India has announced a major relaxation of the world's biggest coronavirus lockdown from early June, except for so-called “containment zones” with high numbers of infections.
A home ministry order said that places of religious worship, hotels, restaurants and shopping malls “will be allowed” to operate from June 8, while educational establishments will be opened “after consultations” with Indian state authorities.
The announcement came even after the world's second-most populous country announced another record daily rise in infections, taking the total to more than 173,000 cases with almost 5,000 deaths.
