With a daily increase of 9,983 in total cases, which is the biggest single-day jump yet, India’s tally has risen from 246,628 to 256,611.

That apart, the death toll has reached 7,135, with 206 new fatalities being reported in last 24 hours.

So far, the number of active cases across India has increased by 4975, compared with 4,464 on Sunday.

Speaking of states that have reported the biggest 24-hour jump in active cases, Maharashtra (992) tops the list, followed by Tamil Nadu (893), Jammu & Kashmir (528), Haryana (492), and West Bengal (252).

Meanwhile, as per the guidelines issued earlier by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), today, the counrty heads into the "unlock" phase also known as Unlock 1.0.

Shopping malls and places of worship across the country, barring those in states like Maharashtra and Goa, are ready to throw their doors open to people after remaining closed for nearly two-and-a-half months due to the lockdown prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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