Here are the top updates from Wednesday:

  1. Director of the National Centre for Disease Control Sujeet Singh told NDTV that the Covid-19 pandemic will approach the endemic stage in the country in six months. Endemic is when cases level off as more people develop immunity from vaccination or past infection. “If the mortality and morbidity is under control, then we can manage the disease,” Singh said.
  2. India recorded 27,176 new Covid-19 cases, pushing the country’s tally of infections since the outbreak of the pandemic in January last year to 3,32,89,579. The new cases were 6.97% higher than Tuesday’s count of 25,404 cases. The country’s toll rose to 4,43,497 with 284 deaths.
  3. Mumbai recorded 514 new coronavirus cases and four deaths, taking the overall infection count to 7,36,284 and the toll to 16,037, reported PTI. Infections had remained below the 400 mark for four straight days till Tuesday.
  4. The Drugs Controller General of India has granted approval for phase three bridging trials of the coronavirus vaccine, Sputnik Light. The trials will assess the efficacy of the vaccine among Indian participants.
  5. The Delhi government will allow public fairs and exhibitions to be conducted in the city from Thursday as a part of its phased unlocking after the devastating second wave of the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Delhi recorded 57 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, up by 19 from Tuesday’s infection count of 38.
  6. The West Bengal government extended the coronavirus-related restrictions till September 30, PTI reported. The state government allowed both government and private offices to function with half their capacity.
  7. The Jharkhand government has allowed entry of visitors to religious places, including the Baidyanath Dham temple in Deoghar, reported PTI. The government also allowed setting up of Durga puja pandals while maintaining Covid-19 protocols.  
  8. A study by United States’ Rockefeller University said saliva test to detect coronavirus disease performs better than oral and nasal ones that are authorised by the country’s Food and Drug administration, reported IANS.
  9. China tightened lockdowns in cities along its east coast after cases rose in those places, reported PTI. The country’s National Health Commission also directed officials to increase testing. 
  10. The coronavirus has globally infected over 22.6 crore people and killed more than 46.53 lakh since the pandemic broke out in December 2019, according to Johns Hopkins University.