Coronavirus live updates: India's tally goes past 40 lakh, Maharashtra adds over 20,000 cases in a day

The Director of New Delhi Municipal Council's (NDMC) Covid-19 cell and three other employees have tested positive for the coronavirus, a senior official said on Saturday."The Covid-19 cases are again coming to the NDMC headquarter. Four employees have tested positive," a senior official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

More than 26.68 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 874,218? have died, according to a Reuters tally

Lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome had taken centre-stage as the mostdreaded complications of Covid-19. However, with time, more issues have begun to be discovered. Heart damage has now emerged as another grim outcome in the virus's repertoire of possible complications.

Russia has registered 5,205 Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, which brings the cumulative total to 1,020,310, the country's coronavirus response centre said on Saturday

For the first time, the Union Health Ministry has allowed on-demand Covid-19 testing without a prescription.The new advisory has been made on the recommendations of the National Task Force on the novel coronavirus."For the first time, along with more simplified modalities, the updated guidelines provide for 'On-demand' testing in order to ensure higher levels of testing," read a release by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani bemoaned Iran’s friends on Saturday for not standing up to the United States and breaking crippling sanctions during the coronavirus pandemic.

To fight against the Covid-19, the scientists have identified a small neutralising antibody, a so-called nanobody, that has the capacity to block SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells.The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggests that this nanobody has the potential to be developed as an antiviral treatment against Covid-19.

Six members of the Argentina national rugby have tested positive for Covid-19.The players are asymptomatic and have been placed in managed isolation, the Argentina Rugby Union said in a statement Friday.It named the players as Emiliano Boffelli, Juan Cruz Mallia, Bautista Delguy, Bautista Pedemonte, Rodrigo Fernandez Criado and Lucas Bur.

American actor and comedian Tiffany Haddish revealed that she had contacted Covid-19 and opened up about her experience in an interview with Dr Anthony Fauci, on her YouTube channel.According to Variety, the 40-year-old actor said that she had the coronavirus around three months ago after two people she had been in contact with contracted it.

At least 19 global health experts have proposed a new, three-phase plan for vaccine distribution -- called the Fair Priority Model -- which aims to reduce premature deaths and other irreversible health consequences from Covid-19.

Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto has stated that a COVID-19 vaccine is not a requirement for holding next year's postponed Olympics and Paralympics.Muto on Friday attended the first meeting on countermeasures against the coronavirus pandemic with a Japanese government panel, which is headed by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiro Sugita and consists of about 30 members from the central government, the Tokyo Metropolitan government and Tokyo 2020 organising committee.