Coronavirus Updates: India Extends ‘Unlock 5.0’ Guidelines Amid Festive Rush

Coronavirus cases in India are near the 80-lakh mark as the economy continues to reopen amid the festive season. The pace of increase, though, has reduced with the country adding less than 40,000 fresh Covid-19 cases on Tuesday - the lowest in over three months.

India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, on Tuesday, extended the guidelines for the fifth phase of reopening the economy till Nov. 30. Announced in September, these guidelines were meant to stay in force till Oct. 31. The lockdown shall continue to be implemented strictly in the containment zones during the period, the MHA said.

This comes at a time when shoppers continue to throng the streets in urban India amid a festive season which began with Navaratri and Durga Puja.

India added 36,470 new cases in a matter of 24 hours, taking the total tally to over 79.9 lakh in the world’s second-worst infected country, according to the Health Ministry’s update as of 8 a.m. on Oct. 27. This includes 1.19 lakh deaths and 72 lakh patients who have recovered.