A health worker (right) checks the body temperature of a woman at a containment zone in Chennai, India, on Thursday. AFP

A record surge of 55,079 new cases in the past 24 hours took India’s coronavirus caseload past 1.6 million, as the government decided to lift a nighttime curfew that has been in force since late March.

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The Health Ministry on Friday also reported 779 additional deaths, taking total fatalities to 35,747. The ministry said more than 1 million people have recovered from the virus at a rate of 64%.

Staff members of the Tata Memorial Centre walk inside a temporary facility to screen patients in Mumbai. AFP

The night curfew will be lifted this weekend and yoga institutes and gyms will reopen on Aug. 5, according to the Home Ministry. The government also removed interstate restrictions on movement of people and goods.

Hotels in the Indian capital will reopen as they no longer serve as quarantine facilities. After a peak of nearly 3,500 new cases a day earlier this month, the surge has come down to around 1,000 cases.

Lockdown remains in place across all containment zones.

A doctor (right) checks the body temperature of a man at a containment zone in Chennai, India, on Thursday. AFP

Subways, cinemas, swimming pools, entertainment parks, bars, theaters, auditoriums and other social gathering places will remain closed till Aug. 31.