Coronavirus LIVE Update: India's Cases Rise To 59,92,532; 94,503 Dead

Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Tests Positive For COVID-19

Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has tested positive for COVID-19, he announced in a tweet. Shekhawat has been hospitalised and has requested anyone who has come in contact with him to test themselves. Shekhawat is the latest Union Minister to contract COVID-19 after Home Minister Amit Shah, AYUSH Minister Shirpad Naik, Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State for Water Resources Arjun Ram Meghwal and Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.

Delhi Sero-Survey Shows 28% Of Residents Have Developed Antibodies

The August round of the sero-survey conducted in Delhi has shown that around 28.35% of the 15,000 samples collected from all 11 districts have developed COVID-19 antibodies. 

While the first round was conducted on 21,387 people showing sero-prevalence of 22.86% , this round conducted on a lower population has shown a higher prevalence of antibodies. 

COVID-19 Vaccine Will Not Be Mandatory In The US: Dr Anthony Fauci

The US government won't make any future COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for the general public according to the country's top infectious diseases expert, Dr Anthony Fauci. "You don't want to mandate and try and force anyone to take a vaccine. We've never done that. You can mandate for certain groups of people like health workers, but for the general population you can't," Dr Fauci was quoted as saying by AFP.

India Reports Nearly 70,000 New COVID-19 Cases

India reported 69,652 new COVID-19 cases, a record one-day rise, as the total case count rose to 28,36,925. The active caseload stands at 6,86,395 while 20,96,664 patients have been cured or discharged so far. The death toll has risen to 53,866 after 977 patients succumbed to the disease.

Australia Signs Deal With AstraZeneca, PM Announces Vaccine To Be Administered For Free

On Tuesday, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that vaccination for COVID-19 would be free for every Australian if the Oxford vaccine candidate is successful. The country signed a deal with AstraZeneca that is manufacturing the vaccine. 

His announcement that it could possibly be mandatory for the country's 25 million citizens, initiated an ethical debate. He further stated that only medical reasons would be ground for exemption. 

Hong Kong Bans Air India Flights For Two Weeks

The Hong Kong government has banned Air India from operating flights to the city for carrying too many COVID-19 infected passengers, the South China Morning Post reports. The move comes after an August 14 Air India flight from New Delhi had 11 COVID-19 positive passengers on board. "The fact 11 passengers tested positive on the same flight shows the lab tests back in India are not very reliable," a government source told SCMP.

India Reports 64,000 New COVID-19 Cases, 1092 Deaths

India reported 64,531 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours taking the total case count to 27,67,273. The active caseload stands at 6,76,514 while 20,37,870 patients have been cured or discharged so far. The death toll has risen to 52,889 after 1,092 patients succumbed to the disease.

23 Lakh PPE Kits Exported In July: Indian government

The Indian government has permitted the export of around 50 lakh PPE kits so far, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said in a media briefing on Tuesday. Bhushan said while exports of PPE kits are subject to quantitative restrictions, exports of ventilators, which are also being allowed to be exported, are not under any restrictions. India has exported 23 lakh PPE kits to to UK, USA, UAE, Senegal and Slovenia in July while 15,07,000 kits will be exported to Slovenia and USA in August. The data for the number of ventilators exported is still being compiled, Bhushan said.

COVID-19 Pandemic Driven By People In 20-40 Age Group: WHO

The World Health Organization said that the COVID-19 pandemic is being driven forward by people in the 20-40 years age group, many of them being asymptomatic, reports Reuters. In a virtual briefing, WHO Western Pacific regional director Takeshi Kasai said, "The epidemic is changing. People in their 20s, 30s and 40s are increasingly driving the spread. Many are unaware they are infected." Kasai also said that while the SARS-CoV-2 has mutate, it is still considered "relatively stable" by WHO.

UP Minister Atul Garg Tests Positive For COVID-19

Uttar Pradesh Minister of State for Health Atul Garg has said that he has tested positive for COVID-19. In a tweet, Garg said that his RTPCR test on August 15 came back as negative. However, his repeat test came back with a positive result. Two UP ministers, Kamal Rani Varun and Chetan Chauhan, have passed away due to COVID-19 during the pandemic.