In this picture taken on June 11, 2020, Hindu devotees attend evening prayers at Har Ki Pauri ghat on the banks of the river Ganges, after the government eased a nationwide lockdown. (PHOTO / AFP)

SYDNEY / TOKYO / CAIRO / SEOUL / NEW DELHI - India has cancelled a historic Hindu pilgrimage to a holy cave high in the snow-capped mountains of contested Kashmir for the first time, as cases of the novel coronavirus continued to rise on Wednesday.

There were 37,724 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, according to federal health data released on Wednesday. India has reported almost 1.2 million cases overall, behind only the United States and Brazil.

India reported 648 new deaths Wednesday to take its total to 28,732, passing Spain to rank seventh globally in deaths, according to data compiled by John Hopkins University. The country already ranks third in the number of infections.

Deaths in India so far have lagged the casualty rate seen elsewhere -- aided partially by the country’s younger population mix -- but fatalities are gaining momentum and India is rapidly closing in on former European hot spots France and Italy.

Australia

Residents of Australia’s second most populous city Melbourne must wear masks when leaving home from Wednesday, as tougher border restrictions were put in place with neighbouring New South Wales state to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The move came at Australia reported 501 infections, the worst day of coronavirus infections, with Victoria state recording 484 new cases. 

Cross-border travel between Victoria and New South Wales (NSW) will now only be permitted for work, education or medical care, after the border was closed earlier this month for the first time in 100 years.

Staff or students travelling from Victoria into NSW to attend boarding schools or universities are now required to self-isolate for two weeks and test negative to coronavirus, while seasonal workers from Victoria are barred.

Melbourne has seen a rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with the virus spreading to many aged and nursing homes and some prisons.

Victoria has recorded just under 6,300 total confirmed cases of COVID-19, nearly half of the total infections in Australia. The state recorded 364 new cases on Tuesday.

Australia has recorded nearly 12,500 COVID-19 cases and 126 deaths since the pandemic began earlier this year. 

Bangladesh

Bangladesh reported 2,744 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, taking the total to 213,254, with 2,751 deaths so far.

Senior Health Ministry official Nasima Sultana said in a briefing on Wednesday afternoon that 42 more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh, bringing the total fatalities to 2,751.

A man wearing a face mask walks past a sign advertising masks in Melbourne on July 20, 2020. Australia's second-biggest city will make it compulsory to wear a mask in public, authorities announced on July 19, as Melbourne steps up efforts to bring a coronavirus outbreak under control. (WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

Indonesia

The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 1,882 within one day to 91,751, with the death toll adding by 139 to 4,459, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, 1,789 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 50,255.

Iraq

Iraq's Health Ministry on Tuesday announced 2,466 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total infections nationwide to 97,159.

The death toll in Iraq rose to 3,950, after 81 more deaths were recorded during the day, while the tally of recoveries increased to 64,950 after 2,114 more patients recovered.

Manar Abdul-Mutalib, a female member of the Iraqi parliament, called for lifting both the full and partial curfews imposed in Iraq, noting that the "time has come to coexist with the coronavirus." 

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Iran

Iran, the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, recorded 2,625 new COVID-19 cases during the past 24 hours, bringing the total infections to 278,827.

Sima Sadat Lari, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education, said that the death toll from the virus in Iran rose to 14,634 after 229 new deaths were added.

So far, there have been 242,351 recoveries, while 3,589 patients remained in critical condition, she added.

Israel

Israel registered the biggest single-day rise in COVID-19 cases, at 2,039, pushing the total number of confirmed cases to 54,042.

The death toll in Israel rose to 425, after 10 more fatalities were confirmed, while the total recoveries surged to 22,743 after 589 more patients recovered.

Japan

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told residents to avoid unnecessary trips outdoors as much as possible during a forthcoming four-day weekend, as the total number of coronavirus cases in the city topped 10,000. Japan’s capital had another 230 or more cases Wednesday, Koike said earlier.

Osaka prefecture, Japan’s third-largest by population, found a record 120 new coronavirus cases Wednesday, Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura told reporters at a press conference.

Japan’s health ministry approves the use of dexamethasone, a steroid, as second drug for coronavirus treatment, according to public broadcaster NHK. Meanwhile, the government will forgo lifting restrictions on large-scale events on Aug. 1, maintaining the cap of 5,000 people for the time being, Sankei reported.

Kuwait

Kuwait on Tuesday reported 671 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 60,434 and the death toll to 412.

Malaysia

Malaysia reported 16 new COVID-19 infections, the health ministry said on Wednesday, bringing the national total to 8,831.

Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that of the cases, eight were imported and eight were local transmissions.

No new deaths had been reported, leaving the total deaths at 123.

New Zealand

New Zealand’s housing minister said the country can house about 6,900 people in 32 quarantine hotels, with no plans to boost that capacity in the near term. Occupancy of the hotels, currently at 44%, is projected to rise to 81% over next two weeks, Megan Woods said at a briefing Wednesday.

