Highlights: Pune's Covid-19 tally crosses 130k; 2,724 new cases reported

Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam health continues to remain critical and is on the ventilator and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in ICU, MGM Healthcare, Chennai said.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority has approved the re-opening of hotels in the national capital. Weekly markets will re-open on trial basis whereas gymnasiums will still remain closed, reports ANI.

Total coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh touched 3.16 lakh on Wednesday after 9,742 more people tested positive for the infection. 86 fresh deaths have taken the state's death toll to 2,906. After seeing a downfall last week, active cases again spiked and have reached to 86,725. More than 2.26 lakh have recovered from the infection so far, reports PTI.

9,742 new #COVID19 cases and 86 deaths reported in Andhra Pradesh in the last 24 hours, taking total number of cases to 3,16,003 including 86,725 active cases, 2,26,372 recoveries and 2,906 deaths: State Health Department pic.twitter.com/fdAQ51b9GV

— ANI (@ANI) August 19, 2020

Greece will extend restrictions in the popular holiday island of Mykonos and the coastal area of Chalkidiki in the northern region to contain the spread of COVID-19 infections, Civil Protection authorities said on Wednesday. The measures include total ban on live parties and other festivities, a limit of nine people in all public and private gatherings and compulsory mask wearing in closed and open spaces, reports Reuters.

The district collectorate in Lucknow, which houses the offices of several administrative officers has been shut for two days after some staffers tested positive for the novel coronavirus infection. An official order said that only disaster management staff and Covid-related staff will be allowed to enter the collectorate, reports ANI.

Pope Francis on Wednesday warned against any prospect that rich people would get priority for a coronavirus vaccine. “The pandemic is a crisis. You don’t come out of it the same — either better or worse,’‘ Francis said, adding improvised remarks to his planned speech for his weekly public audience. “We must come out better” from the Covid-19 pandemic, the pope said, reports AP.

Thailand is considering an extension of its state of emergency through September 30 to prevent a second wave of coronavirus cases and guard its streak of almost three months without a local infection amid mounting anti-government protests, reports Bloomberg.

Iran surpassed 20,000 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, the health ministry said — the highest death toll for any Middle East country so far in the pandemic, reports AP.

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra on Wednesday voiced concern over the growing Covid-19 cases in the state, and asked Health Minister Raghu Sharma to chalk out a new strategy to contain the spread of the disease.

2,884 new Covid-19 cases reported on 18th August in Bihar, taking the total number of active cases in the state to 31,460: State Health Department, Bihar

Iran surpassed 20,000 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus on Wednesday, the health ministry said — the highest death toll for any Middle East country so far in the pandemic.

Tripura's Covid-19 caseload rose to 7,663 on Wednesday as 236 people tested positive for the infection, while three more fatalities pushed its coronavirus death toll to 65, a health official said.

As many as 93 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Singapore, taking the total number of cases in the country to 56,031, the heath ministry said. The ministry said that 183 more have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities, taking the total number of recoveries to 52,533, reports PTI.

Indonesia reported 1,902 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 144,945, data from the country's health ministry showed.

Britain is planning to bring in population-wide mass testing for coronavirus to help control the pandemic, said health minister Matt Hancock on Wednesday.