Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 94 WHO 23 Apr 2020
• COVID-19 Vaccine Race Unites Efforts Like Never Before, But Hurdles Remain RFE/RL 23 Apr 2020 -- Vaccines are a tricky business. Trickier, say those trying to develop and manufacture them to meet the current global COVID-19 pandemic, than tests or even medicines.
• 'Leave no one behind' mantra matters more than ever, as coronavirus threatens all humanity: Guterres UN News 23 Apr 2020 -- Secretary-General António Guterres issued a three-point global "Call to Action" on Thursday to cushion the colossal fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, pressing Governments to unify around a defining moment in history, as the new session of the UN's Financing for Development Forum got underway.
• UN Chief Warns Governments to Heed Human Rights in Coronavirus Responses VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the coronavirus outbreak is "fast becoming a human rights crisis."
• Human rights 'uplift everyone'; must guide COVID-19 recovery response, says UN chief UN News 23 Apr 2020 -- The coronavirus pandemic is not only a critical public health danger, it is also a human, economic and social emergency that is "fast becoming a human rights crisis", the UN chief said on Thursday, releasing a new policy brief on shaping an effective, inclusive response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• WHO spokesperson underlines importance to fight against "infodemic" People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- Available evidence indicates the novel coronavirus originated in animals and was not manipulated or produced in a laboratory, the World Health Organization (WHO) told a UN press conference held in Geneva, Switzerland on April 21, local time, in response to the false information circulating on the internet about the origin of COVID-19. The false information has recently sounded an alarm for the international society.
• Was WHO slow in declaring COVID-19 global emergency? People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- As the World Health Organization (WHO) is coordinating a global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, some critics have wrongfully blamed it for acting too slowly to declare COVID-19 as a global health emergency.
• WHO declared COVID-19 a global emergency "at the right time": chief People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) had declared COVID-19 a global emergency, the highest level of alert, at the right time, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said here on Wednesday.
• Global COVID-19 cases surpass 2.6 mln, death toll tops 180,000: Johns Hopkins University People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- Confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide topped 2.6 million on Wednesday, reaching 2,611,182 as of 2:00 p.m. local time (1800 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

United States

• Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing The White House 23 Apr 2020 -- "And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning. Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that. So, that, you're going to have to use medical doctors with. But it sounds – it sounds interesting to me."
• COVID-19: Army selects first two companies to prototype a deployable lightweight ventilator Army News 23 Apr 2020 -- Just 16 days after Dr. Bruce D. Jette, the U.S. Army Acquisition Executive, launched the xTech COVID-19 Ventilator Challenge, a panel of Army judges has made its initial recommendations. Two companies, Spiro Devices, LLC, and AirMid Critical Care Products, Inc., have been awarded $100,000 prizes for their innovative emergency ventilator designs.
• Public Health Emergency Declared at Military Base in Djibouti Over COVID-19 - AFRICOM Sputnik 23 Apr 2020 -- The public health emergency declaration applies to all personnel, including service members, Department of Defence civilians and contractor personnel within the Djibouti Base Cluster.
• US Military Prioritizes Special Ops, Nuclear Forces for COVID-19 Testing Sputnik 23 Apr 2020 -- The US Armed Forces plans to divide over 1.4 million active duty troops into four priority-based tiers and conduct future COVID-19 novel coronavirus testing in waves to maximize the Pentagon's strategic capabilities amid the worldwide pandemic.
• Coronavirus Cases Alleged on 26 US Navy Ships - Report Sputnik 23 Apr 2020 -- Earlier, the majority of the crew on the USS Theodore Roosevelt was tested for COVID-19, resulting in 777 positive cases, with 63 sailors now recovered. One sailor died from coronavirus-related complications, and US Navy data shows that two other civilian employees died for the same reasons.
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 23 Apr 2020
• U.S. confirms first COVID-19 fatality earlier than previous report People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- Santa Clara County in the U.S. state of California confirmed that two patients had died with the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, many days earlier than the previous reported first death from the disease in the United States.
• Coronavirus was spreading in US weeks earlier than thought, health official says Press TV 23 Apr 2020 -- The coronavirus began circulating in January in the US state if California, weeks earlier than thought, and early deaths were likely mistaken for the flu, according to a local health official.
• U.S. makes belated effort to block UN resolution on equal access to COVID-19 supplies: media People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- The United States has recently attempted to block a UN resolution on equal access to COVID-19 supplies only to find that the document was already adopted under a temperary procedure, media reports said Tuesday.
• New York state to launch large-scale contact-tracing to fight COVID-19 pandemic Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- The U.S. state of New York will launch a contact tracing program to find out potential COVID-19 patients and to prevent a future surge of infections, said Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday.
• US mass incarceration could add 100,000 deaths to coronavirus toll: US study Press TV 23 Apr 2020 -- As many as 100,000 more people could die in the US from the coronavirus if jail populations across the mass incarceration-addicted country are not dramatically and immediately reduced, a US study says.
• Rush Transcript: Amid Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, Governor Cuomo Announces State Health Department Will Partner with Attorney General James to Investigate Nursing Home Violations New York State 23 Apr 2020
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 23 Apr 2020

