Coronavirus LIVE Updates: Single-Day Spike of 69,921 Cases Pushes India Close to 37 Lakh-Mark, Over 800 Deaths Reported in 24 Hours

Pandemic Brings Hard Times for Farmers, Worsening Hunger | The coronavirus pandemic has brought hard times for many farmers and has imperiled food security for many millions both in the cities and the countryside. United Nations experts are holding an online conference beginning Tuesday to brainstorm ways to help alleviate hunger and prevent the problems from worsening in the Asia-Pacific region a challenge made doubly difficult by the loss of many millions of jobs due to the crisis.

2,734 New Coronavirus Cases in Telangana; 9 More Deaths | Telangana posted 2,734 new COVID-19 cases and 9 related fatalities, taking the tally of those
infected by the virus in the state to 1.27 lakh. Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) accounted for the most number of cases with 347, followed by Rangareddy 212, Nalgonda 191, Khammam 161 and Medchal Malkajgiri 121 districts, a government bulletin said, providing data as of 8 pm on August 31.

It is very likely that the GDP numbers could get revised further downward going forward due to challenges in data collection during the lockdown months.

Today's Data Highlights

- New cases come down to 69.9k from 78.5k the previous day. New recoveries at 65k. Recovery rate is now 76.8%

- More than 1 million tests on August 31. India's tests per million population is now 31k

- Active cases in Andhra crosses 1 lakh for the first time. Total cases 4.34 lakh

- Maharashtra likely to cross 8 lakh total cases

- Odisha, Karnataka, Bihar, Delhi, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal report dip in active cases 

- Jharkhand, Assam, Andhra report highest rise in active cases among all states

- Bihar's recovery rate rises to 87.6%. Ranked third in India behind Delhi and Dadra & Nagar Haveli

- Recovery rate lowest in Meghalaya (49.1%)

No One Will Be Forced To Take Covid-19 Vaccine: Bolsonaro | Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has consistently downplayed the severity of the coronavirus outbreak, said that nobody will be forced to have the vaccine against Covid-19 once it is developed. The comments come after the government earmarked millions of dollars for the purchase and future production of vaccinations as Brazil suffers the second worst outbreak of the pandemic outside the United States.

Students At Exam Centres Amid Rising Cases of Coronavirus. 

Girls Across Asia Forced Into Marriages Amid Pandemic | Tens of thousands of girls across Asia are being forced into marriage by desperate families plunged into poverty because of the coronavirus pandemic, as campaigners warn years of progress tackling the practice is being undone. Child marriage has long been common in traditional communities from the Indonesian archipelago to India, Pakistan and Vietnam, but numbers had been decreasing as charities made inroads by encouraging access to education and women’s health services, The Guardian reports. 

Here's state-wise number of cases: 

819 People Succumb to Covid-19 in 24 Hrs, India's Total Tally Mounts to 36,91,166 | Single-day spike of 69,921 new positive cases & 819 deaths reported in India, in the last 24 hours. COVID-19 case tally in the country stands at 36,91,167 including 7,85,996 active cases, 28,39,883 cured/discharged/migrated & 65,288 deaths: Health Ministry

The World Health Organisation on Tuesday cautioned against fast-tracking coronavirus vaccine deployment, warning that using an unproven vaccine could lead to “adverse side effects” in people.

Children Across Europe Return to School | French pupils go back to school Tuesday as schools across Europe open their doors to greet returning students this month, nearly six months after the coronavirus outbreak forced them to close and despite rising infection rates across the continent. Many teachers and parents are worried the reopening of schools will accelerate the spread of Covid-19, but governments have insisted it should go ahead.

Mainland China Reports 10 New Covid-19 Cases vs 17 a Day Earlier |  Mainland China reported 10 new COVID-19 cases, down from 17 reported a day earlier, the country's health authority said. The National Health Commission said in a statement that all new cases were imported infections involving travellers from overseas, marking the 16th consecutive day of no local infections.

South Korea Cases Pass 20,000-mark | South Korea’s coronavirus cases have remained under 300 for the third day in a row. On Tuesday the CDC recorded 235 cases, including 222 local infections. It took the total number of cases recorded in the country over the 20,000 mark, to 20,182, since the first infection was reported on 20 January.

