Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• DR Congo: With Ebola on the wane, UN agencies prepare to combat coronavirus UN News 03 Mar 2020 -- After more than a year of battling an Ebola virus outbreak that killed more than 2,200 people, UN officials are "cautiously optimistic" that the epidemic in the northeast Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will soon be history as the country gears up to face the emerging threat of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 43 WHO 03 March 2020
• WHO Emergencies Press Conference on coronavirus disease outbreak - 3 March 2020 WHO
• 'We can't stop COVID-19 without protecting health workers': WHO chief UN News 03 Mar 2020 -- A shortage of protective equipment is endangering health workers worldwide, warned the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday, citing "severe and mounting disruption to the global supply" caused by "rising demand, panic buying, hoarding and misuse".
• WHO Chief Urges Saving Protective Gear for Coronavirus Health Care Workers VOA 03 Mar 2020 -- World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged people throughout the world Tuesday to stop stockpiling masks and other protective gear, saying they are needed by health workers who are fighting the coronavirus.
• Coronavirus Vaccine Faces Bumpy Road From Lab to Jab VOA 03 Mar 2020 -- The first possible vaccine against coronavirus is on its way to human testing.
• Number of People Infected With Coronavirus Outside China Exceeds 10,000, WHO Says Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- The outbreak of pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus was first registered in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province, later spreading to more than 70 countries worldwide.
• Coronavirus Outbreak Forces IMF, World Bank to Hold 'Virtual' Meetings Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank have decided to hold their spring meetings in a 'virtual format' to ensure the safety of all attendees amid the novel coronavirus epidemic, a joint statement by the heads of two financial organizations Kristalina Georgieva and David Malpass said.
• 'We are in uncharted territory:' Coronavirus spreading faster outside China Press TV 03 Mar 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) says the new coronavirus afflicting the world has over the past 24 hours spread far more rapidly outside China than inside but its path is still unknown.

United States

• Press Briefing by Vice President Pence and Members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force The White House 03 Mar 2020
• Remarks by President Trump in a Roundtable Briefing on Coronavirus | Bethesda, MD The White House 03 Mar 2020
• Novel coronavirus may have spread in U.S. for six weeks: media People's Daily 03 Mar 2020 -- U.S. researchers said the novel coronavirus may have been spreading in the Washington state for six weeks after they examined the genomes of two infections in the state, the New York Times reported on Sunday.
• Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches at Least 9 in Washington State Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- Health officials from Washington state announced Tuesday that a total of nine deaths related to the COVID-19 coronavirus have been confirmed there.
• 4 more COVID-19 deaths reported in U.S. as confirmed total surpasses 90 People's Daily 03 Mar 2020 -- The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States has climbed to at least 91, while four more deaths attributed to the virus were reported in the country, bringing the death toll to six, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Monday.
• Second Coronavirus Case Confirmed in New York State - Governor Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- The US state of New York has recorded its second case of the novel coronavirus in a patient who did not travel to any of the most affected areas, Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press conference on Tuesday.
• Department of Defense Statement Regarding New York Times Article DoD 03 Mar 2020 -- "In response to the Coronavirus outbreak, the Secretary of Defense has given our Global Combatant Commanders the clear and unequivocal authority to take any and all actions necessary to ensure the health and safety of U.S. service members, civilian DOD personnel, families and dependents."
• Rush Transcript: During Coronavirus Briefing, Governor Cuomo Signs $40 Million Emergency Management Authorization for Coronavirus Response New York State 03 Mar 2020
• Governor Newsom, State Health & Emergency Officials Announce Release of Millions of N95 Filtering Facepiece Masks for Use in Low-Risk Health Settings to Address Shortages Caused by COVID-19 California Department of Public Health 03 Mar 2020

