Coronavirus live news: China reports highest cases since January; India reports lowest infections since March

India reported on Tuesday 28,204 Covid infections over the last 24 hours, the lowest since March 16, according to government data.

India’s overall case load touched 32 million, the health ministry data showed. Overall deaths in the country increased by 373 overnight, pushing the tally to 428,682.

China reported 143 new cases on the mainland for 9 August, up from 125 cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Tuesday.

China’s latest clusters are mainly driven by the highly transmissible Delta variant, officials have said.

Among the new confirmed infections, the highest number China has reported since Jan. 20, 108 were locally transmitted, up from 94 a day earlier, while the remainder were imported from abroad, the National Health Commission said.

Most local infections were in the eastern province of Jiangsu and the central province of Henan.

The number of new asymptomatic infections was 38 from 39 a day earlier. China does not classify them as confirmed cases.

China has reported a total of 93,969 infections since the outbreak began. The number of reported deaths remained at 4,636.

Hello and welcome to today’s live coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.

China reported 143 new cases on the mainland for 9 August, up from 125 cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Tuesday.

Among the new confirmed infections, the highest number China has reported since 20 January, 108 were locally transmitted, up from 94 a day earlier, while the remainder were imported from abroad, the National Health Commission said.

In better news, India reported on Tuesday 28,204 infections over the last 24 hours, the lowest since 16 March, according to government data.

Here are the other key recent developments:

• The UK is on course to “hoard” up to 210m spare coronavirus vaccines by the end of the year, new research suggested, as ministers were accused of leaving poorer countries “fighting for scraps” after the UK opposed a move to allow more companies abroad to manufacture the doses themselves.
• An extension to France’s “health pass” covering activities including going to restaurants and cafes, taking long-distance train journeys and visiting hospitals has come into effect after a fourth weekend of protests. Opponents believe the pass sanitaire violates the most fundamental of French principles: the liberté and egalité of the national motto.
• The Australian prime minister, Scott Morrison, has put the issue of vaccine mandates firmly in the hands of employers, saying government legal advice backs the view that bosses may be able to require workers to get a Covid-19 jab, particularly in high-risk fields.
• Canada today lifted its ban on Americans entering, though under a strict regime they must be both fully vaccinated and test negative for Covid-19 within three days. Long delays were reported at as tourists rushed to travel north during the busy summer season.
• One person is now dying with Covid-19 every two minutes in Iran, state TV has said, as the Middle East’s worst-hit nation reported a new record daily toll of 588 fatalities. It compares to a reported rate of about one death per three minutes a month ago.
• Fake versions of anti-Covid “green passes” have begun to circulate in Italy just days after they were introduced to gain entry to a number of indoor places, police said. One network selling false evidence of vaccination, recovery or testing has been broken up, they claimed, saying they have identified four suspects, including two minors.
• California’s ambitious programme to provide rent relief to every low-income tenant struggling during the pandemic has been plagued by delays and challenges, and some renters who are waiting for the aid to arrive say they are now facing eviction threats.
• Saudi Arabia is from today taking travel requests from vaccinated foreign visitors seeking to visit the holy city of Mecca as part of the Umrah pilgrimage. The tight restrictions, including rules on which vaccines are considered acceptable, means that millions of Muslims could be prevented from going on the pivotally important journey.
• Scottish clubbers have vowed to be “out every night” as the easing of coronavirus restrictions allowed venues to reopen for the first time in more than a year. Nightclubs across the country opened their doors as the clock moved a minute past midnight today.