Sunday, India's capital, New Delhi, extended its lockdown as the country's COVID-19 crisis grew with infections and deaths hitting record highs.

The announcement came as the healthcare system struggled to cope with the huge surge, with reports of severe oxygen and medicine shortages and patients' families pleading for help on social media.

The vast nation of 1.3 billion people recorded 349,691 new coronavirus cases and 2,767 deaths in the past 24 hours, which is the highest since the start of the pandemic.

The northern megacity, which is the home to 20 million people and the worst-hit in India, had imposed a weeklong lockdown on Monday.

"We have decided to extend the lockdown by one week," Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said.