COVID: Life slowly coming back to normal in India

Commuters queuing up outside the entrance of a metro station in central Delhi. Just weeks ago, India was battling a devastating wave of the coronavirus that brought the country's health care infrastructure to its knees. Supplies of medical oxygen ran short and crematoriums were overrun. As numbers begin to fall, Indians are back on the streets of their capital city.

Vendors take a break amid a busy marketplace in Delhi. The fall in coronavirus case numbers comes at a time when temperatures are soaring in the national capital. Even as temperatures touch a peak of 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 degrees Fahrenheit), shoppers can be seen thronging local markets, hunting for good deals under the sweltering sun.

Large groups of people flock to a crowded flea market in Delhi's neighboring city of Gurgaon, a part of the national capital region. Despite attempts from local authorities to ensure that visitors adhere to COVID-related rules, social distancing remains a distant dream in markets like these. In some cases, mask-wearing shoppers were seen pulling down their masks to bargain for the best price.

A couple walks through the narrow lanes of Khan Market in central Delhi. As cafes, restaurants and bars open for business after weeks of lockdown, many residents are stepping out for a meal or a drink as they seek a change from their COVID lifestyle. Tired of working from home, many young professionals can be seen perched on stools at local coffee shops, sipping on their iced lattes.

As the sun blazes outdoors, malls have become the favored shopping destination for locals. However, as states lift their coronavirus lockdowns in phases, experts have warned that another wave of the virus, in part fuelled by the emergence of the "delta plus" variant, may not be far behind.

A large number of cars parked at Connaught Place in New Delhi. As restrictions are lifted and many offices resume work, traffic is back to its regular levels in the national capital region, even during non-peak hours. The short-lived ease of commuting within the city, which is known for its traffic congestion, has come to a quick end.

A woman shops for ceramic bowls and platters as her dog looks on, in Banjara market, Gurgaon. Over a year after India imposed its first coronavirus-induced lockdown, COVID fatigue has set in. Authorities are finding it increasingly difficult to keep people from stepping out — especially in the cooler evenings — after weeks of staying cooped up inside their homes.

While the Indian government was caught off-guard by the last surge, preparations are underway to prevent such a situation from repeating itself. Local administrations and hospitals are looking to bolster the country's health care system. But as masks hang below the chin and social distancing remains a faraway dream, experts say that India could see another surge in the next six to eight weeks.