Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Interagency Issues Advisory on Use of Technology to Detect and Mitigate Unmanned Aircraft Systems US Dept. of Justice 17 Aug 2020 -- Today, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued an advisory guidance document to help non-federal public and private entities better understand the federal laws and regulations that may apply to the use of capabilities to detect and mitigate threats posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations.
• DHS rebukes GAO's deeply flawed attempt to revive its partisan impeachment efforts with baseless report DHS 17 Aug 2020 -- On Monday the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of General Counsel (OGC) responded to the baseless legal opinion issued by the Government Accountability Office on Friday.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Weekly Epidemiological Update - 1 WHO 17 Aug 2020

United States

• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 17 Aug 2020
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces COVID-19 Infection Rate Below 1 Percent for Tenth Straight Day New York State 17 Aug 2020
• Air Force update for COVID-19 US Air Force 17 Aug 2020
• DOD Awards $750,000 to Plasma Technologies, LLC for Manufacturing of Convalescent Plasma Products Using a Novel Process in Support of the U.S. COVID-19 Response DoD 17 Aug 2020 -- On 14 August 2020, the Department of Defense's (DOD) Joint Acquisition Task Force (JATF), supported by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), entered into a $750,000 cooperative agreement with Plasma Technologies, LLC. The agreement is to develop and optimize a process to produce higher yielding anti-COVID-19 immune serum for scale-up and manufacturing, if successful.
• U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 170,000 -- Johns Hopkins University People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- U.S. COVID-19 deaths have surpassed the 170,000 mark, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
• Trump pushes to reopen school despite severe COVID-19 situation People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- U.S. President Donald Trump has again pushed for schools to reopen despite the severe COVID-19 pandemic across the country, according to The Guardian newspaper.
• U.S. administration unable to meet testing capacity suggested by expert: testing coordinator People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- U.S. COVID-19 Testing Coordinator Brett Giroir said on Friday that the administration cannot meet the testing capacity that a public health expert believe is needed.
• U.S. COVID-19 cases surpass 5.4 mln: Johns Hopkins University People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- The total number of COVID-19 cases in the United States surpassed 5.4 million on Sunday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
• US COVID-19 Deaths Top 170,000 as CDC Predicts Over 200,000 Fatalities by September Sputnik 17 Aug 2020 -- The latest data by Johns Hopkins University shows that more than 170,000 people in the US have died of COVID-19. The total number of deaths in the US could reach as high as 200,000 during the week ending September 5, according to the latest predictions by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

China

• HK recruits 2,000 people to assist in mass COVID-19 testing Global Times 17 Aug 2020 -- Hong Kong is recruiting some 2,000 people with medical knowledge to help with the mass testing for the novel coronavirus which will start on August 31 and last for two weeks, with virologists emphasizing that testing kits should be optimized to be suitable for various strains of the virus, given Hong Kong's active international interaction that has caused the city's complex epidemic situation.
• China approves patent to COVID-19 vaccine People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- China has granted its first COVID-19 vaccine patent to the adenovirus vector vaccine developed by Chen Wei of the Academy of Military Medical Sciences and Chinese biotech company CanSino Biologics, according to the National Intellectual Property Administration.
• Chinese mainland reports no new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- No new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported Sunday across the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Monday.
• 28 COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals on Chinese mainland People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- The National Health Commission said Monday that 28 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland Sunday.
• Southern Chinese cities conduct large-scale COVID-19 testing after new case reported People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- More than 120,000 samples for nucleic acid tests of COVID-19 had been collected by Sunday morning in the cities of Shanwei and Shenzhen of south China's Guangdong Province after a new confirmed case emerged earlier this week, local authorities said Sunday.

Europe

• Belgium COVID Numbers Decline VOA 17 Aug 2020 -- Officials in Belgium say overall COVID-19 infection numbers have decreased in the country for the first time in more than a month.

Russia

• Russian COVID-19 cases up 4,892 to 927,745 Global Times 17 Aug 2020 -- Russia registered 4,892 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its total to 927,745, the country's COVID-19 response center said in a statement Monday.
• Russia Reports Nearly 5,000 New Coronavirus Cases SPA 17 Aug 2020 -- Russia reported 4,892 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Monday, pushing its tally so far to 927,745, the fourth largest in the world, according to Reuters.

