Coronavirus LIVE updates: Gujarat Covid-19 cases surpass 60,000-mark

Coronavirus update: India has recorded over 52,000 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total number of Covid-19-positive cases to 1,616,767. The country’s death toll has crossed the 35,000 mark. 

Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Gujarat have the highest cumulative number of cases. However, infections have lately been rising rapidly in states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. As Maharashtra crossed 400,000 mark in coronavirus cases, the state government, under its Mission Begin Again plan, extended the lockdown there till 31 August midnight. 

India is currently conducting around 500,000 Covid-19 tests every day and the plan is to double the number in next one-two months, Union Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Thursday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday issued guidelines for the next phase of lifting lockdown restrictions in the country. The set of guidelines said that while more curbs were set to lift in areas outside containment areas, the lockdown in containment areas was extended till 31 August. Social/political/sports/entertainment/academic/cultural/religious functions and other large congregations will still not be permitted. Also, schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till 31 August, 2020.

Coronavirus world update: Worldometer recorded 284,042 new cases worldwide in the past 24 hours. As many as 17,258,531 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 10,783,072 have recovered, 671,502 have died so far.