Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Covid-19 Positive Patients Sent to Crematorium for Isolation in Telangana Village; Cases Rise in Rajasthan, Odisha

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's coronavirus tally crossed 16 lakh-mark today with the highest single-day spike of 55,079 positive cases and 779 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases stand at 16,38,871 including 5,45,318 active cases, 10,57,806 cured or discharged. The death toll has climbed to 35,747, the Health Ministry said. Over six months after Covid-19 was declared a global emergency, the World Health Organization said today that young people could get infected and even succumb to the virus and urged them to take the same precautions to protect themselves as everyone else. On the issue of a vaccine, it said that for the first time, there could be a situation where people, regardless of where they live, get a Covid-19 vaccine at the same time."We need to change the way we've operated in the past," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Meanwhile, the global coronavirus cases surpassed the 17 million-mark.

HERE ARE THE LIVE UPDATES ON THE CORONAVIRUS CRISIS:

◕ India Records Biggest Single Day Spike of 55,078 Cases| India's coronavirus tally crossed 16 lakh-mark today with the highest single-day spike of 55,079 positive cases and 779 deaths in the last 24 hours. Total cases stand at 16,38,871 including 5,45,318 active cases, 10,57,806 cured or discharged. The death toll has climbed to 35,747, the Health Ministry said.

◕ In an alarming incident, Covid-19 positive patients were sent to a crematorium for isolation in a village in Telangana's Narayankhed. The decision was taken by the village sarpanch and the residents. According to the DMHO, the crematorium was built recently. The sarpanch, initially, wanted to send them to a school, however, there was some construction work going on in the school, so the next empty space in the village was the crematorium.

◕'Spikes in Some Countries Being Driven in Part by Younger People': WHO | With the novel coronavirus infecting more than 17 million people across the globe, WHO said spikes of cases in some countries are being driven in part by younger people."Spikes of cases in some countries are being driven in part by younger people letting down their guard during the northern hemisphere summer," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Tracing of 42 Covid-19 Positive Patients Underway in Ghazipur | Chief Medical Officer of Ghazipur writes to Additional District Magistrate of Ghazipur regarding 42 Covid-19 patients, who were neither found to be in hospitals nor in home isolation, news agency ANI reported. The letter says that the tracing of 42 patients is underway.

Today's Covid-19 Highlights

- India conducted a record 6.43 lakh tests on Thursday. Total tests go up to 1.88 crore. India is no. 4 in the number of total tests after China, USA and Russia.

- India's total cases over 16 lakh with 55,000 new cases in a day with 37,000 recoveries

- India's mortality rate comes down to 2.18% from 2.21%

- Maharashtra now has more total cases than Peru. Would rank No.7 among countries.

- Maharashtra recovery rate crosses 60% (now at 60.4%)

- Gujarat's mortality rate comes down to 4%

- Delhi drops to 11th position in India in number of active cases (10.7k). Recovery rate: 89.1%

◕ India Conducts Over 6 Lakh Tests in Last 24 Hours | "More than 6 lakh tests done in 24 hours. Ministry of Health continues to implement strategy of comprehensive testing, tracking and treatment to effectively tackle pandemic. The objective is to raise testing capacity to 10 lakhs tests per day in medium term," the Health Ministry said.

◕ Pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca reiterated its promise not to profit from a coronavirus vaccine during the pandemic as it reported it was on track with late-stage trials for the treatment. Such promises were backed by strong sales across its range of treatments during the lockdown. Notably, sales rose by 14 per cent to USD 12.6 billion in the first six months of 2020 and were bolstered by strong trading in new medicines, as well as cancer and respiratory medication, news agency AP reported.

◕ Seen here, health officials collecting samples from traffic police officers at the Singha Durbar office complex in Kathmandu.

◕ First Dog that Tested Positive for COVID-19 Dies in New York | A German shepherd in New York that had the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in a dog in the US has died. Robert and Allison Mahoney of Staten Island told National Geographic that their 7-year-old shepherd, Buddy, developed breathing problems in mid-April after Robert had been sick with the coronavirus for several weeks.