The Delhi authorities expect an increase in the number of COVID-19 by 20 times to more than half a million in the coming weeks, AFP reported.

India has lifted quarantine to reduce its devastating effect on the country's economy, but the disease is still raging in the second-most populous country in the world - about 270,000 registered cases.

Over the past 24 hours, nearly 10,000 new infections have been reported, most of them in Mumbai and Delhi.

Authorities expect that by the end of July the number of infections will increase to 550,000. 

According to the government's representative, by June 15, there will be 44,000 cases, by June 30 - 100,000, by July 15 - 225,000.

As the representative noted, a city with a population of about 20 million people needs 80,000 hospital beds.

Delhi's health minister said last week there are currently about 9,000 beds for coronavirus patients.