China

• Residents of Chinese Cities Fear Ongoing Virus Transmission as Man Sues Province Radio Free Asia 23 Apr 2020 -- A government employee in the central Chinese province of Hubei, worst-hit by the coronavirus epidemic, is sueing the provincial government over its handling of the outbreak, as local residents said they fear a fresh wave of infections.
• Study: COVID-19 Cases in China Possibly 4 Times Higher Than Official Numbers Sputnik 23 Apr 2020 -- A study published in the journal The Lancet on Tuesday suggests that the real number of COVID-19 cases in China might be four times higher than officials have publicly stated.
• China sends team to border province to guide prevention of imported COVID-19 Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- China's central government has sent a guidance team to Yunnan Province in Southwest China as the province faces growing pressure from imported cases of COVID-19, according to a statement by the provincial government website on Thursday.
• Chinese companies can sue US government for COVID-19 losses: expert Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- Due to the mishandling of the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the US, some Chinese companies and associations could file lawsuits against the US government, demanding compensation for their losses while experts in China's legal sphere have started research and risk-evaluation on this matter in the past two weeks, sources told the Global Times on Wednesday.
• Revelation of infections cast shadow on school reopening despite expert assurance Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- The revelation of student and teacher infections of the COVID-19 in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, has raised public concerns as the entire country is reopening schools, but top Chinese medical experts and education sector insiders said that the in-place COVID-19 epidemic control and prevention mechanism will ensure that sporadic domestic cases won't lead to another large-scale outbreak.
• Shenzhen announces 27 COVID-19 infections among teachers and students, causing alarm as schools across China begin to reopen Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong Province have reported 27 COVID-19 cases among teachers and students, causing alarm as nearly 35 million students in China have returned to schools.
• Not necessary to test everyone: leading epidemiologist Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- A leading epidemiologist has said it is not necessary to conduct a COVID-19 test on everyone, as China calls for testing ability to be boosted and testing scale to be expanded amid the recent reemergence of COVID-19 epidemic in some provinces.
• China to donate another 30 mln USD supporting WHO's fight against COVID-19 Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- China decided to donate another 30 million U.S. dollars to the World Health Organization (WHO) in support of global efforts to fight COVID-19 and the construction of public health systems in developing countries, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said here Thursday.
• China's COVID-19 cases fall below 1,000 for first time People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- China has seen its current number of confirmed COVID-19 cases dropped to 959 on Wednesday, the first time for the number to fall below 1,000, the National Health Commission said at a press conference.
• Factbox: China's fight against novel coronavirus outbreak People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- Here are the latest developments on the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in China:
• China calls for higher capability, wider range of COVID-19 testing People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- Chinese authorities on Wednesday called for efforts to enhance the capability and widen the range of COVID-19 infection testing.
• Chinese mainland reports 10 new confirmed COVID-19 cases People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- Chinese health authority said Thursday that it received reports of 10 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland Wednesday, of which six were imported.
• China's Hubei reports no increase in COVID-19 cases People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- No new confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported in central China's Hubei Province Wednesday, local health authority said Thursday.
• Chinese mainland reports six new imported COVID-19 cases People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- The Chinese mainland reported six new imported cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Wednesday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 1,616, the National Health Commission said Thursday.
• Report: US Believes China Spread False Information in US About Coronavirus Response VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded that Chinese operatives helped spread false messages that claimed the Trump administration was planning to impose a nationwide lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to The New York Times.
• Local govts cautious about property stimulus amid COVID19 due to speculation concern Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- Chinese local govts are cautious about introducing property stimulus policies due to fear of speculation, experts said on Thursday, after Jingzhou, a city in Central China's Hubei Province, withdrew its new stimulus policies after introducing them just two days ago.

