Covid LIVE: Assam logs 1,120 new COVID-19 cases, 17 more fatalities

Coronvirus live updates: Indian researchers find mixing doses of 2 vaccines is safe; USA's Anthony Fauci supports booster shots.

9:20 AM

Mumbai police book SP leader, workers

The police in Mumbai have filed a complaint against Abu Asim Azmi, a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator, and 17 party workers for allegedly violating safety norms for Covid-19 by gathering to celebrate his birthday in suburban Govandi on Sunday. SP workers did not maintain social distancing and many of them were not wearing masks, the police told PTI.

9:20 AM

UK universities to continue online lessons during autumn term

Many of the top universities in the UK have refused to return to full face-to-face classes in the autumn, despite government advice that they can lift all Covid-19 restrictions, local media reported.

 

According to The Sunday Times report, 20 of the leading 24 Russell Group universities said a proportion of undergraduate teaching will continue to be held online, which means they will offer blended learning to mix the online and face-to-face teaching for classes, seminars and lectures, reports Xinhua news agency.

9:19 AM

Wuhan completes citywide testing to curb Covid resurgence

Authorities in Wuhan, the capital of China's Hubei province where the pandemic originated in 2019, have completed a round of all-inclusive nucleic acid testing in five days to contain the latest Covid-19 resurgence, officials said.

 

More than 11.28 million residents have been tested for the novel coronavirus during the citywide testing that began on August 3, Li Tao, deputy secretary-general of the Wuhan municipal government, told a press conference on Sunday.

8:25 AM

Goldman Sachs cuts China growth forecast

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. downgraded its economic growth forecast for China as measures to contain the fast-expanding Covid-19 resurgence curb spending, Bloomberg reported. The bank cut its projection for quarter-on-quarter growth of gross domestic product in the third quarter and also lowered their full-year GDP growth forecast to 8.3% from 8.6%.

7:16 AM

Get vaccination certificate on WhatsApp

A document certifying Covid-19 vaccination can be obtained via WhatsApp, said India’s Health Minister on Sunday. To download the certificate, send a message 'covid certificate' on WhatsApp to a number +91 9013151515.

6:34 AM

Third wave could be less severe

India’s anticipated third wave of Covid-19 infections could be less harmful than the previous one in April-May because of high seroprevalence, the percentage of individuals in a population who have antibodies to a pathogen. India’s seroprevalence is over 67 per cent. More on that story here.

 

6:31 AM

New Orleans Jazz Fest cancelled again

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was canceled for a second year because of Covid-19, organizers announced on Sunday, as Louisiana weathers USA’s worst per capita outbreak of the virus.