China

• WHO working closely with Chinese scientists on COVID-19: WHO expert Global Times 03 Mar 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has been communicating and working closely with Chinese scientists and public health professionals, whose evidence-based approach to contain COVID-19 is something the world needs to learn from, a senior WHO expert said here Monday.
• Confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong increase to 100 Global Times 03 Mar 2020 -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong has increased to 100 as of 8:00 p.m. local time Monday, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) reported on Monday night.
• Asymptomatic cases prompt NE border city to recheck people arriving since January Global Times 03 Mar 2020 -- A city in Northeast China has started a new round of screening of people who have arrived since January 18, after two asymptomatic infections with an incubation period of more than one month were confirmed.
• Xi stresses COVID-19 scientific research during Beijing inspection People's Daily 03 Mar 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday stressed coordinately advancing the scientific research on novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to provide support for winning the battle against the epidemic.
• COVID-19 patients may have no fever or CT abnormality: research People's Daily 03 Mar 2020 -- Chinese researchers have found that COVID-19 patients may have no fever or CT abnormality, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine recently.
• Dozens of Chinese citizens forcibly quarantined and deported in Russia amid coronavirus Global Times 03 Mar 2020 -- The Tsaritsyno Palace in southeast Moscow, which was built under the order of Catherine the Great in 1776, used to attract numerous Chinese tourists in particular.
• President Xi Jinping urges fast development of coronavirus vaccine PLA Daily 03 Mar 2020 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Monday for the fast development of effective vaccine and treatment drugs for the novel coronavirus during an inspection tour of two major institutions currently researching COVID-19.
• Tibetan Schools Delay Opening for New Term Amid Virus Fears Radio Free Asia 03 Mar 2020 -- Schools in the Tibet Autonomous Region have postponed their opening for the spring semester due to fears of the spreading Wuhan coronavirus, with some students now stuck at home beginning to receive instruction online, sources say.
• China's PLA Suspends Joint Drills, Sends Logistics Units to Fight COVID-19 Outbreak Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- China's armed forces have suspended annual joint drills in Inner Mongolia amid the COVID-19 novel coronavirus outbreak, and the logistics apparatus is being used instead to combat the Wuhan-centered outbreak. However, border units and single-branch drills will not be affected.

Europe

• UK PM Johnson on Coronavirus: In Worst Case Scenario Army is Ready to Step In Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- Toilet rolls and bottled water have virtually disappeared from shops in Australia after an outbreak of panic buying sparked by the COVID-19 coronavirus. Some UK consumers are set to hit the panic button amid fears of a mass national lockdown.
• Britain Warns of Wider Coronavirus Threat VOA 03 Mar 2020 -- British officials are trying to ready the country for a "more widespread transmission" of coronavirus and have warned that in the event of a major spread cities could be locked down and public transport suspended.
• 500,000 Danes in peril of COVID-19 infection in worst-case scenario: health authorities People's Daily 03 Mar 2020 -- More than 500,000 Danes could be infected with the novel coronavirus in months in the worst-case scenario, Danish health authorities warned Monday when the number of confirmed cases in the country rose to four.
• First Death From Coronavirus Confirmed in Spain Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- The outbreak of pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus (COVID-19) was first registered in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province and has since spread to more than 50 countries worldwide.

India

• Cabinet Secretary holds a review meetingon COVID-19 India PIB 03 Mar 2020 -- Cabinet Secretary held a review meeting through video conference,here today, with the Secretaries of concerned Ministries, Chief Secretaries and Health Secretaries of the States to review and assess action taken for containment of COVID-19.

Pakistan

• Pakistan says coronavirus cases on rise IRNA 03 Mar 2020 -- Pakistan's Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza has confirmed Pakistan's fifth case of coronavirus.

Iran

• Coronavirus death toll mounts to 77 in Iran IRNA 03 Mar 2020 -- Deputy Minister of Health Alireza Raisi said on Tuesday that the total number of people with coronavirus infection has reached 2,336 and some 77 people have died and 435 others have recovered.
• Iran's Supreme Leader advises people to follow medical codes to counter coronavirus impact IRNA 03 Mar 2020 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Tuesday called on the Iranian people to fully follow medical rules and advises to help prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country.
• No problem in Iran's coronavirus statistics: WHO IRNA 03 Mar 2020 -- The World Health Organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the WHO has its "own mechanism" for checking facts and has not seen problems with Iran's reported figures about coronavirus victims.
• Supreme Leader Urges Iranians To Support Battle Against Coronavirus As Death Toll Rises RFE/RL 03 Mar 2020 -- Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has urged Iranians to support the government in its battle against an outbreak of the coronavirus as the death toll rose to 77, the highest outside of China.
• Leader urges Iranians to heed official directives on coronavirus Press TV 03 Mar 2020 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has called on all Iranians to help boost the country's battle to stem a growing coronavirus epidemic by paying close heed to the directives and guidelines issued by heath officials.
• Anti-virus fight: Iran doubles production of disinfectants, hygiene items Press TV 03 Mar 2020 -- Iran says the production of disinfectants and hygiene products has at least doubled over the past two weeks as the country steps up the battle against a new coronavirus outbreak.
• Head of Iran's Emergency Medical Services Diagnosed With Coronavirus - Reports Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- Earlier in the day, the Iranian Health Ministry reported 835 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours with 77 deaths and 2,336 infected.
• Number of Coronavirus Cases in Iran Increases to 2,336 in Last 24 Hours – Health Ministry Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- Iran has been among the Middle Eastern countries that have suffered the most from the spread of the COVID-19, with the total number of cases now over 2,300.

