Coronavirus live updates: India's Covid-19 tally rises to 20,88,612

The Covid-19 tally rises to 20,88,612 including 6,19,088 active cases, 14,27,006 cured/discharged/migrated & 42,518 deaths: Ministry of Health

Single-day spike of 61,537 cases and 933 deaths reported in India, in the last 24 hours.

Complete lockdown to be observed in West Bengal on August 20, 21, 27, 28 & 31: ANI

Brazil and the US have both registered more than 6,000 fatalities so far in August while India’s count is 5,075.

India’s daily cases have been the highest in the world on four of the six days of this month — August 2, 3, 5 and 6. India’s caseload crossed the 2 million (20 lakh) mark on Thursday, with the fastest rise in cases from 1 million to 2 million among the three countries that have reached the grim milestone so far. India’s infection growth rate of 3.1% was also higher than the US and Brazil at the 2 million stage.

India reported 3,28,903 new coronavirus cases in the first six days of August. The corresponding figure in the US was 3,26,111 and in Brazil 2,51,264, according to worldometers.info.

The pandemic continued to surge on Friday, with fresh infections in the country crossing 60,000 for the second straight day and fatalities shooting up to 926, the highest single-day toll so far, as per data collated from state governments.

India is emerging as the biggest Covid-19 hotspot in the world in August.

The country has so far recorded the most number of fresh cases this month, slightly more than the US and substantially higher than infections reported in Brazil. India has the world’s third highest death toll from the virus in the first six days of August.

Germany and France quit WHO reform talks amid tension with US: Report

France and Germany have quit talks on reforming the WHO in frustration at attempts by the US to lead the negotiations, despite its decision to leave the UN agency, three officials told Reuters. The move is a setback for President Trump as Washington, which holds the rotating chair of the G7, had hoped to issue a common roadmap for a sweeping overhaul of the WHO in September.

FB staff to work from home until July 2021, reports Reuters.

Facebook Inc will allow employees to work from home until July 2021 due to the pandemic and will give them $1,000 for home office needs, a spokeswoman for the social media giant said on Thursday.

US Covid-19 toll tops 1,60,000 as NY okays reopening of schools.

US deaths from the coronavirus pandemic exceeded 1,60,000 on Friday, nearly a quarter of the world’s total. Throughout the country, US officials, teachers’ unions, parents and students were debating how to reopen schools safely. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday some 700 school districts in the state could reopen classrooms, but insisted schools do extensive consultation with teachers, students and parents beforehand. “If you look at our infection rate we are probably in the best situation in the country right now,” Cuomo said. “If anybody can open schools, we can open schools.” The average rate of positive tests in New York stat e is currently below 5% .

Grocery shops, other vendors can be potential spreaders of COVID-19, Centre asks states/UTs to test them, reports ANI.

Read: OCI card-holders from US, UK, Germany and France can visit India

Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders from the US, UK, Germany and France, with whom India has signed ‘air bubble’ arrangements, will be allowed to visit the country, the home ministry announced on Friday. Other foreigners from these countries have also been allowed to avail Indian visa facility for business, medical and employment purposes. According to a home ministry notification, Indian citizens have also been allowed to travel to these countries on any type of visa.

Read: India’s Covid tally in August highest in world so far

Read: Serum Institute caps proposed vaccine price at Rs 225/dose

Pune-based Serum Institute, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, has set a ceiling price of $3 per dose for the proposed Covid-19 vaccine for India and low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will provide at-risk funding of $150 million to Gavi (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation), which will be used to support Serum to manufacture potential vaccine candidates, including the ones from UK firm AstraZeneca, and US biotech company Novavax.

Serum plans $3 cap for vaccine in India.

Pune-based Serum Institute, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by volume, has set a ceiling price of $3 (about Rs 225) per dose for the proposed Covid-19 vaccine for India and low-and middle-income countries (LMICs).

The total number of Covid-19 deaths in the country now stands at 41,585.

The average daily recovery (7-day moving average) has increased from around 26,000 cases to 44,000 cases in the last two weeks: Union health ministry

The Karnataka government has simplified its guidelines on the handling of Covid-19 victims’ bodies, allowing families to perform religious rituals.

Hospitals, according to the guidelines, have to give them the dos and don’ts about the protocol in two languages. Reiterating that the body should be handed over in a dignified manner immediately after death, the guidelines say hospitals must use a clean, transparent, leakproof, zipper body bag. While the body per se is not infectious, the government said secretions from orifices are infectious and precautions should be taken.