Highlights: Punjab’s Covid-19 death toll crosses 1,000; tally at 40,643

1,071 more tested positive for Covid-19 in Italy in the last 24 hours, exceeding 1,000 cases in a day for the first time since May when the government eased lockdown measures. Italy, which was one of the worst-hit countries from the pandemic Italy, one of Europe's worst-hit countries with more than 35,000 deaths, has managed to contain the outbreak after a peak in deaths and cases between March and April, reports Reuters.

Forty-five new Covid fatalities in Punjab pushed the death toll to 1,036 while 1,320 fresh cases took the state's infection tally to 40,643 on Saturday, according to an official bulletin, reports PTI.

The United Kingdom recorded 1,288 new virus cases on Saturday, up from 1,033 a day earlier, government figures showed. Eighteen people died after testing positive for the coronavirus within 28 days, up from two a day earlier. The new cases were logged as the government ramps up testing so it can suppress the spread of Covid-19, reports Reuters.

Maharashtra on Saturday reported 14,492 new coronavirus cases, matching the highest single-day spike witnessed only two days ago, which took the case tally in the state to 6,71,942, a health official said. With 297 patients succumbing, the death toll rose to 21,995, he said, reports PTI.

Meghalaya's Covid-19 caseload rose to 1,811 with the detection of 93 fresh infections, while one more fatality pushed its coronavirus death toll to seven, health minister A L Hek said on Saturday. The fresh infections have pushed the number of active cases in the northeastern state to 1,035, the minister said, reports PTI.

As many as 990 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Jharkhand, taking the total number of cases in the state to 28,231. The total cases include 9,562 active cases, 18,372 and 297 deaths, the health bulletin showed, reports PTI.

After a 13-day gap, Andhra Pradesh for the second time reported over 10,000 new coronavirus cases in a day, pushing the tally to 3,45,216 on Saturday. 97 more fatalities were reported in 24 hours ending 9 am on Saturday, taking the death toll to 3,189, reports PTI.

Delhi on Saturday reported 1,412 cases and 14 due to the novel coronavirus. The total cases have reached 1,60,016 which includes 11,594 active cases, 144,138 recoveries and 4,284 deaths, reports ANI.

Delhi reports 1,412 new #COVID19 cases, 1,230
discharges/recoveries/migrated and 14 deaths today.

Total number of cases now at 1,60,016 including 1,44,138 recovered cases, 11,594 active cases & 4,284 deaths. pic.twitter.com/ox1kifNcIE

— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2020

Uttar Pradesh on Saturday registered its highest single-day spike of 5,375 Covid-19 cases, pushing the state's tally to 1,82,456. The active cases have reached 48,294 while 1,31,295 have recovered from the infection so far, reports PTI.

Argentina joined Peru, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates in approving Phase 3 clinical trials for a Covid-19 vaccine developed by China National Biotec Group (CNBG), the company said late Friday, reports Reuters.

More than half the companies in Spain which closed at the height of the coronavirus pandemic have reopened, according to government data released on Saturday, suggesting the economy is recovering slowly. March and April.

The worst affected sectors of the economy between February and July were education, agriculture and fishing, as per the data, reports Reuters.

The number of deaths from the new coronavirus has surpassed 800,000 around the world, according to an AFP tally based on official sources on Saturday. In total, 800,004 fatalities have been recorded globally, out of 23,003,079 declared infections.

#BREAKING Global coronavirus death toll tops 800,000: AFP tally pic.twitter.com/kxP23egQlR

— AFP news agency (@AFP) August 22, 2020

The weekend lockdown to combat Covid-19 was observed in Assam on Saturday following the guidelines issued by the state government on August 14.

Guwahati also wore a deserted look today with people staying indoors in the fight against the infection. Earlier on August 14, the state government issued new lockdown guidelines with relaxations between August 16 and 31, reports ANI.

The head of Israel's coronavirus task force urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to ban an annual pilgrimage in which Hasidic Jews visit the central Ukrainian town of Uman over concerns the site may become a Covid-19 hotspot. Both the governments have already issued a statement pleading with pilgrims to cancel their trips, but huge crowds are still planning to fly, reports Reuters.

German university launched Saturday a series of pop concerts under coronavirus conditions, hoping the mass experiment with 4,000 people can determine whether large events can safely resume, reports AFP.