India eases COVID restrictions as infections hit 2-month low

New Delhi — The roads of India's sprawling capital city were choked with traffic on Monday for the first time in weeks. The lowest daily coronavirus infection numbers in two months have led the government to ease restrictions implemented in several areas as the nation grappled with a deadly second wave of the virus.

Major cities including Delhi and Mumbai allowed many businesses to reopen and police checkpoints were removed, bringing the usual throngs of traffic back onto the roads.  India reported 100,636 new COVID-19 cases and 2,427 deaths on Monday — a significant decrease from the record 414,188 cases registered on May 7. The country's total caseload has crossed 28.9 million, with 349,186 deaths, according to official government data, but many experts believe the actual numbers could be five to ten times higher.