Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 152 WHO 20 Jun 2020

United States

• To Mask or Not to Mask? VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- To mask or not to mask? That question is dividing Americans. While some would not even think of going out without a mask, others walk about without one.
• US COVID-19 cases top 2.2 mln: Johns Hopkins University Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 2.2 million on Friday, reaching 2,203,659 as of 12:33 p.m. (1633 GMT), according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 20 Jun 2020

China

• COVID-19 may continue till mid-2021: China's top epidemiologist Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- The global spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is likely to continue until the first half of 2021 even if vaccines become available, predicted Zhang Wenhong, a prominent Chinese infectious disease expert and leader of Shanghai's COVID-19 medical team.
• Virus found in Beijing close to European strains: WHO Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- The WHO confirmed on Friday that the virus sequences from the new outbreak in Beijing is closely related to the European strain, saying the virus was very likely imported to Beijing from strains circulating in Europe.
• 2.29 million samples collected for COVID-19 tests in Beijing Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- Beijing reported 22 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, with the youngest infected being a 1-year-old and the oldest a 56-year-old. The city has sampled a total of 2.29 million people for nucleic acid tests during its screening for COVID-19 cases between June 11 and 20, local authorities said at a regular press conference on Saturday to brief on updates regarding the outbreak in Beijing.
• Beijing launches massive COVID-19 testing on couriers, food deliverymen Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- Beijing is conducting massive nucleic acid tests on food deliverymen and courtiers to reduce infection risks amid the latest coronavirus outbreak in the capital, the local authority said on Saturday.
• Source of Tianjin coronavirus case still unclear as investigations continue Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- Virologists said on Friday night that the source of COVID-19 case revealed on Wednesday in North China's Tianjin Municipality is still unclear after three potential sources of infection were rejected in the current investigation, as further tracing continues.
• COVID-19's ability to survive freezing temperature not yet known, Chinese top epidemiologist clarifies Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- Top Chinese epidemiologist Li Lanjuan has refuted media reports, which misquoted her as saying COVID-19 can survive at -20 C for 20 years. She says the novel coronavirus is a new virus and its resistance to low temperatures is not yet known.
• Executives from 4 Beijing hospitals summoned for inadequate COVID-19 prevention work Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- Executives at four hospitals in Beijing were summoned by the local authorities for inadequate COVID-19 prevention work on Thursday, the same day a nurse at another Beijing hospital was confirmed for infection.
• China shares virus genome data, closely related to European strain Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- Beijing has shared genome sequencing data of coronavirus that was newly found in Beijing Xinfadi wholesale food market, and the result indicated it's closely related to virus strain in Europe, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead for the WHO's Health Emergencies Program.
• WHO expert commends China's response to latest COVID-19 cluster People's Daily 20 Jun 2020 -- A senior World Health Organization (WHO) expert said here on Friday that in light of the recent clusters of COVID-19 cases in China, Beijing has done well to control the spreading.

Europe

• UK set to effectively end lockdown next month Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- After nearly three months of various degrees of lockdown the UK appears set to end it altogether as of early next month.
• French Coronavirus Deaths Rise by 19 to 29,633 SPA 20 Jun 2020 -- The number of deaths in France from COVID-19 has risen by 19, in the last 24 hours, to stand at 29,633, Reuters quoted the French health ministry as saying on Saturday.

Russia

• Russia Reports Just Under 8,000 New Coronavirus Cases SPA 20 Jun 2020 -- Russia on Saturday reported 7,889 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its nationwide case tally to 576,952 since the crisis began, Reuters reported.

India

• Lockdown begins in India's Chennai after surge in COVID-19 cases Global Times 20 Jun 2020 -- Authorities in India's southern Tamil Nadu state imposed a fresh lockdown in the state capital of Chennai and its suburbs on Friday in wake of an increase in COVID-19 cases.
• Updates on COVID-19 India PIB 20 Jun 2020

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 115 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 20 Jun 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Saturday that some 115 more Iranians have died of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 9,507.
• Iran's president authorizes provinces to draw up own coronavirus restrictions Press TV 20 Jun 2020 -- Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has authorized the country's provinces to draw up their own coronavirus restrictions for their counties amid nationwide easing of social distancing measures.

Saudi Arabia

• 3941 New Confirmed Cases Reported, Toll of Recoveries Jump to 98,917, in KSA SPA 20 Jun 2020 -- The Ministry of Health reported here today 3941 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19), raising the tally of confirmed cases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) to 154,233, with 54,086 active cases undergoing treatment, however, reassuring against 1955 in critical conditions.

Taiwan

• Beijing COVID-19 outbreak did not come from Taiwan: CECC CNA 20 Jun 2020 -- Despite similarities in the strain types, a recent COVID-19 coronavirus cluster outbreak in Beijing did not originate from Taiwan, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Saturday.

Brazil

• Brazil Passes 1 Million Coronavirus Cases SPA 20 Jun 2020 -- Brazil today passed 1 million coronavirus cases and approached 50,000 deaths, according to Reuters.

Other Countries

• COVID-19 Fears Grow as Refugee Numbers Rise VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- U.N. officials, on the occasion of World Refugee Day, are warning the COVID-19 pandemic poses an additional threat to millions of refugees and displaced people, among the most vulnerable in the world.
• COVID-19: Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan Tighten Restrictions; U.S. Embassy In Kabul Reports Cases RFE/RL 20 Jun 2020 -- The global death toll from the coronavirus is more than 460,000, with more than 8.6 million infections confirmed, causing mass disruptions as governments continue to try to slow the spread of the respiratory illness.
• Mexico Blows Past 20,000 Coronavirus Deaths SPA 20 Jun 2020 -- Coronavirus deaths in Mexico today surpassed 20,000 after the health ministry reported 647 new fatalities and 5,030 new confirmed cases, Reuters reported.
• UN Sends Aid to Venezuela as Country Faces Coronavirus Crisis VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- UNICEF has sent a third shipment of humanitarian aid to Venezuela to help the country cope with the coronavirus crisis.
• Sickle Cell Patients Ask for Protection Against COVID-19 as Confirmed Cases Increase to Over 11, 000 VOA 20 Jun 2020 -- Sickle cell patients in Cameroon on this year's World Sickle Cell Day on June 19, asked to be given additional care and support. They say the genetic disorder primarily seen in people of African descent puts them more at risk of COVID-19.
• Rights Group Calls on Myanmar to End Internet Ban in Rakhine, Chin States Radio Free Asia 19 Jun 2020 -- Human Rights Watch Friday called on Myanmar to end its yearlong internet shutdown, which has prevented more than a million people in Rakhine and Chin states from getting information about the coronavirus pandemic and hampered the work of aid workers and journalists in a war zone.