Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 82 WHO 11 Apr 2020
• Death toll from COVID-19 passes 100,000 worldwide - Johns Hopkins University People's Daily 11 Apr 2020 -- The death toll from COVID-19 exceeded 100,000 worldwide on Friday afternoon, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
• WHO: Alarming Number of Health Workers at Risk of COVID-19 VOA 11 Apr 2020 -- The World Health Organization is expressing alarm at the large number of health workers becoming infected by the deadly coronavirus. The U.N. health agency is appealing for international support to provide health workers with the supplies and other tools needed to keep them safe.

United States

• First DOD Defense Production Act Title 3 COVID-19 Project DoD 11 Apr 2020
• Rush Transcript: Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Cuomo Announces Partnership With NYS Court System to Provide Pro Bono Legal Assistance to New Yorkers New York State 11 Apr 2020
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 11 Apr 2020
• President Donald J. Trump Approves Wyoming Disaster Declaration The White House 11 Apr 2020
• New York digs mass graves amid surge in COVID-19 cases Press TV 11 Apr 2020 -- The US state of New York is digging mass graves as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take lives in the country.
• New York Records 783 More Deaths From COVID-19, Total Number of Fatalities Rises to 8,627 Sputnik 11 Apr 2020 -- Earlier in the day, New York City's mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city's public school system will be closed for the rest of the school year amid the harsh coronavirus situation.
• New York City Burying COVID-19 Victims, Unclaimed Bodies on Hart Island - Mayor Sputnik 11 Apr 2020 -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed on Friday that residents who did not have someone to make burial arrangements or claim their body, including deceased persons infected with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), are being buried in mass graves on Hart Island in the Bronx borough.
• US Now World Leader in Coronavirus Deaths VOA 11 Apr 2020 -- The United States became the world leader in coronavirus deaths Saturday, a grim indicator of the country's status as the global epicenter of the pandemic.
• Army deploys medical task forces to help hard-hit communities Army News 11 Apr 2020 -- The Army has mobilized eight Urban Augmentation Medical Task Forces to the New York area to support the coronavirus relief efforts and curb the spread of disease, senior Army leaders said Friday. Four task forces are helping in New York City, three are going to hospitals in New Jersey and another to Connecticut.

China

• China-Russia border city seeks help as imported cases of COVID-19 surge Global Times 11 Apr 2020 -- The city on the border of China and Russia, Suifenhe, located in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province has been accepting donations from the public as an increasing number of imported coronavirus cases mount huge pressure on the small city.
• China sends medical experts, emergency supplies to bolster Russia's COVID-19 fight Global Times 11 Apr 2020 -- A team of 10 medical experts, hailing from Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, along with donated medical supplies,left for Russia on Saturday to help combat the COVID-19 epidemic in the country.
• Chinese customs launches toughest measures over medical exports Global Times 11 Apr 2020 -- Chinese customs require that 11 types of medical supplies ranging from masks to ventilators must be inspected before being exported. Experts said the move would be one of the most rigorous against exports in history to ensure they meet the standards of Chinese medical devices.
• 98.5% of Wuhan housing estates free of virus People's Daily 11 Apr 2020 -- Wuhan in Hubei province, the hardest-hit area by the novel coronavirus epidemic in China, had 6,999 housing estates free of infections as of 4 pm on Friday, accounting for 98.5 percent of the total number of estates in the city, Wuhan epidemic prevention and control headquarters announced Saturday.
• Arrivals to Beijing must provide nucleic acid test certificate from Sunday People's Daily 11 Apr 2020 -- All arrivals to Beijing who need to stay at hotels must provide a nucleic acid test certificate from April 12, local authorities said Friday.
• China's COVID-19 cure rate reaches 94 percent even in hardest-hit place People's Daily 11 Apr 2020 -- China has managed to improve the cure rate of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to 94 percent in the hardest-hit place in the country, central authorities said Friday.
• China reports rise in coronavirus cases, most from abroad SPA 11 Apr 2020 -- China reported on Saturday a rise in new coronavirus infections, mostly in travellers arriving from abroad, as doctors in the central city of Wuhan, where the virus initially emerged, warned its behaviour was still not well-understood, Reuters reported.