Europe

• EU warns COVID-19 drug pushed by Trump could kill patients Press TV 23 Apr 2020 -- The European Union has warned that a family of anti-malarial drugs that is constantly being touted as an effective cure for the coronavirus infection by many, including US President Donald Trump, could have fatal side effects.
• As Coronavirus Hits European Economies, Remittances Plummet VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- A new World Bank study predicts remittances sent home by migrant workers from low- and middle-income countries may plummet by one-fifth this year, prompted by the coronavirus-driven global economic downturn.
• England's COVID-19 Hospital Death Toll Rises to 16,786 SPA 23 Apr 2020 -- England's COVID-19 death toll in hospitals rose by 514 to16,786, the UK National Health Service said on Thursday.
• China donates 20,000 face masks to Greece Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- Greece welcomed on Wednesday the donation by China to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus at hosting facilities, where thousands of refugees and migrants are accommodated.
• Greece's new COVID-19 cases drop below 10 per day, but challenge remains Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- Greek authorities said Wednesday that seven new cases of COVID-19 have been reported across the country over the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 2,408 with 121 deaths.
• Italy's coronavirus deaths exceed 25,000, new active infections keep falling Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed over 25,000 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of active infections, fatalities and recoveries so far to 187,327, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department on Wednesday.
• Coronavirus restrictions may be eased in late May: Spanish PM People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday that he expected to be able to scale down the "state of alarm" movement restrictions soon. The restrictions have been in place since March 15 to control the spread of the coronavirus.
• Italy's coronavirus deaths exceed 25,000, new active infections keep falling People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- The coronavirus pandemic has claimed over 25,000 lives in locked-down Italy, bringing the total number of active infections, fatalities and recoveries so far to 187,327, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department on Wednesday.
• Merkel Warns Against Easing Restrictions Too Quickly VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned German lawmakers some regions in the nation were moving too quickly to ease COVID-19 restrictions, risking a setback to the progress the country has made in getting the virus under control.
• Scotland's Sturgeon Says Return to 'Normal' Not Likely This Year VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- Scotland First Minister Nicola Sturgeon Wednesday offered her plans for easing COVID-19 restrictions but said many of the measures and practices are likely to be in place for the rest of this year and perhaps beyond.

Russia

• Moscow Mayor Doesn't Want to Use Troops in COVID-19 Response Like Other Countries Sputnik 23 Apr 2020 -- Moscow authorities do not want to use troops to enforce the coronavirus restrictions like some large cities in other countries did, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Thursday.

India

• Updates on COVID-19 India PIB 23 Apr 2020
• India has acquired enough strength and resources to take on the worst challenge thrown by the corona virus: Dr. Harsh Vardhan India PIB 23 Apr 2020 -- "India's response has been proactive, pre-emptive and graded in handling situation arising out of COVID-19 outbreak", said Dr. Harsh Vardhan,Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare,today, while participating in a virtual interactive session with Health Ministers of member countries of World Health Organization (WHO) on the measures being taken for containment of COVID-19.
• Fear of COVID-19 Infection Increases During Second Phase of Lockdown in India - Survey Sputnik 23 Apr 2020 -- The lockdown to contain the spread of COVID-19 came abruptly, when Indian Prime Minister Modi announced it on the evening of 24 March. But still people managed to stock up on essentials, as they had no idea as to how long the lockdown would last.
• Chinese, Indian diplomats monitoring allegations about 'inaccurate' Chinese test kits Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- Diplomats from both China and India said they are aware of complaints alleging that China's medical supply exports to fight the coronavirus pandemic are "inaccurate" on Wednesday.
• India's COVID-19 death toll rises to 681 as total cases reach 21,393 Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- India's federal health ministry said on Thursday morning that 29 new deaths due to COVID-19 and 922 new positive cases were reported since last evening across the country, taking the number of deaths to 681 and total cases to 21,393.

