Here are the top updates from Sunday:

  1. The Centre announced that international flights will remain suspended till September 30, PTI reported. However, international cargo and flights under air-bubble agreements with India will function. The air-bubble deal allows countries to schedule flights on special requests. India has such a pact with United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, the Maldives, Netherlands, France, Germany, Qatar and Bhutan.
  2. India reported 45,083 new coronavirus cases, pushing the infection tally in the country to 3,26,95,030 since the pandemic broke out in January last year, government data showed. The new cases are 3.5% lower than Saturday’s count of 46,759 infections. The toll rose by 460 to 4,37,830.
  3. Himachal Pradesh claimed to have inoculated 100% of its population with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine ANI reported. State Health Minister Rajiv Saizal said that the government plans to fully vaccinate its citizens by November 30, 2021.
  4. The recruitment of volunteers for the second and third phase of trials of Covovax vaccine for children aged 2 to 17 began at the Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in New Delhi, PTI reported.
  5. Covid-19 is responsible for decline in routine vaccinations among children, the Hindustan Times reported, while referring to a study by World Health Organisation and United Nations Children’s Fund. India has recorded the sharpest decline.
  6. The United Arab Emirates said that it will issue visas to fully vaccinated tourists from August 30, NDTV reported. Less than 1,000 citizens have tested positive for Covid-19 over the last week. However, the visas will only be issued to those who have taken a vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer, Sinopharm or Sinovac.
  7. Singapore’s health minister announced that 80% of the population or 57 lakh citizens of the city-state have been fully vaccinated, Reuters reported. Singapore is now the world’s most-vaccinated country.
  8. Two people died in Japan after receiving doses from a suspended batch of Moderna vaccine, CNN reported. Last week, Japan withheld 16 lakh doses of the Moderna vaccine after it found foreign material.
  9. Bharat Biotech, the producer of Covaxin, is looking for an international partner, Mint reported. The biotechnology giant is expected to produce one billion doses every year.
  10. Globally, Covid-19 has infected more than 21.6 crore people and led to over 44.98 lakh deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.