India has become the third country in the world to cross 20 lakh coronavirus cases after the United States and Brazil amid constant surge in infections. A huge surge of 61,537 new coronavirus patients today took the tally to 20.88 lakh cases.
This is the fourh consecutive day that India has recorded more cases in a day that the United States or Brazil, which have higher caseload.
The positivity rate - an indicator to assess the prevalence of the disease- 10.28 as compared to yesterday's 10.88 per cent.
The country reported majority of cases last month. As July began, India had over 6 lakh cases. By the end of the month, the tally had surged to 16 lakh cases.
Here are the Updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Cases:
The coronavirus death count in West Bengal surpassed 2,000-mark Saturday and the state's caseload is over the 90,000-mark, according to a bulletin of the state health department, reported news agency PTI. The number of active cases in the state crossed the 25,000-mark, the bulletin said. The death count reached 2,005 after 51 people died due to the infection during the day and the tally touched 92,615 after 2,949 people tested positive during the day, it said.
Another 58,173 new coronavirus cases were confirmed in the United States on Friday, bringing the total past 4.9 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, reported news agency ANI. "The first case of COVID-19 in the US was reported 198 days ago on January 22. Yesterday, the country reported 58,173 new confirmed cases and 1,243 deaths," it said. The country is expected to cross the 5 million threshold in the coming days. It leads the world both in terms of coronavirus cases and deaths which is estimated at over 1,61,300.

Known for his brilliant teaching skills, Pitambarlal Rajani, a noted professor and theatre director in Tamil Nadu, has died of COVID-19 at the age of 80.

Maharashtra's coronavirus cases crossed the 5-lakh mark today with a record single-day spike in cases. With 12,822 new infections, the total tally in the worst affected state in the country is now 5,03,084.
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari today visited state-run Sir JJ Group of Hospitals in Mumbai. The Governor appreciated the efforts of doctors, nurses, paramedical workers and staff for rendering services to patients in the present challenging situation. pic.twitter.com/I5OS9YxoZy
- ANI (@ANI) August 8, 2020

Union Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary has tested positive for coronavirus, he said in a tweet today.
Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan, who had tested positive last month for coronavirus, has now tested negative for coronavirus, he tweeted today. The actor's father, Bollywood veteran Amitabh Bachchan, who had also tested positive, was discharged from hospital about a week ago.
In Kerala, all those who took part in plane crash rescue efforts will be tested for coronavirus, state's Health Minister KK Shailaja said this morning, urging them to "go into self-quarantine as a precaution"."As a part of precaution, all those who have participated in the rescue operation should go under self-quarantine. Covid tests of all of them will be done," the 63-year-old minister said. Eighteen people, including both pilots, were killed as the flight overshot the runway and the plane broke into pieces.
#NDTVCoronavirusTracker pic.twitter.com/TFoqj7FbMY
- NDTV (@ndtv) August 8, 2020
More than 1.9 core people have contracted coronavirus so far; 7.21 lakh have died. Over 1.17 crore have recovered so far. In the United States, the tally is moving closer to 50 lakh cases; Brazil has logged nearly 30 lakh cases.
Tamil Nadu reported 5,800 new cases on Friday, taking the tally to 2.85 lakh cases.
Caseload in Maharashtra is inching closer to 5 lakh-mark. The state reported over 10,000 cases on Friday.
This is the fourth consecutive day that India recorded the highest number of fresh infections in a single day across the world, according to the data by the World Health Organization.
The ten states with biggest Covid caseload in India are: Maharashtra (4.9 lakh cases, Tamil Nadu (2.85 lakh cases), Andhra Pradesh (2.06 lakh cases), Karnataka (1.64 lakh cases, Delhi (1.42 lakh cases), Uttar Pradesh (1.13 lakh cases), West Bengal (89.66 thousand cases), Telangana (77,513) cases), Bihar (71,304 cases) and Gujarat (68,0000 cases).
India's Covid tally surged to 20.88 lakh cases after a massive surge of over 61,000 new cases in a day, the Health Ministry said this morning.
A tie-up between Serum Institute Of India, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the GAVI vaccines alliance would ensure 100 million vaccine doses as early as 2021. The Serum Institute of India said on Friday it would receive $150 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the GAVI vaccines alliance.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Brazil has increased by 50,230 to 29,62,442 in the past 24 hours, the national Ministry of Health said on late Friday, reported news agency ANI. The death count has risen by 1,079 to 99,572 people within the same period of time. On Thursday, Brazil reported 53,139 new cases of the coronavirus disease and 1,237 new fatalities. Brazil comes second on a global tally of coronavirus cases after the United States, which has recorded more than 4.9 million COVID-19 cases.
Odisha has allowed private hospitals with 30 or more beds to open COVID-19 units. The state, however, cautioned these hospitals not to charge exorbitant fees and warned of strict action in case of any violations, reported news agency ANI. Issuing a host of guidelines, the state health department said: "It is observed that the private hospitals are treating the non-COVID cases, but when they find such patients to be COVID-19 positive during the process of treatment they immediately request the government machinery to shift the case to a COVID facility, set up by the government. It eventually caused a large surge of patients in such COVID facilities." All asymptomatic or mild cases shall be sent to institutional quarantine or home isolation, or a paid COVID Care Centre run by the hospital, it said. Interested private hospitals shall designate a minimum of 10 per cent of all beds to be reserved for COVID treatment with an option to convert the entire hospital to a COVID hospital, it added.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has ordered night curfew from 9 pm to 5 am in the worst-affected cities of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala from Saturday to contain the spread of coronavirus, reported news agency ANI. "Concerned over the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the state, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has ordered night curfew from 9 pm to 5 am in the worst affected cities of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala from Saturday, while directing all big cities/towns to prepare an integrated management plan for treatment of the disease at both government and private facilities," said the state government in a press release on Friday. The chief minister has also announced a week-long trial of enforcement of the mandatory mask-wearing rule by making offenders stand at the spot for an hour with a mask on.