PEOPLE trickled into temples, mosques and churches in India on Monday (8) as the federal government lifted most restrictions on public places, even as the country added a record number of infections in a single day.
After imposing a severe lockdown in March, prime minister Narendra Modi's government is under pressure to fully open up the economy and get people back to work to prevent mass distress.
It ordered shopping malls, places of worship and restaurants to open under a set of guidelines meant to prevent a further surge of infections in the world's second-most-populous country.
Worshippers wore masks, stood 6 feet (2 metres) part and went through thermal scanners at Hindu temples in Delhi and elsewhere in the country that are usually filled to capacity.
Harsh Vyas of an ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple in the western city of Ahmedabad said access was strictly controlled.
"We are allowing only a small number of devotees inside the temple at one time. We have drawn circles where they need to stand to ensure proper distancing of at least 6 feet," Vyas said.
Disinfection tunnels were installed at the entrance to Delhi's shopping malls, due to open later Monday.
But the capital, one of the country's hotspots, will not allow hotels to reopen because it said it might need to convert them into temporary hospitals if there were a big jump in cases.
"Our cases are rising each day; we could run out of beds," said Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
India's total number of coronavirus cases reached 256,611, the health ministry said, just behind Spain after a record one-day jump of 9,983 infections.
Only the US, Brazil, Russia and the UK have more cases, and health experts say India's peak could still be weeks away, if not months.
Deaths from Covid-19 stood at 7,135, still low compared with other countries that have suffered tens of thousands of fatalities.
In Mumbai a few offices opened, and in the suburbs there were long queues at bus stops as the commuter trains that are its lifeline have not yet opened.
Sajjan Jindal, chairman of the conglomerate JSW Group, said India needed to reopen fully to save livelihoods.
"The slower we are to restart, the more we lose against countries out of lockdown. We can't lose any more time," he said.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)