Coronavirus roundup: Developments in India and rest of world

* Hailing Corona warriors in his Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said PM hails corona warriors in Independence Day speech said that these warriors have lived the mantra of 'seva parmo dharma' (service is the main duty) and served the people of India. "I express my gratitude to them," he said.

* PM Modi in his address said, "When scientists will give us the green signal, it will be produced on a mass scale and all preparations have been made for it." He said that in India, three vaccines against Covid-19 are in various stages of testing.

*Union minister of state for health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said on Saturday said that Covid-19 warriors will be the first ones to get the dose of Covid-19 vaccine once it is made.

* Former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee continued to remain on ventilatory support on Saturday morning, Army Research and Referral Hospital in the national capital said, adding that his vitals are stable and being monitored by a team of specialists.

* About 10.5 lakh Indians have returned from abroad after government launched Vande Bharat Mission on May 7 in view of Covid-19 pandemic: Ministry of External Affairs.

* Playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam, who is suffering from Covid-19, continues to be on life support in the intensive care unit of MGM Healthcare in Chennai, said a medical bulletin issued by the hospital on Saturday afternoon.

* Utpal Parrikar, son of former Union minister Manohar Parrikar tests positive for Covid-19, goes into home isolation.

* Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that in Delhi, home isolation proved to be an efficient measure. For instance, if there are 10,000 cases, only 1,000 are severe and taken to hospitals, the remaining get cured at home. It saves 9000 beds, this can be followed in villages, he said.

* The Centre plans to expand the Ayushman Bharat health insurance framework to include 45 crore ‘non-poor population’ who are not covered under any government or private insurance scheme and are only a little better off than the PM-JAY beneficiaries.

* Bihar on Saturday became the eighth state in the country to have reported more than one lakh COVID-19 cases. The state's COVID-19 death toll rose to 515. CM Nitish Kumar announced Rs 5,000 incentive to plasma donors.

* Delhi HC plans to open courts from September 1, subject to complete availability of public transport and subject to Covid-19 situation in Delhi, said a court official.

* Government of Manipur has extended complete lockdown in the state till August 31.

* Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Patil tests positive for coronavirus

* Addressing Independence Day parade at Gandhi Maidan in Bihar, CM Nitish Kumar announced to appoint 5,000 nurses and 4000 other medical staff through a special drive in August as part of govt fight against Covid-19

* BS Yediyurappa on Saturday called on the people of Karnataka not to worry or be afraid of COVID-19 infection, as he vowed to build a "welfare state" (Kalyana Rajya) with development as the only mantra, while fighting the pandemic.

* Telangana continued its upward spiral with 1,863 fresh Covid-19 cases and 10 more fatalities, pushing the total infection count in the state to 90,259.

* Assam reported 2,706 new COVID-19 cases on Friday taking the total number of cases in the state to 74,501, State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. The total number in the state include 49,383 recoveries, 24,940 active cases and 175 deaths, the minister added.

* As many as 1,608 new Covid-19 positive cases have been reported in Kerala today. Number of active cases now at 14,891, so far 27,779 patients have recovered: Health Department, Kerala.

* Thiruvananthapuram Disaster Management Authority issues guidelines for re-opening of gyms, salons and beauty parlours. Gyms will need to provide oximeters to record oxygen saturation and salons will need to adopt token system of appointment for stagger client entry.

* The pandemic has killed at least 760,739 people worldwide since surfacing in China late last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT on Saturday. More than 21 million cases have been registered.

* The United States has recorded the most deaths with 168,446, followed by Brazil with 106,523, Mexico 55,908, India with 49,036 and Britain 41,358.

* British holidaymakers returning home from parts of Europe begin having to quarantine for 14 days, following a decision by the UK to remove France, the Netherlands, Malta and several other countries from its list of places exempt from self-isolation rules.

* South Korea introduces stricter measures in Seoul and its surrounding areas as the country reports 166 new cases -- the highest daily figure in more than five months.

* Already compulsory in certain streets of the French capital, wearing a face mask is now compulsory in entire districts of Paris, including large sections in the centre.

* New York's museums, art galleries and other cultural institutions will be allowed to reopen starting August 24, state governor Andrew Cuomo says. There will be mandatory face masks, timed ticketing with staggered entry and just 25 percent occupancy.

* Just 10,000 of the usual 250,000 pilgrims will visit France's Lourdes Roman Catholic shrine for the annual Assumption mass, with mask-wearing compulsory.