Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Portland Riots Read-out: August 4 DHS 04 Aug 2020
• MYTHS VS. FACTS: Cooperation and Receding Riot Activity in Portland, OREGON DHS 04 Aug 2020
• House, Senate Intelligence Committees Demand Answers on DHS 'Intelligence Reports' on Journalists Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- Several lawmakers in Congress are calling on former acting Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis Brian Murphy for answers following reports that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been actively compiling "intelligence reports" on journalists covering the federal deployment of cops to Portland, Oregon.
• US House panel investigates DHS office over crackdown Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- The US Congress has launched an investigation into the activities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over its involvement in the crackdown on anti-racism protesters across the country triggered by the police killing of George Floyd.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 197 WHO 04 Aug 2020
• 'Generational Catastrophe' Possible as Pandemic Creates Education Crisis VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says with schools being forced to shut their doors because of the coronavirus pandemic, the world is facing a "generational catastrophe."
• UN chief outlines 'bold steps' for education in the face of COVID-19 disruption UN News 04 Aug 2020 -- The COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption to education in history and prolonged school closures could further entrench inequalities in access to learning, the UN Secretary-General said on Tuesday, underlining the need for "bold steps" to address the crisis.
• Coronavirus may Shrink Global Imbalances further, in 2020, IMF Forecasts SPA 04 Aug 2020 -- The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Tuesday that global current account imbalances narrowed in 2019 as trade slowed, and the coronavirus could narrow them further in 2020, but some commodity exporters and tourism-dependent countries will swing to current account deficits.
• Global COVID-19 cases top 18.3 million, over 694,000 dead Press TV 04 Aug 2020 -- More than 18.3 million people have so far tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and over 694,000 others have lost their lives to the illness across the world, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
• 90% of recovered COVID-19 patients still have lung damage: report Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- Ninety percent of 100 recovered COVID-19 patients who received treatment in a Wuhan hospital still have lung damage and 5 percent of them have been quarantined again after positive test results, media reports revealed Tuesday.
• Global COVID-19 deaths surpass 690,000: Johns Hopkins University People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- Global COVID-19 deaths surpassed 690,000 on Monday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
• Women essential in fight against COVID-19 pandemic: UN People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- The full participation of women is essential for an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and also in the advancement of peace processes, said a UN policy brief released on Monday.
• COVID-19 pandemic "once in a century", but still "in our hands": WHO chief People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic is "a once-in-a-century health crisis," but it is still "in our hands."
• Study shows face coverings in public helps mitigate spread of COVID-19 People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- U.S. communities that mandated the use of face masks in public saw an ongoing decline in the spread of coronavirus, according to a study reported by CNN on Monday.
• Prisons infected by COVID-19 threaten nearby communities: researchers say People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- Jails infected by COVID-19 pose a threat not only to prisoners inside but also to people in nearby communities, researchers reported in the journal Health Affairs Monday.
• There might never be a "silver bullet" for COVID-19: WHO chief People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- Although a number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials, there's no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be for COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief said on Monday.

United States

• Remarks by President Trump in Press Briefing | August 4, 2020 The White House 04 Aug 2020
• Wear a Mask at Home if Vulnerable People Are Present, Birx Advises VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- With the coronavirus spreading widely across the United States, the White House's pandemic task force coordinator is advising those living with vulnerable people to wear a mask at home, as well as in public places.
• White House Extends Funding for National Guard Coronavirus Deployments VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has extended federal government funding for National Guard troops to assist individual states with their coronavirus responses.
• NYC Health Commissioner Resigns Over City's COVID Response VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- New York City's health commissioner, Dr. Oxiris Barbot, resigned Tuesday, expressing her "deep disappointment" with the way New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has handled the COVID pandemic and his use of the department's expertise.
• Weekly Update: DHS Response to COVID-19 DHS 04 Aug 2020
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 04 Aug 2020

China

• WHO admits Wuhan may not be virus origin, offsetting rumor Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- WHO's admission that Wuhan may not be the origin of COVID-19 may put to rest conspiracy theories that have put the central Chinese city and China in a bad light over the virus' origin, Chinese epidemiologists said. They urged for more research on transmission channels and virus host which are vital for epidemiologic studies.
• WHO team to China concludes mission to lay groundwork to identify origin of coronavirus Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- WHO's director general said the organization's advance team sent to China concluded its weeks-long mission which was to lay the groundwork for further joint efforts at identifying the origin of the coronavirus.
• Macao tightens epidemic prevention on people arriving from HK Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- The Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) announced upgraded preventive measures at a press conference on Monday in response to the COVID-19 spike in neighboring Hong Kong, which has seen infection numbers surge in recent days.
• Mainland helps HK design makeshift hospital Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- A Chinese mainland architecture firm is designing a "fangcang" makeshift hospital for Hong Kong, similar to the ones built in Wuhan, to help address the sickbed shortage problem as Hong Kong faces growing epidemic-control pressure.
• Hong Kong needs city-wide testing to halt coronavirus outbreak: hospital chief Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- City-wide tests for the coronavirus is the best and ultimate way to curb Hong Kong's outbreak of COVID-19, but the city's limited ability to conduct extensive testing and people ignoring virus prevention measures are holding back this option, said University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital chief Lo Chung-mau, noting that he hopes the mainland's assistance would help plug the loophole.
• COVID-19 spike in Xinjiang caused by a single source: local authority Global Times 04 Aug 2020 -- The sudden spike of COVID-19 cases in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was caused by a single source as shown by gene sequencing samples, Cui Yan from the Xinjiang diseases control and prevention center told a press conference on Tuesday.
• Wuhan not necessarily where coronavirus crossed from animals into humans: WHO expert People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- Although the first clusters of atypical pneumonia were reported in Wuhan, China, it doesn't necessarily mean that is where the COVID-19 disease crossed from animals into humans, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Monday.
• WHO advance team to China concludes their mission: WHO chief People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- World Health Organization (WHO) chief said Monday that the WHO advance team that traveled to China has concluded their mission to lay the groundwork for further joint efforts to identify the virus origins.
• Hong Kong ends 12-day streak of over 100 new COVID-19 cases per day People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- Hong Kong reported 80 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, snapping a 12-day streak of more than 100 new cases each day, but a health official stressed that anti-epidemic measures cannot be loosened.

