Corona Updates You Must Track: A Record Jump Of Over 52,000 Cases In A Day, Unlock 3.0 Guidelines Issued

India cases and toll: With 52,123 cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, India’s tally climbed to 15,83,792 on Thursday morning. This is the biggest jump in daily coronavirus cases. The number of active cases stands at 5,28,242 while 10,20,582 have recovered from the disease across the country, according to the data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The COVID-19 death toll has moved up to 34,968 with 775 people succumbing to the illness in the last 24 hours. India conducted 4,46,642 tests for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

Fresh guidelines for unlock 3.0: On Wednesday evening, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued fresh guidelines for Unlock 3.0, which will be effective from 1 August. Yoga institutes and gyms have been allowed to reopen from 5 August after MoHFW issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for them. The night-time curfew has been lifted too. Schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till 31 August. Cinema halls, swimming pools, theatres will remain shut and so will the metro rail services.

In containment zones, lockdown will be in place till 31 August and only essential activities will be allowed. “States/UTs may also identify buffer zones outside the containment zones, where new cases are more likely to occur. Within the buffer zones, restrictions as considered necessary may be put in place by the district authorities,” the MHA order said.

Andhra Pradesh records over 10,000 cases in a day: For a second consecutive day, Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest cases in a day amongst all states, including Maharashtra. On Wednesday, the southern state added 10,093 cases of coronavirus to its tally, which has now surged to 1,20,390. Andhra Pradesh has 63,771 active cases against 55,406 recoveries and 1,213 deaths. Sixty-five people succumbed to the disease in the last 24 hours.

COVID-19 Tracker for 30 July. Source: Twitter/@COVIDNewsByMIB

Maharashtra extends lockdown till 31 August: On Wednesday, the Maharashtra government extended the lockdown across the state till 31 August. Shopping malls and market complexes have been allowed to reopen, operating between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Restaurants and cinema halls inside them, however, will stay closed. The order came on a day when Maharashtra's COVID-19 tally crossed the 4-lakh mark with 9,211 cases reported in a day. Of the state’s total case count of 4,00,651, there are 1,46,433 active cases, 2,39,755 recoveries and 14,463 deaths. Nearly 300 people died as a result of coronavirus in Maharashtra in the last 24 hours.

Russia could launch the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine: The wait for a vaccine against coronavitus could end soon. According to a Bloomberg report, Russia plans to register a coronavirus vaccine as early as 10-12 August and it could be approved for public use within a week. The vaccine is developed by Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF). Its production could start in September and health workers would be the first to get it.

Global corona update: The global coronavirus tally has surged to 1,71,89,755 with 1,07,01,141 recoveries and 6,70,256 deaths, according to Worldometer. Even as the US and Brazil lead the surge, Mexico has steadily climbed up the ladder. It is now the sixth worst-hit country by the virus. The country has 4,00,683 cases of coronavirus, with 45,361 deaths. India’s neighbour Pakistan has recorded 2,77,402 COVID-19 cases so far, inclduing 5,924 deaths.