Highlights: 1,197 new coronavirus cases in Mumbai, 136 deaths

A total of 66,16,496 samples have been tested by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the coronavirus disease. In the last 24 hours, ICMR tested 1,89,869 samples.

According to latest figures released by the Union ministry of health and family welfare, a total of 14,516 new Covid-19 infections were recorded in the last 24 hours. This is steepest hike so far.

The country now has a total of 395,048 confirmed cases, of which 168,269 are active while 213,830 patients have been discharged so far. The death toll has gone up to 12,948.

With more cases being reported from food plants in Brazil, the government has issued new guidelines for meatpackers. The norms to be followed include keeping workers at least one metre apart.

The labor prosecutors have criticized the steps as inadequate.

Washington, DC, officials say the anticipated spike in Covid-19 infections appears to have been successfully blunted by months of social restrictions. The state will head to the second phase of reopening next week.

All nonessential businesses will be allowed to let customers inside up to 50% capacity. Restaurants also will be able to seat diners indoors, also at 50% capacity. Theaters, cinemas and concert venues will remain closed but they can apply for a special waiver from the District government.

The Centre has asked states to ensure that home-isolation guidelines are strictly followed so as to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The ministry of health and family welfare issued revised guidelines for home isolation on May 10 which continue to be effective as on date, an official statement said Friday.

A Guwahati-based restaurant owner has redesigned to robots to serve food and medicine to Covid-19 patients, according to news agency ANI.

SN Farid says “we were using robots for 1.5 years to serve drinks to customers. I redesigned them to assist health care professionals.”

As Covid-19 cases in Beijing has jumped to 205 since June 11, experts say a super spread may have amplified the spread of infection.

Yang Zhanqiu, deputy director of the pathogen biology department at Wuhan University, told the state media that new infections linked to a single market indicates the sign of a super spreader.

Mexico reported 5,030 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday taking the total number of infected to 170,485. The death surpassed 20,000 after the health ministry reported 647 new fatalities.

The government says the real number of infected is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases, Reuters reported.

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to grapple the world, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) supported 70 countries with roughly about $25 billion of emergency financing, according to Xinhua news agency.

"This emergency financing is very fast-disbursing, countries receive the money within days, it does not carry traditional IMF conditionality," IMF spokesperson Gerry Rice was quoted as saying.

Adapting to the new normal of social-distancing restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Japan is cautiously reopening its economy.

Japan's economy has been stagnant since the outbreak of the disease and sorely needs tourism, exports and thriving small businesses to avoid sliding deeper into recession.

Brazil's government confirmed on Friday that the country has risen above 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases, second only to the United States.

The country's health ministry said that the total now stood at 1,032,913, up more than 50,000 from Thursday.

According to latest figures Johns Hopkins University, a total of 459,399 people have dies of the coronavirus infection across the world whereas the number of confirmed cases has gone up to 8,637,901.