South Korea

• Death Toll From Coronavirus in South Korea Reaches 28, Over 4,800 Infected Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- The outbreak of pneumonia caused by a new strain of coronavirus originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, Hubei province, last December and has since claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people worldwide.
• S. Korea at 'War' With Coronavirus as Governments Try to Stop Spread VOA 03 Mar 2020 -- Finance ministers from the Group of Seven leading economies are holding talks Tuesday to discuss how to respond to a coronavirus outbreak that has brought cases to at least 70 countries.
• In Daegu, Coronavirus Keeps Koreans and Foreigners Indoors VOA 03 Mar 2020 -- On December 24, local authorities in Daegu, South Korea, adopted the slogan "Colorful Daegu" to capture the city's "diversity, inclusiveness, vivacity, passion, and energy of progress."

Saudi Arabia

• Extra Measures to be Taken against Visitors of Countries Infected by Coronavirus, at Border Crossings, Ministry of Interior's Official Source Announces SPA 03 Mar 2020 -- An official source, at the Ministry of Interior, announced that highly measures are to be taken against people, who have visited countries infected by Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Taiwan

• Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Taiwan rises to 42 CNA 03 Mar 2020 -- A woman in her 50s is the nation's 42nd COVID-19 patient and is believed to have contracted the virus while taking care of her husband in a northern Taiwan hospital where a cluster infection occurred, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Tuesday.
• Taiwan's aviation, tourism sectors hit hard by coronavirus epidemic CNA 03 Mar 2020 -- Airline companies and travel agencies in Taiwan are facing difficulties amid falling demand due to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, while travelers have been expressing frustration at having to cancel or postpone their trips.

North Korea

• North Korea Quarantines Island County as 7000 Suspected Coronavirus Patients are Being Monitored. Radio Free Asia 03 Mar 2020 -- An entire island county in North Korea's North Pyongan Province was designated as a quarantine zone last week, after residents there began exhibiting signs of coronavirus infection, RFA has learned.
• Protective Clothing Mass-produced in DPRK KCNA 03 Mar 2020 -- Protective medical clothing, gloves, overshoes and medical respirator for the prevention of epidemics are being mass-produced in the DPRK.

Other Countries

• No Positive Cases as Myanmar Tests For Coronavirus Amid Health System Concerns Radio Free Asia 03 Mar 2020 -- Myanmar heath officials have tested at least 45 people for possible coronavirus infections since January, with none testing positive, according to health officials, amid growing concern that the Southeast Asian nation's inadequate health care system will not be able to effectively deal with an outbreak.
• Countries worldwide step up efforts against COVID-19 as cases grow People's Daily 03 Mar 2020 -- As more confirmed cases of COVID-19 and fatalities from this contagious disease have been reported worldwide, many countries are stepping up efforts to contain a further spread of the disease.
• Coronavirus infections grow slower in China, spike in South Korea SPA 03 Mar 2020 -- China has reported a slowdown in new coronavirus infections over the past day, while new cases in South Korea spiked, health authorities said Tuesday, according to dpa.
• WHO chief says South Korea, Italy, Iran, Japan greatest concern for COVID-19 People's Daily 03 Mar 2020 -- The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that the spread of COVID-19 in South Korea, Italy, Iran and Japan has become the greatest concern.
• Laos Postpones 11th National Sports Games Again, This Time Due to Coronavirus Radio Free Asia 03 Mar 2020 -- The Lao government is postponing a major national sporting event that has been postponed twice before, and suspending flights to China and South Korea, in measures to prevent the novel coronavirus, which so far has spared the landlocked Southeast Asian country.
• Yemen is Corona Free, Health Minister Announces SPA 03 Mar 2020 -- Yemeni Minister of Health and Population Dr. Nasser Baoum affirmed today that Yemen is free of any infections or suspected cases of Coronavirus.
• Chilean Authorities Confirm First Coronavirus Case Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- Chilean authorities confirmed the first case of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the country, the Chilean Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
• First Case of Coronavirus Confirmed in Ukraine - Health Ministry Sputnik 03 Mar 2020 -- The day before, Saudi Arabia's health ministry confirmed, as quoted by the state-run news agency, the first case of coronavirus after an infected person had arrived from Iran through Bahrain.
• Senegal Urges Calm After Confirming 1st Coronavirus Infection VOA 03 Mar 2020 -- Senegalese officials are asking the public to remain calm after confirming the country's first case of coronavirus, or COVID 19.
• Zimbabwe Says '100 Percent' Prepared For Coronavirus VOA 03 Mar 2020 -- As the coronavirus spreads globally, Zimbabwe says it is ready for the infection, despite a struggling health care sector and collapsing economy.
• Australia Could Detain Coronavirus Patients VOA 03 Mar 2020 -- Australia is preparing to use strict biosecurity laws to force people suspected of carrying the coronavirus into hospitals or into quarantine. People at risk of spreading coronavirus could be detained by police under new laws expected to be introduced into the South Australian state parliament on Tuesday.