Pakistan

• Pakistani Doctors Warn Government Against Easing COVID-19 Restrictions Amid Ramadan Sputnik 23 Apr 2020 -- Reports have surfaced that Muslims in Pakistan have been flouting norms despite strict orders from the government to stay at home amid the COVID-19 spread in the country. The major cause of concern for the authorities has been religious gatherings of people at mosques for Friday prayers.
• Pakistan's COVID-19 cases cross 10,000 amid leniency in lockdown Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has soared to 10,076 in Pakistan with 212 fatalities whereas 2,156 people have recovered from the disease across the country, according to the data released by the health ministry on Wednesday evening.
• Doctors Urge Pakistani Government To Impose Mosque Restrictions To Avoid Surge In Coronavirus Cases RFE/RL 23 Apr 2020 -- Pakistani doctors have called on the government and powerful clerics to reverse a decision to allow prayers at mosques during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan out of concern that large gatherings will lead to an explosion of coronavirus cases.

Iran

• Coronavirus Threat Rising In Iran As Restrictions Are Relaxed Radio Farda 23 Apr 2020 -- The Commander of Tehran Coronavirus Combat Taskforce on Thursday warned that adopting a more relaxed approach to social distancing and movement restrictions is sending the wrong message to people, making them believe that COVID-19 has come under control while fatalities are on the increase again.
• Official: COVID-19 kills 90 more in Iran IRNA 23 Apr 2020 -- The head of Iran's Health Ministry's Public Relations Office said on Thursday that 64,843 people out of a total of 87,026 infected with the coronavirus have survived and recovered while 5,481 have lost their lives to the potentially deadly virus.
• Iran says fight against coronavirus pandemic needs global measure IRNA 23 Apr 2020 -- Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi called for a collective measure by the world countries to fight against the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
• US rejected EU call to allow economic aid to Iran to fight COVID-19: Top EU diplomat Press TV 22 Apr 2020 -- The European Union has censured the United States for refusing to ease sanctions on the Islamic Republic and blocking an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan to Iran to help it fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
• US bans double COVID-19 strain on Iranians, hinder global action: Deputy FM Araqchi Press TV 23 Apr 2020 -- A senior Iranian diplomat says the United States' "illegal and inhumane" sanctions against the Islamic Republic double the pressure on the people of Iran amid their struggle to cope with the deadly coronavirus pandemic.
• EU Foreign Policy Chief Regrets US Blocking IMF Loan To Iran Radio Farda 23 Apr 2020 -- The EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on Wednesday said he regrets that the United States has blocked the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from assisting Iran in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

South Korea

• Pandemic pushes South Korea's economy into worst contraction since 2008 Press TV 23 Apr 2020 -- In the first quarter of this year, South Korea's coronavirus-hit economy experienced its most severe contraction since 2008, when a massive financial crisis engulfed the world, indicating that Asia's fourth-largest economy might not grow in the rest of the year as the pandemic persists.

Japan

• Nearly 50 Crew Members on Cruise Ship Docked in Japan Test Positive for Coronavirus VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- Japanese health officials say 48 crew members of an Italian cruise ship docked in the port city of Nagasaki have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, including 14 cases confirmed Thursday.

Saudi Arabia

• Kingdom asserts before UNSC commitment to provide united front to combat Corona SPA 23 Apr 2020 -- Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, Ambassador Abdullah bin Yahya Al-Muallami, said that combating the epidemic of Covid 19 requires a transparent, strong, coordinated, broad-based global response based on science and a spirit of solidarity, stressing the Kingdom's commitment to providing a united front against this common threat, and that addressing the epidemic and its interlocking health, social and economic effects is an absolute priority for a kingdom, as we face one battle.
• Saudi Press: Kingdom takes more measures to mitigate impacts of Coronavirus SPA 23 Apr 2020 -- Saudi newspapers highlighted in their editorials today a number of issues at local, regional, and international arenas.
• Minister of Finance: Kingdom has taken several measures to face Corona pandemic SPA 23 Apr 2020 -- Minister of Finance and Acting Minister of Economy and Planning Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, confirmed that the kingdom's government has reached advanced stages of implementing its plans under the Kingdom's Vision 2030, as it has continued to control the public finances, control the fiscal deficit and achieved the goals by the end of 2019

