BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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TOKYO -- The confirmed COVID-19 cases in Japan increased by 601 to 78,782 as of Saturday evening, according to the latest figures from the health ministry and local authorities.

The figure excludes the 712 cases from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was quarantined in Yokohama near Tokyo earlier in the year.

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CANBERRA -- Australia has confirmed fewer than 30 new cases of COVID-19 for the first time in recent months.

As of Saturday afternoon there had been 26,885 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the number of new cases in last 24 hours is 24.

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ISTANBUL -- Turkey is extending its tourism season to October-November amid new arrivals, trying to make the most of the COVID-19-hit sector, vital for the country's economy, tourism professionals said.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year has been rough for Turkish tourism industry that earned 35 billion U.S. dollars the previous year and employs millions.

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NEW DELHI -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in India Saturday morning rose to 5,308,014, India's federal health ministry said.

During the past 24 hours, 93,337 new cases and 1,247 deaths were reported from across the country.

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OTTAWA -- New leader of Canada's Conservative Party, Erin O'Toole, tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, the party said in a statement.

"This evening Erin O'Toole received a positive test for COVID-19," said the statement, adding that O'Toole remains in isolation and is feeling well.

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SHANGHAI -- Shanghai reported two imported COVID-19 cases and no domestically transmitted cases on Friday, the municipal health commission said Saturday.

Both cases are Chinese citizens, with one of them flying from the United States and the other from India via France. They have been sent to designated medical institutions for treatment.