The Latest: India records highest daily jump of 57,000 cases

NEW DELHI — India recorded the steepest spike of 57,118 new cases in the past 24 hours, taking its coronavirus caseload close to 1.7 million, with July alone accounting for nearly 1.1 million infections.

The Health Ministry on Saturday also reported 764 additional deaths for a total of 36,511.

India’s Civil Aviation Ministry delayed resumption of international flights by another month until Aug. 31. But it will continue to allow several international carriers from the United States, Europe and the Middle East to operate special flights to evacuate stranded nationals.

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said Friday that India achieved more than 1 million recoveries with active cases only one-third of the total. India is now conducting more than 640,000 tests in 24 hours, taking cumulative tests across the country to nearly 1.9 million, he said.

Lockdown remains in places across all containment zones, while subways, cinema halls, swimming pools, entertainment parks, bars, theaters, auditoriums and other social gathering places will remain closed till Aug. 31.

___

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— Fauci confident virus vaccine will get to Americans in 2021

— Mexico 3rd in global pandemic deaths, Vietnam struggles anew

— Road trip? Quarantines mess with Americans’ travel plans

— The first wave of college students returning to their dorms aren’t finding the typical mobs of students and parents. What many of them found were strict safety protocols and heightened anxiety amid a pandemic where virus infections are growing in more than two dozen states.

— Small groups of pilgrims have performed one of the final rites of the Islamic hajj as Muslims worldwide mark the start of the holiday of Eid al-Adha amid a global pandemic that has...