Coronavirus live updates: Rapid tests to be given to poorer countries, WHO says

Total recoveries from Covid-19 in India crossed the 50 lakh milestone on Monday with recovered cases outpacing active cases by more than five times, the Union health ministry said. In a statement, the ministry said the rise in the number of total recovered cases from 1 lakh in June 2020 has been steep and the last 10 lakh recoveries were added in just 11 days. "India's total recoveries have crossed the landmark milestone of 50 lakh today (50,16,520). With a very high number of Covid patients recovering every single day, India's steady trend of posting high level of daily recoveries continues," the ministry said.

Newly-appointed BJP national secretary Anupam Hazra has said that he would hug chief minister Mamata Banerjee if he is infected by the coronavirus to make her feel the pain of the families of Covid-19 patients. A police complaint was filed by the Trinamool Congress in Siliguri for the comments Hazra made at a party programme in Baruipur in South 24 Parganas on Sunday evening. "Our workers are fighting a bigger enemy than corona. They are fighting Mamata Banerjee. When they (BJP cadres) have been able to fight it out against Mamata Banerjee without a mask, they think they can also fight against Covid-19 without wearing a mask," Hazra said.

The coronavirus that has claimed nearly 1 million lives has underscored the failure of the United Nations to bring countries together to defeat it, prompting renewed calls to reform the world body so that it can meet challenges far different — and more daunting — than those it faced at its birth.

India's Covid-19 tally galloped past 60 lakh on Monday with 82,170 new cases, while the recoveries have surged to 50.17 lakh with 74,893 more people having recuperated, the health ministry said. The death toll from the pathogen climbed to 95,542 with 1,039 more deaths. There are 9,62,640 active cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) in the country, comprising 15.85 per cent of the total caseload, according to the ministry data. The total coronavirus cases mounted to 60,74,702, while 50,16,520 people have recuperated from the virus, taking the recovery rate to 82.58 per cent. The case fatality rate declined to 1.57 per cent, it said.