Europe

• WHO warns against lifting restrictions too soon amid signs of slowing in COVID-19 infections in Europe People's Daily 11 Apr 2020 -- As some of the European countries hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are starting to see signs of slowing in infections, the World Health Organization (WHO) sounded a stern warning on Friday against lifting restrictions too soon, saying it could lead to a deadly resurgence of COVID-19.
• Coronavirus death toll at 18,849 in Italy, intensive care numbers fall People's Daily 11 Apr 2020 -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed 18,849 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries to 147,577 since the pandemic began here in late February, according to fresh data released by the country's Civil Protection Department on Friday.
• England's Coronavirus Hospital Death Toll Rises By More Than 800 in 24 Hours Sputnik 11 Apr 2020 -- Earlier in the day, the Daily Mail reported that the UK Ministry of Defence had set up a new 300-strong Joint Helicopter Aviation Task Force to airlift critical patients from remote areas in a bid to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Netherlands Confirms 1,316 New Coronavirus Cases in 24 Hours Bringing Total to 24,413 Sputnik 11 Apr 2020 -- The country's death toll from coronavirus is 2,643, the Netherlands' National Institute for Health (RIVM) reported.
• UK Defence Ministry Deploys Military Helicopters Across Country to Ramp Up Fight Against COVID-19 Sputnik 11 Apr 2020 -- In March, the UK Ministry of Defence announced it was boosting the size of its civil contingency unit (CCU) to create a 20,000-strong COVID-19 support force amid the spreading coronavirus pandemic, as the country's police force and NHS services were struggling to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

Russia

• Russia reports 1,667 new coronavirus cases in last day SPA 11 Apr 2020 -- Russia reported 1,667 new coronavirus cases on Saturday, bringing the national tally of confirmed cases to 13,584.
• Siberia Snapshot: Krasnoyarsk's Most Vulnerable Families Anxious As COVID-19 Crisis Deepens RFE/RL 11 Apr 2020 -- Even before the coronavirus pandemic swept the world and Russia introduced lockdown measures to combat it, Anastasia Smirnova's situation was precarious.

India

• PM interacts with CMs to strategize ahead for tackling COVID-19 India PIB 11 Apr 2020 -- Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today interacted with Chief Ministers of all states via video conferencing to strategize ahead for tackling COVID-19. This was the third such interaction of the Prime Minister with the Chief Ministers, the earlier ones had been held on 2nd April and 20th March, 2020.
• Updates on COVID-19 India PIB 11 Apr 2020 -- Various measures have been taken by Government of India along with the States/UTs for the prevention, containment and management of COVID-19 in the country. These are being regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level.
• India set to extend strict nationwide lockdown over COVID-19: State minister Press TV 11 Apr 2020 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to extend a strict nationwide lockdown imposed last month to curb further spread of the COVID-19 disease, a state minister says, as the second most populous country in the world is challenged by record-breaking unemployment levels.
• Indian Health Ministry Reveals COVID-19 Cases Could Have Reach 820,000 by 15 April Without Lockdown Sputnik 11 Apr 2020 -- Last month, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a 21-day lockdown in order to combat the spread of COVID-19. This brought the country to a standstill with no transportation running, apart from essential services.
• 1.3 Billion Indians May Remain Under Lockdown After 14 April Following Demands from States - Sources Sputnik 11 Apr 2020 -- India is under a 21 day complete lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19. The move has brought the country to a standstill with only essential services available.
• India Clears First Set of Hydroxychloroquine Tablets for 13 Countries, Including US - Sources Sputnik 11 Apr 2020 -- Last week, as many as 30 countries, including the US, approached India for a supply of hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug. Earlier, the export of the drug had been banned by India but following Trump's threats of economic retaliation, the ban was lifted.

Pakistan

• Analysis: Pakistan In Delicate Balance With Coronavirus Lockdown Amid Fears Of Mass Resistance RFE/RL 11 Apr 2020 -- With Pakistan under an unpopular lockdown aimed at fighting the coronavirus pandemic raging around the world, a large portion of the country's devout and poverty-stricken people are resisting limits on physical and social contacts and their mobility.

Iran

• Rouhani urges Iranians to 'seriously' observe protocols as curbs ease Press TV 11 Apr 2020 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has called on Iranians to respect health protocols aimed at containing the new coronavirus as "low-risk" economic activities resumed in most of the country.
• Iran trying to fight coronavirus, economic impacts simultaneously, gov't says IRNA 11 Apr 2020 -- The spokesman of the Iranian government wrote on his Twitter message on Saturday that Iran is trying to fight coronavirus and its negative economic effects at the same time.
• CBI chief outlines banking plans to control COVID19 consequences IRNA 11 Apr 2020 -- Governor of Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati referred to banking system supportive plans to control negative economic consequences of coronavirus, saying CBI will spare no efforts for the economy to pass through difficult situation.
• COVID-19 kills 125 more in Iran: Official IRNA 11 Apr 2020 -- Head of Iran's Health Ministry's Public Relations Office Kianoush Jahanpour said on Saturday that 41,947 people out of a total of 70,029 infected by the coronavirus have survived whereas 4,357 have lost their lives fighting COVID-19.

