Iran has introduced compulsory face masks in public spaces after the government admitted its efforts to introduce effective voluntary social distancing have failed.

The latest figures published by the Iranian health ministry on Sunday showed a record 163 had died in the past 24 hours, higher than any daily figure in the country over the course of the pandemic so far.

India registered a record daily number of coronavirus cases and opened a sprawling treatment centre in the capital to fight the pandemic on Sunday. The health ministry reported just under 25,000 cases and 613 deaths in 24 hours – the biggest daily spike since the first case was detected in late January.

In the capital New Delhi, medical staff started treating patients at a spiritual centre converted into a sprawling isolation facility and hospital with 10,000 beds, many made of cardboard and chemically coated to make them waterproof.

About the size of 20 football fields, the facility on the outskirts of the city will treat mild symptomatic and asymptomatic cases.

State government officials fear Delhi, home to 25 million people, could record more than half-a-million cases by the end of the month. The city has repurposed some hotels to provide hospital care. It is also converting wedding halls and has several hundred modified railway coaches standing by.

A strict lockdown in place since late March has gradually been lifted, allowing most activities after the economy nose-dived during the shutdown.

Schools, metro trains in cities, cinemas, gyms and swimming pools remain closed and international flights are still grounded.

Authorities have made wearing masks mandatory in public places, while large gatherings are banned and shops and other public establishments are required to implement social distancing.

Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

My name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be brining you the latest news from around the world for the next few hours.

A reminder that during that time you can get in touch with me directly on Twitter or via email – I await your news, comments, suggestions, tips and other people’s good tweets with bated breath.

Twitter: @helenrsullivan
Email: helen.sullivan@theguardian.com

Now, on to today’s main story: India registered a record daily number of coronavirus cases and opened a sprawling treatment centre in the capital to fight the pandemic on Sunday. The health ministry reported just under 25,000 cases and 613 deaths in 24 hours – the biggest daily spike since the first case was detected in late January.

The surge took India’s total tally to more than 673,000 cases and 19,268 deaths, pulling the country closer to surpassing badly-hit Russia, the world’s third-most infected nation.

Other key developments include:

• The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday reported 52,228 new coronavirus cases, and said the number of deaths had risen by 271 to 129,576.
• British prime minister Boris Johnson will inject £1.57bn into Britain’s beleaguered arts and heritage sectors in a long-awaited coronavirus rescue package described by the government as the biggest one-off investment in UK culture.
• It is not clear whether it will be safe to hold the Republican National Convention in Jacksonville next month, a top health official from US president Donald Trump’s administration said, as Florida sees record numbers of coronavirus cases.
• Greece has announced it will prohibit Serbian tourists from entering the country as of 6 AM tomorrow. The ban, due to last until at least 15 July, follows a surge in incidents of coronavirus in the Balkan state.
• Kazakhstan on Sunday imposed a second round of nationwide restrictions that are to last at least two weeks, in a bid to counter a huge surge in coronavirus cases since the previous lockdown, which has overwhelmed the country’s healthcare system.
• Brazil has recorded 26,051 new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours as well as 602 deaths, pushing cumulative deaths to a total of 64,867.
• India has withdrawn a planned reopening of the Taj Mahal, citing the risk of new coronavirus infections spreading in the northern city of Agra from visitors, as the country’s infections are rising at the fastest pace in three months.
• Dozens of military medics were deployed on Sunday to help combat the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, the country’s third most affected region, amid a surge in infections.