India now has the fifth-highest death toll in the world, surpassing Italy with 35,132 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s COVID-19 tracker. The seven-day rolling average for deaths in India is now 735, next only to the U.S. (1,075) and Brazil (1,052).
You can track coronavirus cases, deaths and testing rates at the national and State levels here. A list of State Helpline numbers is available as well.
Here are the latest updates:
No Sunday lockdown, night curfew in Karnataka
Following the Centre’s guidelines, the State government on Thursday issued fresh guidelines for Unlock 3, allowing the opening of gymnasiums and yoga institutes from August 5, with some restrictions in place. There will be no lockdown on Sundays in August and the night curfew too has been lifted.
The new guidelines, which will come into effect from August 1 for the entire month, says that metro services in Bengaluru, cinemas and educational institutions will not operate till the end of August. However, online classes are permitted, said the order.
New guidelines allow the gathering of 50 persons for a marriage function, and 20 in the case of a funeral.
There will be no more restrictions on inter-State and intra-State movement of people and no permission will be required for the movement of people and goods.
However, people coming to Karnataka must follow the guidelines issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department, and the Revenue Department, it said.
12.30 pm | India
SC asks Centre to ensure salaries paid to doctors on time, quarantine period not treated as leave
Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka and Tripura are yet to follow directives on timely payment of salaries to healthcare workers engaged in COVID-19, the Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court, which said it cannot be “helpless” in implementing the directions.
The court directed the Centre to issue necessary directions for releasing salaries of doctors and frontline healthcare workers engaged in COVID-19 duty on time.
The apex court also asked the Centre to also clarify on treating compulsory quarantine period of healthcare workers as leave and deduction of their salaries for the same period. – Krishnadas Rajagopal
12 pm | Vaccine
Won’t profit from COVID-19 vaccine in pandemic, says AstraZeneca
Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca repeated its promise not to profit from a COVID-19 vaccine during the pandemic as it reported it was on track with late-stage trials for the treatment.
The cost of making the vaccine, which was developed