Here are the top updates from Friday: The Union health ministry warned against the declining use of masks among citizens and said that t...

Here are the top updates from Friday:
- The Union health ministry warned against the declining use of masks among citizens and said that the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic was not over. The Centre cited a projected decline of mask usage, which showed that they were being used more between March and April and the most in May. But there was a steady decline in the use of masks in June and July, it said.
- India recorded 38,949 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally of infections since the outbreak of the pandemic in January last year to 3,10,26,829. The toll rose to 4,12,531 as the country recorded 542 more deaths in the last 24 hours. The number of active cases stood at 4,30,422.
- The Centre told the Delhi High Court that clinical trials of coronavirus vaccines for children were almost complete. It said that the Zydus Cadila vaccine for children would be available for use once the statutory provisions were met. Meanwhile, the health ministry refuted reports that several children have missed their routine vaccinations due to disruptions caused by the pandemic.
- Niti Aayog (Health) member VK Paul warned that the pandemic situation in most countries was going from “bad to worse” and the world was moving towards a third wave. At a meeting with chief ministers of...