India :Record-high 24,850 new coronavirus cases were reported in India in the last 24 hours. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country now stands at 6,73,165 including 2,44,814 active cases, 4,09,083 cured/discharged/migrated and 19,268 deaths, according to the figures released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Sunday morning.
Experts have raised ethical and safety concerns over the ICMR’s move to fast-track vaccine development for coronavirus and set a deadline for August 15. However, the ICMR clarified stating that it took the decision in a bid to cut red-tapeism. Meanwhile, the WHO has discontinued its trials of hydroxychloroquine and combination HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir in hospitalised patients with Covid-19 after they failed to reduce mortality. In India, several states have tweaked the lockdown norms and some have introduced fresh ones. While Jammu and Kashmir starts following fresh ‘Unlock 2’ guidelines, the Mumbai Police has instructed people in the city not to travel beyond 2 kilometres during the lockdown. West Bengal has banned flights from a few states and Karnataka will witness Sunday lockdown from today.
