Relatives use ropes to lower the body of a person who died of COVID-19 in New Delhi, India, on Friday. Manish Swarup/AP

India's coronavirus cases on Saturday surpassed Spain’s tally, and become the fifth worst-hit country in the world affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. John Hopkins University data showed the total number of confirmed cases in the world’s largest democracy stands at 243,733, with Spain at 240,978.

India also surpassed Italy in the worst-hit nation by the coronavirus pandemic after another biggest single-day spike in confirmed infections.

The Health Ministry reported 9,887 new cases on Saturday, bringing the total to 236,657.

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Most of the new cases are in rural areas following the return of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who left cities and towns after the lockdown in late March.

The lockdown is now largely being enforced in high-risk areas while authorities have partially restored train services and domestic flights and allowed shops and manufacturing to reopen. Shopping malls and religious places are due to open on Monday with restrictions to avoid large gatherings.

People walk along a street in the old quarters of New Delhi on Friday. Xavier Galiana/AFP

China’s capital is lowering its emergency response level to the second-lowest starting Saturday for the coronavirus pandemic.

That will lift most restrictions on people traveling from Wuhan and the surrounding province of Hubei, where the virus first appeared late last year. They will no longer face 14-day mandatory quarantines and other forms of monitoring, and those currently in such situations will be allowed to return to their normal lives.

Beijing residential compounds will not be required to conduct temperature checks and masks no longer must be worn for outdoor activities. Kindergartens will reopen and other grades still suspended will restart classes.

Beijing has reported no new cases of local transmission in at least 50 days and as many as 90 days in some districts.

Associated Press