Europe

• Second COVID wave highly likely to hit France this year, scientists say SPA 04 Aug 2020 -- A second wave of the coronavirus epidemic is highly likely to hit France in the autumn or winter, the government's top scientific body warned on Tuesday as authorities seek to contain an increase in new cases over the past two weeks, according to Reuters.
• UK Experts Fear Lack of Good COVID-19 Test-Trace System to Lead to Even Worse 2nd Wave Sputnik 04 Aug 2020 -- UK scientists have warned that the second wave of coronavirus could be more than twice the size of the first if no effective testing and contact tracing system is in place before schools reopen in September.

Russia

• Moscow Police Again Fining People En Masse For Not Wearing Masks In Subway RFE/RL 04 Aug 2020 -- Moscow police have again begun to fine people en masse for not wearing masks or gloves in the city's subway as coronavirus cases increase in some countries.

India

• India's total recovered cases are now double the active cases India PIB 04 Aug 2020 -- With 12,30,509 total recoveries, India's recovered cases are twice the active cases, as of today. 44,306 patients discharged in the last 24 hours. This has taken the recovery rate among COVID-19 patients to 66.31%. Coordinated implementation of COVID-19 management strategy by the Union and State/UT governments and selfless sacrifice of all frontline health workers has ensured that the recoveries are continuously on the rise.
• India tests more than 6.6 lakh samples in last 24 hours India PIB 04 Aug 2020 -- A record 6,61,892 samples were tested for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. This takes the cumulative testing to 2,08,64,750 samples and the Tests per Million (TPM) to 15,119.
• India's COVID-19 cases surpass 1.8 million People's Daily 04 Aug 2020 -- India's health ministry announced on Monday that the country's COVID-19 cases have surpassed 1.8 million, reaching 1,803,695.

Iran

• EXCLUSIVE: People Tell Radio Farda Government Hiding True COVID Numbers Radio Farda 04 Aug 2020 -- In exclusive video-taped interviews sent to Radio Farda by citizen-journalists from Iran, residents of Karaj -- the capital city of Alborz Province -- say the situation with COVID pandemic is more critical now and allege that the government is hiding the true numbers.
• Official: COVID-19 kills 212 more in Iran IRNA 04 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Tuesday that some 212 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 17,617.
• WHO envoy says domestic productions helping Iran to cope with COVID-19 pandemic IRNA 04 Aug 2020 -- Representative of the World Health Organization in Iran Christoph Hamelmann said that Iran has achieved potentials producing medical and pharmaceutical equipment, adding that the capabilities help Iranian health system cope with COVID-19.
• Iran deactivates tourist, pilgrimage e-Visa due to Covid-19 ISNA 04 Aug 2020 -- The head of Passport and Visa Department of Iran's Foreign Ministry, Hassan Nourian announced that issuance of tourist and pilgrimage visa has been deactivated in the electronic visa system.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 1,635 New Recoveries Reported, Critical Cases Decreased to 1,983, in Saudi Arabia SPA 04 Aug 2020 -- The Ministry of Health announced in a statement here today that 1,342 new confirmed cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 281,435 cases, including 34,763 active cases undergoing treatment.

Taiwan

• Taiwan records new COVID-19 case from the Philippines CNA 04 Aug 2020 -- Taiwan on Tuesday recorded one new case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 476 since the pandemic began, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

North Korea

• North Korea Isolates Kaesong Residents in Pyongyang on Coronavirus Fears Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2020 -- North Korean authorities have forced about 20 residents of the city of Kaesong to quarantine in Pyongyang, classifying them as suspected COVID-19 patients amid a national health emergency and the complete lockdown of the border city last month, sources in the country told RFA.

Other Countries

• Residents Worry About Livelihoods as Vietnam Prepares to Reenter Coronavirus Lockdown Radio Free Asia 04 Aug 2020 -- Vietnam has ordered an all-out fight against COVID-19 as cases surged, state media said, while in the coastal resort city where a new outbreak erupted in the Southeast Asian country, people fear a new lockdown will bring fresh pain to a struggling tourist industry.
• Mexico reports 4,767 new coronavirus cases, 266 more deaths SPA 04 Aug 2020 -- Mexico's health ministry on Monday reported 4,767 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 266 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 443,813 cases and 48,012 deaths, according to Reuters tally.
• Latin America surpasses 5 million COVID-19 cases, Reuters tally shows SPA 04 Aug 2020 -- Latin America broke through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Monday, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring the region's position as the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
• Philippines: UN and partners launch major COVID-19 response plan to aid 5.4 million UN News 04 Aug 2020 -- Prioritizing the safety and well-being of women and girls, the UN and partners launched on Tuesday a COVID-19 humanitarian response plan to assist some 5.4 million of the poorest and most marginalized people in the Philippines.
• Bahamas Begins 2-Week Lockdown After Another COVID Surge VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- The Bahamas begins a two-week national lockdown Tuesday due to a spike in coronavirus cases.
• Mobile Crematory Aims to Help Bolivia Deal with Surge in COVID Deaths VOA 04 Aug 2020 -- A group of entrepreneurs believe their mobile crematorium is the solution to Bolivia's surge in coronavirus deaths.