Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• U.S. Welcomes Lithuanias Ban of Hizballah as a Terrorist Organization US Dept. of State 15 Aug 2020 -- Lithuania is demonstrating true leadership in Europe, and within the European Union, by labeling Hizballah as a terrorist organization in its entirety and banning Hizballah affiliates from entering its territory.
• How the QAnon Conspiracy Theory Went Global VOA 15 Aug 2020 -- Until recently, the fringe conspiracy theory known as QAnon was largely an American phenomenon – a belief that U.S. President Donald Trump is secretly battling a "deep state" cabal of pedophiles that control the world.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease (COVID-2019) situation report - 208 WHO 15 Aug 2020
• Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 21 million, death toll at 759,411 SPA 15 Aug 2020 -- More than 21 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 759,411 have died, according to a Reuters tally

United States

• Remarks by Vice President Pence and Governor Justice of West Virginia in a COVID-19 Briefing | White Sulphur Springs, WV The White House 15 Aug 2020
• Coronavirus Testing in US Falls for 1st Time, Data Show VOA 15 Aug 2020 -- The number of confirmed coronavirus tests conducted in the U.S. each day has fallen for the first time, despite calls from some public health and federal officials to significantly ramp up testing in the U.S., as it continues to lead the world in infections and COVID-19 deaths.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 15 Aug 2020
• California becomes first state in U.S. with over 600,000 COVID-19 cases Global Times 15 Aug 2020 -- California, the most populous state in the United States with a population of around 40 million, became the first state in the country to have more than 600,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, authorities said Friday.
• U.S. "underprepared" for "greatest public health crisis" in century: CDC director People's Daily 15 Aug 2020 -- The United States was "underprepared" for "the greatest public health crisis that hit this nation in a century," a senior U.S. health official has said, as America has been the hardest-hit nation worldwide by COVID-19.
• CDC forecast projects 200,000 COVID-19 deaths in U.S. by Sept. 5 People's Daily 15 Aug 2020 -- A new ensemble forecast published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has projected up to 200,000 total COVID-19 deaths in the United States by Sept. 5.

China

• Concerns grow over frozen food products as Shenzhen grocery store workers test positive Global Times 15 Aug 2020 -- Chinese public is growing more concerned about the safety of frozen food products as new infections were reported in a grocery store in Shenzhen.
• Guidelines issued to regulate schools reopening in the fall: ministry Global Times 15 Aug 2020 -- China's Ministry of Education (MOE) and National Health Commission (NHC) jointly issued a notice on Thursday to scientifically guide colleges and universities, primary and secondary schools and kindergartens to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic in the upcoming school semester, and to aid school administrators in preparing for this fall.
• Four mobile cabin hospitals in Wuhan to function till next March Global Times 15 Aug 2020 -- As the COVID-19 pandemic wanes in China, Wuhan decided to close almost all of its mobile cabin hospitals and resume their original functions with four remaining ones to open till March 2021.
• Air passengers coming to Beijing from Hong Kong will be required to present valid negative COVID-19 test results Global Times 15 Aug 2020 -- According to an important notice from Hong Kong International Airport, from August 17, all passengers from HongKong to Beijing by air are required to show their nucleic acid test results issued by the testing agency of the HKSAR government, and the result must be negative within 7 days.
• Update: Shenzhen rushes to expand COVID-19 testing after 3 workers in grocery store test positive Global Times 15 Aug 2020 -- South China's Shenzhen has activated widespread nucleic acid testing of residents after employees of a grocery store chain tested positive for the coronavirus.
• Beijing's Xinfadi wholesale market reopens as COVID-19 outbreak ebbs People's Daily 15 Aug 2020 -- A fleet of trucks loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables heralded the reopening of Xinfadi, a large wholesale market of fruits, vegetables and meat, Saturday morning after its business was suspended due to a COVID-19 cluster related to the market about two months back.
• China's Dalian reports no new COVID-19 cases for 8th straight day People's Daily 15 Aug 2020 -- Northeast China's Dalian City, where new clusters of COVID-19 infections emerged in July, reported no new confirmed cases for the eighth straight day on Thursday.
• One COVID-19 case reported in southern Chinese city People's Daily 15 Aug 2020 -- A woman in the city of Lufeng, south China's Guangdong Province, has been confirmed as a COVID-19 patient, the provincial health commission said on Friday.
• Chinese mainland reports 22 new confirmed COVID-19 cases People's Daily 15 Aug 2020 -- Chinese health authority said Saturday that it received reports of 22 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Friday, including 14 imported cases and eight locally transmitted ones.
• Beijing reports no new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 15 Aug 2020 -- No new locally transmitted confirmed, asymptomatic or suspected cases of COVID-19 were reported in Beijing on Friday, the municipal health commission said Saturday.

Russia

• Russia starts manufacturing new COVID-19 vaccine: Ministry Press TV 15 Aug 2020 -- Russia has begun manufacturing the world's first vaccine for the novel coronavirus, Interfax news agency reports.
• Russia reports more than 5,000 new coronavirus cases SPA 15 Aug 2020 -- Russia reported 5,061 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Saturday, bringing its nationwide tally to 917,884, the fourth highest caseload in the world, Reuters reported.

India

• Modi: India Has 3 COVID Trials Underway VOA 15 Aug 2020 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech Saturday, said the South Asian nation has three COVID-19 trials underway.
• 3 COVID-19 vaccines undergoing trials in India: PM Modi Global Times 15 Aug 2020 -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that as many three COVID-19 vaccines are in different stages of trials in the country, and once they are finally produced, India will ramp up infrastructure for mass production of the vaccines.
• India reaches another record of highest single day recoveries India PIB 15 Aug 2020 -- On a continuous path of registering high single day recoveries, India has touched another peak of posting the highest recoveries of COVID-19 cases in a single day. 57,381 have recovered and discharged in the past 24 hours.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 161 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 15 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Saturday that some 161 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 19,492.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 1,528 New Recoveries Reported, 63,872 Lab Tests Conducted, in Saudi Arabia SPA 15 Aug 2020 -- The Ministry of Health announced in a statement here today that 1,413 new confirmed cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 297,315 cases, including 29,459 active cases undergoing treatment.

Taiwan

• CECC seeking info on man diagnosed with COVID-19 after leaving Taiwan CNA 15 Aug 2020 -- The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Saturday said it was seeking additional information on a man who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in Malaysia Friday after arriving from Taiwan earlier this month.
• Taiwan sees new COVID-19 case imported from Philippines CNA 15 Aug 2020 -- Taiwan on Saturday recorded one new case of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 482 since the pandemic began, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Other Countries

• Botswana Lifts Lockdown in Capital Despite Worrying Rise in COVID-19 Cases VOA 15 Aug 2020 -- The two-week coronavirus lockdown in Botswana's capital, Gaborone, ended Friday, following an announcement from the nation's health minister, Dr. Lemogang Kwape,
• Malawi President Pardons Prisoners to Reduce COVID-19 Spread VOA 15 Aug 2020 -- Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera pardoned 499 inmates Friday as part of an effort to deal with COVID-19 inside the country's overcrowded prisons. But rights activists say the number of pardoned prisoners is too low.