Saudi Arabia

• COVID-19 Follow-up Committee Holds 52nd Meeting SPA 11 Apr 2020 -- Under the chairmanship of Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, the COVID-19 Follow-up Committee held its 52nd meeting today.

Taiwan

• Taiwan confirms 3 new COVID-19 cases, all imported CNA 11 Apr 2020 -- Taiwan on Saturday reported three new cases of COVID-19 coronavirus, all classified as imported, bringing the total number in the country to 385 since the disease outbreak began at the end of December, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan, Turkey institutes discuss joint efforts to combat COVID-19 CNA 11 Apr 2020 -- Taiwan's Academia Sinica said Saturday that it has been in discussions with researchers from Turkey on possible collaborative efforts to fight the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
• Taiwan reveals email, blasts WHO for possible 'dereliction of duty' CNA 11 Apr 2020 -- Following the World Health Organization's (WHO's) rejection of Taiwan's claims that it had warned the global health body that the novel coronavirus may be transmitted from human to human, Taiwan's government on Saturday revealed the contents of the disputed Dec. 31 email, blasting the WHO for possible "dereliction of duty."
• China refutes U.S. comments on WHO, Taiwan as "fact-distorting" People's Daily 11 Apr 2020 -- A Chinese spokesman on Friday said a U.S. official's "fact-distorting" comments concerning the World Health Organization (WHO) and Taiwan were politically motivated to shift the blame and will only damage the credibility, image and interests of the United States.

NATO

• Coronavirus response: NATO Support and Procurement Agency assists Italy, Spain and Norway NATO 11 Apr 2020 -- The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) continues to play an important role in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, by assisting NATO Allies and partners with key relief acquisition and transport. NSPA has recently delivered to Italy the first two of sixteen acquired Intensive Care Units ventilators. It has also delivered the first batch of personal protective equipment to Spain and various medical supplies to Norway, including masks, gloves, goggles and other protective medical equipment.

Other Countries

• U.S. starts to quantify undetected cases, Chinese mainland reports 42 new imported cases People's Daily 11 Apr 2020 -- The world is now in a battle against COVID-19, a disease caused by a previously unknown coronavirus that has spread to over 200 countries and regions.
• COVID-19: Moscow Introduces 'Digital Passes' As Officials Warn Of Infection Spike; WHO Says Belarus Must Do More RFE/RL 11 Apr 2020 -- The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 107,000 with over 1.7 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
• Oman Reports 62 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 11 Apr 2020 -- The Omani Ministry of Health has reported, during the past 24 hours, 62 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of laboratory- confirmed cases in the Sultanate to 546.
• Sudan Reports 2 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 11 Apr 2020 -- Sudan has reported, during the past 24 hours, 2 new laboratory-confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of infections to 17.
• Kuwait Reports 161 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 11 Apr 2020 -- Kuwait has reported, during the past 24 hours, 161 new laboratory-confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
• Netanyahu Suspends Flights to Israel Until COVID-19 Quarantine Issue Settled - Source Sputnik 11 Apr 2020 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered that all flights to Israel are suspended until the issue of quarantining all arriving passengers in special hotels is legally settled, a source in the government said on Saturday.
• UN Middle East envoys urge greater action on COVID-19 ceasefire appeal UN News 11 Apr 2020 -- In a joint appeal issued on Saturday, the five UN envoys to the Middle East urged warring parties in the region to work towards an immediate end to hostilities, in line with the Secretary-General's recent call for a global ceasefire during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• WHO Warns COVID-19 Accelerating in Africa VOA 11 Apr 2020 -- The World Health Organization warns that COVID-19 is spreading at an alarming rate in rural areas of Africa and says urgent help is needed to strengthen the continent's fragile health system.
• Brazil Coronavirus Death Toll Passes 1,000 VOA 11 Apr 2020 -- Brazil is the first South American country to record more than 1,000 COVID-19 deaths.