- India’s coronavirus count went up to 39,37,017 on Friday with 83,341 new cases. The toll rose by 1,096 to 68,472. Over 30 lakh people have recovered so far.
- Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Nana Patole tested positive for the coronavirus, two days before the House is convened for the monsoon session. Patole said he is isolating himself and asked those who have been in his contact to get themselves tested.
- All MPs attending the Monsoon Session of Parliament, beginning from September 14, will have to bring a certificate after testing negative for Covid-19 to enter the House. The requirement is part of a set of guidelines issued by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariat in accordance with the recommendations of the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Union health ministry.
- The Central Railways said that it will run special trains for candidates taking the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy exams till Sunday.
- Telangana has recorded an 18% Covid-19 positivity rate among healthcare workers, making it the state with the highest number of medical professionals getting infected. The Union health ministry released the data at a media briefing on Thursday.
- Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan warned of a spurt in coronavirus cases in the state as the Onam festivities came to an end. He said the next two weeks will be crucial.
- The Noida Metro Rail Corporation, or NMRC has released the Standard Operating Procedure for the resumption of services from September 7, during the coronavirus outbreak. This includes mandatory thermal screening, physical distancing, masks and the use of the Aarogya Setu app for contact tracing.
- Two food joints in Haryana’s Murthal have been sealed after 75 workers tested positive for the coronavirus. Sixty-five of these tested positive at the Amrik-Sukhdev dhaba, while 10 others belonged to another food joint, said Sonipat Deputy Commissioner Shyam Lal Poonia.
- World Health Organization spokesperson Margaret Harris said the health body does not expect widespread vaccinations against Covid-19 until the middle of next year. She further stressed the importance of rigorous checks on the effectiveness and safety of a vaccine before it is released.
- Globally, the coronavirus has infected more than 2.62 crore people and killed over 8.66 lakh, according to the Johns Hopkins University’s tracker. Over 1.73 crore people across the world have recovered from the infection.
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