Breaking news: August 20, 2020 | As it happened

1,741 new COVID-19 cases reported in Punjab today. The total number of cases rises to 37,824, including 13,830 active cases, 23,037 recovered cases, and 957 deaths so far. 

76 new cases and 109 recoveries reported in Andaman and Nicobar Islands today, taking the total number of cases to 2,680. There are 1,011 active cases now. The death toll is at 31. 

Jharkhand reported 517 new COVID-19 cases, 754 recoveries, and 8 deaths, taking total cases to 26,938, including 17,320 discharges and 286 deaths. The number of active cases stands at 9,332. 

1,330 COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths reported in Rajasthan today, 1,227 recovered and 1,127 discharged. The total positive cases in the state rise to 66,619 including 921 deaths, 51,190 recovered and 50,560 discharged. 

411 new COVID-19 cases reported in Uttarakhand today, 301 patients treated/cured. The total cases in the state rise to 13,636 including 187 deaths and 9433 recovered patients. Active cases stand at 3,966. 

7,385 new COVID-19 cases, 6,231 recovered cases, and 102 deaths reported in Karnataka in the last 24 hours. The total number of positive cases stands at 2,56,975 including 82,149 active cases, 1,70,381 recovered cases, and 4,429 total deaths till date. 

350 new COVID-19 positive cases and 161 recovered cases reported in Goa today, taking the total number of cases in the state to 13,099, including 3,910 active cases, 9,063 recovered cases, and 126 total death cases till date. 

14,492 new COVID-19 cases, 12,243 recoveries, and 326 deaths reported in Maharashtra today. The total number of COVID cases rises to 6,43,289 in the state, which includes 4,59,124 recovered cases, 1,62,491 active cases, and 21,359 deaths till date. 

996 new COVID-19 cases, 737 cured cases, and 11 deaths reported today in Haryana. The total number of COVID cases stands at 50,926 in the state till date, out of which 7,555 are active cases, 42,793 are recovered cases and 578 people have died so far. 

3,197 new COVID-19 cases, 3,126 recovered cases and 53 deaths reported in West Bengal today. The total number of COVID cases stands at 1,29,119 in the state, including 27,696 active cases, 98,789 discharged cases and 2,634 deaths so far. 

17 new COVID-19 positive cases, 2,342 recovered cases reported in the Dharavi area of Mumbai today. The total number of cases rise to 2,697 including 2,342 cured cases and 95 active cases. 

1 new COVID-19 case, 18 recovered cases reported in Mizoram today. The total number of cases stands at 874, including 472 active cases and 402 cured cases in the state till date. There has been zero death in the state so far. 

683 new COVID-19 cases reported from Jammu and Kashmir today, 114 from Jammu division, and 569 from Kashmir division, taking the total number of cases in the Union Territory to 30,717. The death toll is at 578. 

411 new COVID-19 cases reported in Uttarakhand today, 301 patients treated/cured. Total cases in the state rise to 13,636 including 187 deaths and 9,433 recovered patients. Active cases stand at 3,966.

1,968 new COVID-19 cases and 9 deaths reported in Kerala today. The total COVID cases in the state rise above 52,000, with 18,123 active cases till date. 

5,986 new COVID-19 cases, 5,742 recoveries and 116 deaths reported today in Tamil Nadu. The total tally of COVID cases rises to 3,61,435 including 53,283 active cases, 3,01,913 recovered cases and 6,239 deaths till date. 

Himachal Pradesh COVID-19 positive cases tally rises to 4,472 cases in the last 24 hours, including 1,343 active cases, 3,066 recoveries and 21 deaths till date. 

Manipur reported 49 new COVID-19 cases, including 9 Central Armed Police Forces personnel, in the last 24 hours. The total cases now at 4,925, including 1,905 active cases and 3,002 recoveries. The death toll stands at 18.

Delhi reported 1,215 new COVID-19 positive cases, 1,059 discharges/recoveries and 22 deaths. The total number of cases now at 1,57,354 including 1,41,826 recovered cases, 11,271 active cases and 4,257 deaths. 

25 new COVID-19 cases reported in Nagaland today. The state also reported 215 recoveries in the last 24 hours. 

Biju Janta Dal (BJD) President Naveen Patnaik appointed Secretaries and Joint Secretaries of the party with specific charges. 

Singapore on Thursday reported 68 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, taking the country's total count to 56,099. Two of the new cases were imported, who had been placed on stay-home notice upon arrival in Singapore. 

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announces he is COVID-19 positive, to be admitted to hospital.

India will not be able to provide employment to youth. Media made fun of me when I warned the country that there will be heavy loss due to #COVID19. Today I am saying our country won't be able to give jobs. If you don't agree then wait for 6-7 months, says Rahul Gandhi

The construction of Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir has begun. Engineers are now testing the soil at the mandir site. The construction work is expected to finish in 36-40 months... Iron won't be used in the construction of the Mandir: Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra 

Kalahandi district continues to receive heavy rainfall. Odisha has received 58.5 mm average rainfall in last 24 hrs, across the 30 districts. Rainfall above 100 mm recorded in four districts including Cuttack, Jajpur, Koraput and Kendrapara in last 24 hrs.

"Congratulations to the people of Indore for achieving first position in being India's cleanest city in Swachh Survekshan 2020. The city has hit a four this time & surely will hit a six in the coming future," MP CM Chouhan. 

Police vacate a four-storey building in Gurugram's Sector-46 after it bent on one side, following heavy downpour

554 new COVID-19 positive cases and 8 deaths recorded in Puducherry in the last 24 hours, taking the total cases and deaths to 9,292 and 137 respectively

8 deaths and 2,898 fresh COVID-19 cases reported in Odisha in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 70,020 including 22,651 active cases, 46,935 recovered cases and 380 deaths

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary at Veer Bhumi. 

18 junior government doctors working for containing the spread COVID-19 pandemic have approached the Kerala High Court, seeking a direction to the government to disburse their salaries along with arrears immediately

Spike of 69,652 cases and 977 deaths reported in India, in the last 24 hours. The COVID-19 tally in the country rises to 28,36,926 including 6,86,395 active cases, 20,96,665 cured/discharged/migrated and 53,866 deaths

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday paid tributes to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his birth anniversary. Gandhi, who was prime minister between 1984-89, was born on this day in 1944 and assassinated by the LTTE during an election campaign in 1991. "On his birth anniversary, tributes to former prime minister Shri Rajiv Gandhi Ji," Modi tweeted.

Mangaluru City police have arrested a man on charges of making a bomb hoax call at Mangaluru airport; case registered

Yog guru Swami Ramdev reveals yoga asanas for pregnant women | WATCH NOW

Heavy rain lashed several parts of Delhi-NCR on Thursday morning. The incessant rains have caused massive waterlogging across the national capital.  

More than 9 lakh COVID-19 tests conducted in the last 24 hours

Hello and welcome to today's live coverage of coronavirus news in India and across the world, with me, Sushmita Panda and my colleagues  Himanshu Shekhar, Shashwat  Bhandari, Vani Mehrotra, Priya Jaiswal,  Sidhant Mamtany and Rashi Hardaha. You can get in touch with us directly on twitter @sushmitapanda, @himaanshus, @ShashBhandari​ @vani_mehrotra​ @priyajais, @SidMamtany, and  @rashihardaha for news, tips, photos, questions and comments. Stay tuned to Indiatvnews.com (@indiatvnews) for all the latest updates on what's happening around the world. 

Here's a quick overview: 

The total number of global cases has surpassed 22.5 million, including more than 790,000 fatalities. More than 15,292,000 patients are reported to have recovered.

Total positive cases country-wise: