Guardian staff and agencies
India has the world’s third-highest number of cases after the US and Brazil
India recorded 103,558 new Covid cases on Monday, its biggest ever one-day figure, data from the health ministry showed – taking the national total to 12.59 million cases.
The country added 478 new deaths, raising the toll to 165,101.
India has the world’s third-highest number of cases after the US, with 30 million, and Brazil, with just under 13 million.
Single-day infections have been rising since early February when they fell to below 9,000 after peaking at almost 100,000 in September.
India’s wealthiest state, Maharashtra, home to the financial capital, Mumbai, will impose a weekend lockdown and night curfew on its 110 million people in response to the rise in cases, authorities announced on Sunday.
From Monday night until the end of April a night curfew will be imposed, gatherings of more than four people banned, and private offices, restaurants, cinemas, swimming pools, bars, places of worship and public places such as beaches shut.
On weekends only essential services will be allowed to operate.
“While imposing these restrictions, on the one hand care has been taken not to affect the state’s economic cycle and not to harass the workers and labourers, and emphasis has been laid on closing crowded places,” the state government said.
Public transport services would be allowed to operate, but at 50% capacity. Industrial and manufacturing activities, as well as film shoots in Mumbai, the home of Bollywood, would be allowed to continue if health measures were observed.
In neighbouring Bangladesh, authorities said a seven-day lockdown would be imposed from Monday, with all domestic travel services including flights suspended, and malls and shops shut.
Banks would be allowed to open for 2.5 hours on weekdays, while public and private sector businesses were told to only have a skeleton crew in their offices.
“The corona infections are spreading fast. The infection and death rates are jumping,” said Obaidul Quader, the road transport minister. “In view of the prevailing situation, the Sheikh Hasina government has decided to enforce a lockdown across the country for seven days starting from Monday.”
Bangladeshi health authorities reported 7,087 new cases on Sunday – the highest one-day figure since the start of the pandemic – taking the infection toll to just under 640,000. The country of 168 million people has been grappling with a sharp rise in cases in recent weeks.