the latest report on the situation of the number of recoveries, deaths, and active patients. Steps being taken by the government to control the situation are also discussed here.

In India the updated COVID situation is as follows:

• Though the cases are increasing at a fast pace the number of recoveries in percentage stands at 77.88%
• The number of deaths in the updated COVID situation in India stands at 82,066
• The number of active patients is 9,95,933. In India, 77% of active cases come from 10 states including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu , Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, and Kerala

Maharashtra had a record number of  22,084 new cases, 13,489 discharged cases, and 391 deaths today.

A high-level meeting was also held by the principal secretary to the prime minister of India. The meeting focussed on the methods implemented to tackle the situation in States and districts.  It also focussed on the development and the distribution of the vaccine.

In China, the updated COVID situation is as follows:

• The number of recoveries in China is at 80,437.
• The number of deaths in the updated COVID situation in China is 4634.
• The number of active patients is 143.

In the updated COVID situation for 30 days in a row, China has not witnessed a single locally transmitted case. The government in Beijing has made it optional to wear masks.

Declining numbers of cases in China have been observed since mid-July. Researchers say that China was able to manage the COVID 19 situation due to the aggressive tracing of infected people, their quarantine, and isolation. This made it sure that the infected people do not spread the virus to other people.

A victory celebration was also held in China which included the supreme leader Xi Jinping who came out without wearing a mask. A 70-minute speech was given by him.

In Nepal, the updated COVID situation is as follows

• The number of recoveries in Nepal stands at 40,638.
• The number of deaths in the updated COVID situation is at 371
• The number of active cases is 16,242.

In Nepal, the 4-month lockdown which extended till mid-July was loosened which promoted longer working hours of transport and business. Kathmandu has become the hotbed of infection in Nepal.

Vaccine Development

Oxford University in partnership with Astra-Zeneca is developing a vaccine that is already in an advanced stage of testing. 100 million doses of the same will be supplied in the UK.

The vaccine can be made available for the public in May 2021. About 60-70% of the people in the world need to be immunized to stop the spread of the virus. This will be a huge logistical challenge as the vaccine will need to be transported in bulk to many locations.