Corona Updates You Must Track: Record 29,429 Cases In 24 Hours, Human Trials For COVID-19 Vaccine Start

Record jump in fresh cases: India added 29,429 fresh cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, a record single-day spike. With this, India’s coronavirus tally rose to 9,36,181 cases. The death toll has climbed to 24,309 with 582 people succumbing to the disease in the last 24 hours. India currently has 3,19,840 active cases while 5,92,031 people have recovered from the illness. The country’s recovery rate for COVID-19 now stands at 63.24 per cent. A total of 3,20,161 people were tested for coronavirus infection on Tuesday.    

Human trials for COVID-19 vaccine begin in India: Ahmedabad-bsed Zydus Cadila’s experimental vaccine for COVID-19, ZyCoV-D, has started human trials, reported Reuters. The pharmaceutical firm will enrol more than 1,000 subjects across India. Bharat Biotech’s vaccine for COVID-19, Covaxin, has also got the nod from the Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) to conduct human trials. 

In the US, an experimental vaccine for COVID-19 tested on 45 volunteers has shown positive results. Jointly developed by National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., the vaccine is now set to enter the final stages of testing.

15-day lockdown in Bihar: With an eye on the rising number of COVID-19 infections in the state, the Bihar government has announced a total lockdown across the state from 16–31 July. Bihar recorded 1,325 fresh cases of coronavirus on Tuesday; the caseload has climbed to 19,284 with 174 deaths. The state has reported more than 1,000 cases daily for four consecutive days.

Cases surge in Karnataka: Even as its capital Bengaluru is under a strict lockdown, there is no let-up in the surge in fresh cases of coronavirus in Karnataka. The state recorded 2,496 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the tally to 44,077. The state currently has 25,845 active cases while 17,390 have recovered and 842 succumbed to the disease.

COVID-19 Tracker. Source: Twitter/@COVIDNewsByMIB

How is Tamil Nadu faring: With 4,526 fresh cases recorded in the last 24 hours, Tamil Nadu is next only to Maharashtra in terms of daily case count and total caseload. The state’s coronavirus tally is at 1,47,324 with 47,915 active cases, 97,310 recoveries and 2,099 deaths. Chennai alone accounts for more than 50 per cent of the total cases reported in Tamil Nadu—the state capital recorded 1,078 new cases of coronavirus on Tuesday, taking the total count to 79,662 cases. The infection is spreading in districts like Madurai, which registered 450 new cases in the last 24 hours.

Global corona update: The global COVID-19 tally is now at 1,34,62,873 cases with 78,52,461 recoveries and 5,81,317 deaths, as per Worldometer, a website that tracks the number of coronavirus cases across continents. The US, with 35,45,077 cases and 1,39,143 deaths, continues to lead the table.

In a bid to check a second wave of infection, many countries are now imposing strict guidelines on practising social distancing and wearing masks. Masks are mandatory for those going out for shopping in England, failing to do so can invite a fine of up to 100 pounds. In Hong Kong, anyone refusing to wear a mask while using public transport will be fined $645.