Stricter Rules In All Large Cities As India Seeks Spike In Cases

Night curfews have been imposed in all major cities and restaurants ordered to limit customers, officials said.

Authorities started to impose stringent rules on Thursday to prevent mass gatherings at parties and public venues ahead of new year celebrations as the nation sees a spike in COVID-19 infections.

Night curfews have been imposed in all major cities and restaurants ordered to limit customers, officials said.

However, state authorities were finding it difficult to limit crowding in markets, religious sites and holiday destinations as they were allowed to remain open, the officials said.

The country reported 13,154 new COVID-19 cases and 268 deaths in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said, with urban centres reporting a big jump. It was the highest number of daily infections since October.