India extends lockdown after record surge in coronavirus cases

NEW DELHI – The number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in India, forcing the federal government to extend the world's largest lockdown for the fourth time.

India, a country of 1.3 billion people, has seen a spike in the COVID-19 infections, with total number of cases soaring above 96,000.  

Since Sunday morning, India's federal health ministry has reported 124 new deaths from COVID-19, and nearly 5,500 more positive cases, taking the number of deaths to 3,029.

This is the highest one-day spike in the country.

The new lockdown will remain in place for another two weeks.

The government's disaster response authority said that new guidelines would be issued, "keeping in view the need to open up economic activities".

The country went into lockdown on 24 March and schools, public transport and most businesses have been shut since.