Taiwan

• Taiwan confirms 1 new case of COVID-19 CNA 23 Apr 2020 -- Taiwan reported one new case of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Thursday, bringing the total number of infections to 427 since the pandemic began late last year, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan-developed rapid screening reagent put into trial production CNA 23 Apr 2020 -- A research team at Academia Sinica has developed a key reagent for a pioneering rapid screening test for the COVID-19 coronavirus disease and the technology has been transferred to seven companies, one or two of which will be chosen for possible mass production, James Liao (廖俊智), president of Taiwan's most prestigious research institution, said Thursday.
• Taiwan to extend ban on transit passengers, cross-strait flights CNA 23 Apr 2020 -- Taiwan will maintain its restrictions on flights to and from China and its entry ban on transit passengers after the initial end date later this month, as the COVID-19 pandemic is showing no signs of abating, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Thursday.
• Cabinet details allocation of NT$150 billion COVID-19 relief fund CNA 23 Apr 2020 -- The Cabinet on Thursday allocated the bulk of a special NT$150 billion (US$4.98 billion) budget to revitalizing the domestic economy, which has been hard hit by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Kuwait

• Kuwait announces 151 new coronavirus cases, one death SPA 23 Apr 2020 -- Kuwait reported 151 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, bringing the tally to 2,399, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported on Thursday.
• Kuwait announces 55 COVID-19 recoveries, tally at 498 SPA 23 Apr 2020 -- Kuwait announced on Thursday the recovery of 55 cases from the novel coronavirus, raising the country's total recovery figures to 498.

Iraq

• China hands medical aid to Iraqi military to contain COVID-19 PLA Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- Chinese Ambassador to Iraq Zhang Tao on Wednesday handed medical aid to Iraqi Ministry of Defense to fight COVID-19.
• Nobody Will Survive if Pandemic Spreads in Iraq's IDP Camps - Official Sputnik 23 Apr 2020 -- Iraq's internally displaced persons might have survived Daesh*, but they have zero chances of completely fighting off the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to spread throughout the war-torn country, warns an official who has been working with IDPs since 2016. Certain obstacles make matters worse, but IDPs are determined to keep the virus at bay.

Kenya

• Kenyan Police Accused of Killings, Excessive Force While Enforcing COVID-19 Curfew VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- Rights groups in Kenya say police are using excessive force while enforcing a nighttime curfew to contain the coronavirus. The groups say the excessive force has left at least a dozen people dead and hundreds more with life-threatening injuries.
• Kenya Begins 21-Day Partial Lockdown Amid Rise in Coronavirus Infections VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- Kenya's Mandera County began a 21-day lockdown Wednesday night at the direction of Interior Minister Fred Mating'i because more citizens are becoming infected with the coronavirus.

NATO

• Coronavirus response: Poland sends medical mission to the United States NATO 23 Apr 2020 -- A medical mission from Warsaw's Military Institute of Medicine departed for Chicago on Thursday (23 April 2020), in order to help with the daily fight against COVID-19, and to exchange lessons learned and best practices.
• Coronavirus response: The Netherlands delivers critical medical aid to Montenegro in response to COVID-19 NATO 23 Apr 2020 -- Today (22 April 2020), the Netherlands has transported 7,000 kilo / 70m³ of personal protective equipment and medical supplies from Beijing (China) to Podgorica (Montenegro), in support of Allied efforts against the COVID-19 global pandemic, following Montenegro's request for assistance through NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre.
• Coronavirus response: NATO Allies increase support for Bosnia and Herzegovina NATO 23 Apr 2020 -- Following a request for assistance from Bosnia and Herzegovina through NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) in order to cope with the consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic, in the last few days Hungary and Slovenia have provided support with medical supplies and other items.

Brazil

• Brazil's passivity in COVID-19 control will affect US: experts Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- Latin American countries, many of which are acting passively or lack the social management capabilities to curb the COVID-19 pandemic, are being warned of seeing an increase in infections, which Chinese experts noted could affect the US, which set a bad example in its economy-first strategy and inciting populism to divert domestic pressure.
• New Brazil Health Minister Questions Use of Self-Isolation to Fight Coronavirus VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- Brazil's new health minister is casting doubts about how governors use data in imposing self-isolation measures to fight the spread of the coronavirus, saying there needs to be a standard model of analyzing information.

