resume working.
The centre, however, rejected the inter-state travelling of migrant workers and asked them to work in the state where they are residing presently.
The Union Home Ministry, in a letter, said, "In the event, a group of migrants wish to return to their places of work within the state where they are presently located, they would be screened and those who are asymptomatic would be transported to their respective places of work."
The air service, train service, and bus services, however, remained suspended and it is unlikely that the same would be resumed before May 3.
According to the government data, as many as 2547 persons, which accounts to 14.75 per cent of the total cases, have been cured and discharged after recovery in India.
The Centre further informed that the doubling rate of COVID-19 cases calculated using growth over the past seven days indicates that India’s doubling rate for the week before the lockdown was 3.4 and has improved to 7.5 as on Sunday, April 19.
The Story Mug, a Guwahati-based blogzine, believes in telling stories that matter.