As India prepares for a calibrated exit from the lockdown by easing more restrictions, 'Unlock-1- the first of the three-phase plan for reopening of prohibited activities in non-containment zones with a stringent set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) — kicks in at a time when the country recorded a daily jump of COVID-19 cases by almost 10,000 cases on Sunday, according to the Health Ministry's data. The SOPs will be in place till June 30. India registered its highest single-day spike of 9,971 new infections taking the total to 2,46,628 and 287 deaths in the 24 hours since Saturday morning, the Union Health Ministry said. The death toll stood at 6,929, it said.

The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 1,20,406 while a total of 1,19,292 people had recovered and one patient has migrated, the ministry added. Around 48.37 per cent of the patients have recovered so far, a senior ministry official said. The new phase is especially challenging for the five worst-affected states, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of the total confirmed Coronavirus cases, and nearly 78 per cent of the deaths.