Other Countries

• US Urges Southeast Asian Nations to Close Wildlife Wet Markets Radio Free Asia 23 Apr 2020 -- The United States appealed to Southeast Asian countries Thursday to shut down all wet markets illegally selling wildlife, saying such trading places had been linked to animal disease communicable to humans, as Washington announced it had released $35.3 million in regional aid to fight the coronavirus outbreak.
• Coronavirus Pandemic Overshadows World Malaria Day in Africa VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- The coronavirus pandemic is overshadowing this year's World Malaria Day (April 25) in Africa, despite malaria's much higher death toll across the continent. The World Health Organization says more than 380,000 Africans died from malaria in 2018, 94% of the world's total. In contrast, Africa has so far confirmed about 1,200 deaths from the spreading coronavirus.
• COVID-19 Threatens Centuries Old Ramadan Traditions VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- The coronavirus outbreak threatens to upend faith-based traditions that have gone on for almost 1,500 years. The world's nearly 2 billion Muslims will not be able to hold communal feasts and prayers that are a hallmark of Ramadan, their holiest month, starting this week.
• WFP warns COVID-19 could double global hunger Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- The COVID-19 pandemic could almost double the number of people suffering acute food insecurity to more than a quarter of a billion by the end of this year, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.
• Lebanon's COVID-19 cases rise to 682, death toll at 22 Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Wednesday by five to 682 while death toll increased by one to 22, the National News Agency reported.
• COVID-19 epicenter moving toward Americas, warns PAHO official Global Times 23 Apr 2020 -- The epicenter of COVID-19 "is moving from Europe toward the Americas," Cristian Morales Fuhrimann, representative of the Pan-American Health Organization and the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) in Mexico, warned on Wednesday.
• Countries struggle to save lives and livelihoods as COVID-19 rages on People's Daily 23 Apr 2020 -- As the confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide continue to rise, major countries and regions are struggling with a predicament to save lives and livelihoods.
• Thousands of Returning Migrant Workers From China Strain Resources in Myanmar's Kokang Region Radio Free Asia 23 Apr 2020 -- Officials in Kokang, a remote corner of Myanmar bordering China, said Thursday they lack the capacity to quarantine thousands of migrant workers who have returned from jobs in China amid the coronavirus outbreak, and they urged the central government to come up with other options.
• COVID-19: Anti-Lockdown Protests In Georgia; Watchdog Says Central Asian Governments Failing To Respect Rights RFE/RL 23 Apr 2020 -- The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 184,000 with more than 2.6 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the new respiratory illness.
• Analyst Says Coronavirus Crisis Could Bring More Democracy To Ex-Soviet Space RFE/RL 23 Apr 2020 -- Anders Aslund, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Atlantic Council think tank, predicts that Russia ''will look very different'' after the coronavirus pandemic, arguing that low oil prices will push Russian society toward democracy.
• UAE announces rise in COVID-19 recoveries to 1,546 SPA 23 Apr 2020 -- The UAE Government announced that an additional 103 patients had recovered from the coronavirus after receiving the necessary medical care, raising the total number of recoveries to 1,546, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
• Oman Reports 102 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 23 Apr 2020 -- The Omani Ministry of Health has reported 102 new cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) during the past 24 hours, Oman News Agency (ONA) reported.
• OIC virtual extraordinary meeting of Foreign Ministers on COVID-19 effects issues final communique SPA 23 Apr 2020 -- The Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states hailed the efforts made by the member states and religious leaders to prevent the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and their support in this regard for the special measures taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Two Holy Mosques, the decision to suspend Umrah and visits to the Prophet's Mosque and all the additional measures that should be taken in the event of a pandemic, as an absolute necessity required by Islamic principles and teachings.
• Differences Around WHO's Coronavirus Response Undermine G7 Format - Moscow Sputnik 23 Apr 2020 -- The G7 format is undermined dramatically by differences on the World Health Organization's (WHO) COVID-19 response, with some leaders first pledging full support to the WHO and then making opposite statements, the deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry's foreign policy planning department said on Thursday.
• Rise in COVID-19 Cases Convinces Sudanese to Take Pandemic Seriously VOA 23 Apr 2020 -- Many Sudanese are taking the threat of coronavirus more seriously, as the number of confirmed cases has now topped 160, with 13 reported deaths as of Thursday.
• UNHCR voices concern for Rohingya refugees on boats amid coronavirus emergency Press TV 23 Apr 2020 -- The United Nations refugee agency has voiced mounting concern over a "grave immediate risk" to persecuted Rohingya Muslim refugees who have fled Myanmar by boats amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• Intensifying shelling and COVID-19 pandemic creates 'perfect storm' in Libya UN News 23 Apr 2020 -- In Libya, ongoing heavy fighting has raised concerns yet further, about the likely devastating impact of the new coronavirus on people there, particularly those repeatedly forced to flee violence.