Highlights: Covid-19 death toll touches 500 mark in Bihar

Kerala health minister K K Shailaja said that the state will witness a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in August and September with daily cases expecting to touch between 10,000 to 20,000. "Experts have opined that during the months of August and September we may witness a surge in Covid-19 cases.

We may report between 10,000 to 20,000 cases per day," she said in a video campaign urging the youth to join the "Covid Brigade" to halt the pandemic spread, reports PTI.

Puducherry logged 6,995 Covid-19 cases after 328 more people tested positive for the infection. The total cases include 2,880 active cases, 4,009 recoveries and 106 deaths, reports ANI.

328 new #COVID19 cases, 181 cured cases & 4 deaths reported in Puducherry today, taking the total number of positive cases to 6,995, including 2,880 active cases, 4,009 cured cases & 106 deaths: State Health Department, Puducherry pic.twitter.com/3L5DL5Pdi1

— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2020

Over 2,300 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Indonesia, taking the total number of cases in the country to 135,123. The death toll increased to 6,021 after 53 more people succumbed to the infection, reports Reuters.

164 more people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Tripura, taking the total number of cases in the states to 6,785, a health department official said. The total cases include 1,705 active cases, 5,016 recoveries and 46 deaths, reports PTI.

Pakistan's coronavirus tally reached 287,300 on Friday after 626 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours, the health ministry said. Fourteen more fatalities were recorded overnight, pushing the death toll to 6,153, it said. 265,215 have recovered from the infection so far, reports PTI.

Russia's Covid-19 tally mounted to 912, 823 after more than 5,065 people tested positive for the infection. The country's coronavirus crisis response centre said 114 people had died over the last 24 hours, pushing its official death toll to 15,498, reports Reuters.

As many as 82 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Arunachal Pradesh, taking the total number of cases in the state to 2,512. Most of the fresh cases were reported from the Capital Complex region where 17 people tested positive for Covid-19. There are 790 active cases while 1,718 people have recovered from the infection so far, reports PTI.

Tokyo recorded 389 new cases of coronavirus infections, as the daily tally rose above the 300 mark for the first time since August 9. Those under 40 years accounted for 62% of new cases, while serious cases rose by three to 24 out of all current cases in the Japanese capital, reports Reuters.

Total coronavirus cases in Odisha crossed 54,000 after 1,977 more people tested positive for the infection. As many as 10 people died and the state's toll has reached 324 while 37,900 have recovered from the infection, reports ANI.

1,977 new #COVID19 cases, 1,422 new recoveries & 10 deaths reported in Odisha on 13th August. Total number of positive cases in the state stands at 54,630, including 16,353 active cases, 37,900 recovered cases and 324 deaths till date: State Health Department, Odisha

— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2020

Vietnam's health ministry has registered to buy a Russian Covid vaccine, state television reported on Friday, as the Southeast Asian country fights a new outbreak of the coronavirus following months of no local cases. Vietnam has reported a total of 911 infections, with 21 deaths, reports Reuters.

New Zeland Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that a lockdown to impose the spread of Covid-19 in Auckland has been extended by 12 days. The initial three-day lockdown was supposed to end on Friday.

#BREAKING New Zealand extends Auckland virus lockdown by 12 days: PM pic.twitter.com/yEAgX6WzRz

— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 14, 2020

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi demanded that the Centre should clearly define an inclusive and equitable vaccine access policy to ensure its affordability and fair distribution. Gandhi also mentioned that India will soon be one of the coronavirus vaccine producing nations and the government must disclose its strategy now, reports PTI.

India will be one of the COVID-19 vaccine-producing nations.

It needs a clearly-defined, inclusive & equitable vaccine access strategy ensuring availability, affordability & fair distribution.

GOI must do it now.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 14, 2020

Health authorities said Friday they were investigating whether shipping workers were a source of New Zealand's first domestic coronavirus outbreak in more than three months. The outbreak has grown to 30 people and extended beyond Auckland, the country's largest city, for the first time, reports AP.

As many as 1,921 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Telangana, taking the total number of cases in the state to 88,396. 23,438 active cases, 64,284 recoveries and 674 deaths have been registered so far, reports ANI.

1,921 new #COVID19 cases, 1,210 recovered cases & 9 deaths reported in Telangana on August 13 till 8 pm, taking the total number of cases to 88,396 in the state. 23,438 active cases, 64,284 recoveries and 674 deaths reported so far: Health Department, Government of Telangana pic.twitter.com/XRpABX2OBk

— ANI (@ANI) August 14, 2020

The Indian Council of Medical Research said that over 2.7 crore samples have been tested so far for the novel coronavirus in the country. As many as 8,48,728 samples were tested on Thursday.

COVID-19 Testing Update . For more details visit: https://t.co/dI1pqvXAsZ #ICMRFIGHTSCOVID19 #IndiaFightsCOVID19 #CoronaUpdatesInIndia #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/dlbvgrmeK0

— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) August 14, 2020