Registering a decline in the daily COVID-19 cases, India reported 2,81,386 new infections in the last 24 hours, as per data updated by the health ministry at 8 am on Monday. In the same period, 4,106 deaths were recorded, taking the toll to 2,74,390.
The total COVID-19 cases in India now stand at 2,49,65,463, of which 35,16,997 are active cases.
A total of 3,11,170 new cases were reported in a day, taking India's COVID-19 caseload to 2,46,84,077, the Union health ministry said. The last time the country recorded a low single-day spike in new cases was on 21 April, when 2,95,041 new cases were reported.
Nine days later, on 30 April, India became the first country to report more than four hundred thousand daily cases since the pandemic began in 2020.
On Sunday, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that the lockdown will be extended for the fourth time till 24 May.
Making the announcement, he said, "We have been witnessing good recovery following the lockdown. coronavirus cases have been on a decline. We don't want to lose the gain that we have made in the last few days. We are extending the lockdown for one more week. Instead of tomorrow, lockdown is extended till next Monday, 5 am in Delhi."
The restrictions imposed under the lockdown, including suspension of metro train services, will remain in force till morning on 24 May.
"There is no relaxation as of now and all the restrictions that were enforced in this week will continue," Kejriwal added, stating that the positivity rate in Delhi has further reduced to nearly 10 percent.
The lockdown was also extended till 24 May in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir, while the Punjab government extended the restrictions till 31 May.