A new arrangement linking passage to New Zealand to an available room will be in place from August, Woods said. With the system able to handle about 14,000 returnees per month, officials are giving each airline flying to New Zealand a rolling, 14-day quota of returnees to better align seat demand with the supply of quarantine rooms.

Iraqis wearing protective masks walk into a disinfection booth while entering the Mall of Baghdad as it reopens after a long closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in the Al-Harithiya area of the capital Baghdad, on July 19, 2020. (SABAH ARAR / AFP)

Palestine

Palestine registered 404 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 10,924, which includes 2,106 recoveries and 67 deaths.

Qatar

Qatar said early on Wednesday that its citizens and permanent residency holders can travel outside the country and return at any time, and residents will be allowed to return starting Aug. 1, the state news agency said on twitter quoting a statement from the government communication office.

The statement also said arrivals to the country from low-risk countries are required to take a coronavirus test and sign a formal pledge to adhere to quarantine at home for a week.

These measures come as the third phase of a four-phase plan to lift coronavirus restrictions starts at the beginning of August.

Qatar's Health Ministry confirmed 393 new COVID-19 cases, increasing the total confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 107,430, including 160 deaths and 104,191 recoveries.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabian Health Ministry announced 2,476 new COVID-19 cases and 34 more deaths, raising the tally of confirmed cases in the kingdom to 255,825, and the death toll to 2,557.

The total number of recoveries from the disease rose by 4,000 cases to 207,259, the ministry said.

Singapore

Singapore is preparing for the resumption of business events such as meetings, conventions, exhibitions and trade shows as economic activities restart, according to a statement by the Singapore Tourism Board.

However, the country will step up enforcement of social distancing measures after more people gathered in public areas over the weekend, the country’s Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli said in a Facebook post.

Meanwhile, a vaccine for COVID-19 jointly developed by Singapore and the United States was approved for clinical trials, local media reported Wednesday.

A South Korean worker wearing protective clothes sprays disinfectant in a theatre at Sejong Center in Seoul on July 21, 2020, amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. (JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)

South Korea

A small South Korean survey of people with no history of COVID-19, but living in a city with the most cases, showed that one in nine had antibodies to the novel coronavirus, indicating the virus may have spread more widely than thought.

The study said based on the survey, roughly 185,290 people could have contracted the virus in Daegu city, which is the country’s fourth-largest city with a population of 2.5 million.

“It was estimated that the number of undiagnosed missing cases may be 27-fold higher than the number of confirmed cases based on PCR testing in Daegu,” the study said.

South Korea reported 63 more COVID-19 cases in 24 hours, raising the total tally to 13,879, according to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.

One additional death was reported, taking the total to 297. Among the new cases, 29 were locally infected, while 34 were imported.

Besides, a total of 45 construction workers who returned to South Korea from Iraq on a chartered flight last week have tested positive with coronavirus, Yonhap News reported, citing the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Meanwhile, thirteen more US soldiers and their family members tested positive for COVID-19 amid rising concerns here about imported cases, the US Forces Korea (USFK) said Wednesday.

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Thailand

Thailand plans to extend its state of emergency by one month, to Aug. 31, while also allowing more foreigners to enter the country.

Although borders remain closed to most foreign visitors, more than 100,000 migrant workers from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos will be allowed to enter in the next round of easing. Film crews will also be allowed to enter the country: Seven productions aim to film in Thailand, the Department of Tourism said, including “Mrs. Churchill’s War,” starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth.

Turkey

In Turkey, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca reported 928 new COVID-19 cases, raising the total confirmed cases in the country to 221,500, including 5,526 deaths and 204,011 recoveries.

Turkish Interior Ministry ordered governors to lift the working hour restrictions on cafes and restaurants in the country. Businesses such as restaurants, cafes, tea houses and clubs were reopened in June after months of closure due to the pandemic. 

UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday announced 305 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 57,498. The total recoveries rose to 49,964 and the death toll increased to 341 in the UAE.

Armenia 

Armenia reported 439 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 35,693, the National Center for Disease Control said Wednesday.

Data from the center showed that 16 patients died from the disease in the past 24 hours, raising the total death toll to 678, while another 560 patients recovered in the same period, taking the total number of recoveries to 24,766.

Over 149,898 people have tested for COVID-19 since the country reported its first case on March 1, the center added.

Brunei 

Brunei rolled out a further easing of social distancing measures on Wednesday, allowing more premises and business activities to operate at full capacity.

According to the country's Ministry of Health, some previously prohibited activities are now permitted starting from Thursday, including arcades as well as indoor and outdoor children's playgrounds.

Safety guidelines for mass gatherings have also been further relaxed, allowing gathering of no more than 100 individuals.

A number of premises and business activities are now allowed to operate at 100 percent guest capacity, including schools, gyms and fitness centers, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, restaurants, cafes and food courts, mosques and prayer halls.

Brunei reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday with the national tally of cases standing at 141.