A health worker sanitizes an area near the Nizamuddin mosque in New Delhi, India, on April 10. Photo: Xinhua

The director of India's premier health institute -- All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Thursday said COVID-19 cases are likely to peak in the month of June and July.

"Right now cases are increasing and the peak is yet to come. It is based on modelling data. Many experts (both domestic and international) have predicted it in their modelling data based on their variables. Majority of them believe the peak will be in June and July and some even say it would go up to August," Dr Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Director, told media. "Most people feel that our peak should arrive in June and July."

Guleria said the impact of COVID-19 will be felt even after the peak.

"This is a long battle. It is not like that after the peak, cases will decrease and coronavirus will be wiped out," Guleria said. "Our lifestyle will continue to remain changed for a long time. Be it socialising or going to restaurants, shopping malls, cinema halls, or embark on travel, it will remain affected for months or even for a year."

In the absence of a vaccine to counter COVID-19, the government mostly banks on the lockdown to break the chain of transmission of the virus.

Guleria said the lockdown has helped India and gave it the time to put in place required infrastructure to fight COVID-19.

According to Guleria, the increase in cases is due to the increase in the number of testing and there was a need to focus on hotspots.

The number of COVID-19 cases in India Thursday reached 52,952 and death toll rose to 1,783.