Total Samples Tested in A Day- 1,016,920

English Schools Reopen with Pressure on PM Johnson After Covid-19 Closure | Schools in England and Wales will finally reopen to all students for a new term after the COVID-19 pandemic forced their closure, leading to cancelled exams and throwing student grades into chaos. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had promised to get schools back up and running before the summer break, but was forced to shelve those plans, contributing to criticism over how his government has handled education during the crisis.

Global Economy: Asia's Factories Shaking Off COVID Gloom, China Shines | Asian factories continued to shake off the coronavirus-induced gloom in August as more bright signs in China raised hopes of a firmer recovery in global demand, reducing pressure on policymakers to take more radical steps to avert a deeper recession. Manufacturing activity in China expanded at the fastest clip in nearly a decade in August, as factories ramped up output to meet rebounding demand, a private survey showed. New export orders rose for the first time this year.

Thai Refuge Warns of Growing Risks to Animals as Pandemic Bites | As the pandemic batters Thailand's tourist-reliant economy, animal attractions from petting zoos to elephant camps and tiger farms are feeling the pain and may even have to give animals away, warned the founder of an animal refuge. The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand aims to rescue animals that are dumped or exploited in Thailand, but the organisation is suffering amid coronavirus restrictions.

India’s GDP For April-June Quarter Shrinks 23.9%, Records Worst Contraction Ever

China Reports 10 New Cases | China has reported 10 new Covid-19 cases, down from 17 reported a day earlier, the country’s health authority said. The National Health Commission said in a statement that all new cases were imported infections involving travellers from overseas, marking the 16th consecutive day of no local infections.

Candidates writing JEE Main examination arrive at TCS Gitobitan in Kolkata, that has been designated as an exam centre. The temperature of candidates being checked and area being sanitised in the wake of COVID-19.

New Zealand Reports 14 New Cases, Nine Managed Isolation | There are 14 new cases of COVID-19 to report in New Zealand- nine in MIQ (managed quarantine) and five in the community, all related to the Auckland cluster. Yesterday Auckland dropped down from Level 3 to Level 2, despite more cases emerging. There are 10 people with COVID-19 in hospital today, two of whom are in ICU care.

The last sero-prevalence survey was held from August 1 to 7, according to which antibodies against COVID-19 infection were found in 29.1 per cent of people surveyed in the national capital.

Coronavirus Vaccine Development | The European Commission says it will participate in the World Health Organization mechanism to facilitate poor countries' access to coronavirus vaccines, offering 400 million euros ($477 million) in guarantees. 

And Canada announced deals with US companies Novavax and Johnson & Johnson for 76 million doses of their experimental Covid-19 vaccines.

Hong Kong Starts Voluntary Mass Coronavirus Testing | Hong Kong has started conducting mass coronavirus tests on Tuesday, a health scheme that has been swept up in the political debate dividing the city, where many remain deeply distrustful of both local leaders and China, AFP reports. The voluntary tests are part of an attempt to stamp out a third wave of infections that began in late June and saw the densely populated city reimpose economically painful social distancing measures.

Odisha Reports 2,602 New Covid-19 Cases, 10 More Deaths | At least 2,602 people, including a minister and an MLA, tested positive for COVID-19 in Odisha on Monday, taking the tally in the coastal state to 1,03,536, a health department official said. The death toll rose to 492, with 10 more people succumbing to the infection, he said.

Brazil Reports 45,961 Cases, 553 Deaths | Brazil reported 45,961 new cases of the novel coronavirus and 553 deaths from the disease caused by the virus in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said. Brazil has registered 3,908,272 cases of the virus since the pandemic began, while the official death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 121,381, according to ministry data, in the world’s worst coronavirus outbreak outside the United States.

The GDP contraction in the April-June period of FY21 was the largest slump on record since India started reporting quarterly data in 1996.

Recorded Cases of New Coronavirus Pass Six Million in United States | The US remains by far the hardest-hit country in the world by the pandemic in absolute terms, with 183,203 deaths from Covid-19, the tracker of reference shows. The total cases recorded so far are 6,028,617. 

Mexico Reports Over 3,000 Cases | Mexico’s health ministry on Monday reported 3,719 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infections and 256 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 599,560 cases and 64,414 deaths.

Spain Records More Than 23,000 Cases Since Friday | Spain has registered more than 23,000 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, health emergency chief Fernando Simon said, suggesting the infection rate had declined slightly from an 21 August peak, Reuters reports. Health ministry data showed 2,489 new cases were diagnosed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total since the onset of the pandemic to 462,858.