India

• COVID-19 deaths surpass 50,000 in India Global Times 17 Aug 2020 -- The total COVID-19 deaths surpassed 50,000, reaching 50,921, in India on Monday, said the health ministry.
• India sets a new landmark, exceeds 3 crore tests India PIB 17 Aug 2020 -- In a testament to the focussed, consistent and coordinated efforts of the Centre and the State/UT governments, India has set a new landmark of conducting 3 crore tests.
• India reports highest ever single day recoveries of 57,584 India PIB 17 Aug 2020 -- India has been marching firmly on the road to enhanced recoveries every day. Today, the country registered the highest single day recoveries with as many as 57,584 COVID-19 patients getting cured and discharged in the last 24 hours.
• India Surpasses 50,000 Coronavirus Deaths VOA 17 Aug 2020 -- India on Monday reported its coronavirus death toll has surpassed 50,000 after it confirmed more than 900 new dead in one day.

Pakistan

• Teachers In Northwestern Pakistan Protest Against School Closures RFE/RL 17 Aug 2020 -- Hundreds of private schoolteachers rallied in the northwestern Pakistani region of Swat on August 17 to demand an immediate reopening of schools that were closed to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Iran

• Official: 165 more Iranians die from COVID-19 over past 24 hours IRNA 17 Aug 2020 -- Some 165 people in Iran have died from coronavirus disease over the past 24 hours, Iranian Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday.

South Korea

• S. Korea Faces New Outbreak, Churches Again a Concern VOA 17 Aug 2020 -- South Korea, which had effectively contained one of the world's first coronavirus outbreaks, is seeing a COVID-19 resurgence, with officials warning the country could be on the verge of another large-scale eruption.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 1,372 New COVID-19 Cases, 1,432 New Recoveries Reported, in Saudi Arabia SPA 17 Aug 2020 -- The Ministry of Health announced in a statement here today that 1,372 new confirmed cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 299,914 cases, including 28,093 active cases undergoing treatment.

Taiwan

• CECC disputes Malaysia's claim of imported COVID-19 case from Taiwan CNA 17 Aug 2020 -- A Malaysian man who recently tested positive for COVID-19 after returning home from Taiwan most likely did not contract the virus in Taiwan, as claimed by the health ministry in his country, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Monday.
• Adimmune's COVID-19 vaccine could soon enter clinical trial CNA 17 Aug 2020 -- An experimental COVID-19 vaccine developed by Taiwanese maker Adimmune Corp. has been given conditional approval to enter human trials, according to Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday.

New Zealand

• New Zealand's new wage subsidy to protect jobs, businesses amid 2nd COVID-19 lockdown Global Times 17 Aug 2020 -- New Zealand workers whose jobs may be affected by the re-emergence of COVID-19 in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, will be supported by a new wage subsidy scheme and a simplified leave scheme.
• New Zealand election to be delayed to Oct. 17 due to COVID-19 Global Times 17 Aug 2020 -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Monday that the general election will be held on Oct. 17, four weeks after Sept. 19 when the poll was originally scheduled for.
• New Zealand's prime minister postpones general elections Press TV 17 Aug 2020 -- New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has postponed the country's general elections by a month under pressure from the opposition, which said the current coronavirus lockdown in the largest city of Auckland would work to their disadvantage.
• New Zealand Postpones General Election After Spike in Coronavirus Cases VOA 17 Aug 2020 -- New Zealand's general election due next month has been postponed for four weeks because of a spike in coronavirus cases. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, says the new date on 17 October gives parties the opportunity to plan their campaigns around any Covid-19 restrictions.

Australia

• Aussie state extends emergency COVID-19 measures despite drop in infections People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- The Australian State of Victoria extended emergency measures to help deal with COVID-19, despite a decline in the rate of new infections.
• Australian health minister "optimistic" about COVID-19 vaccine People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- Australia's Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Sunday that the federal government is close to reaching a deal to produce a vaccine for COVID-19 in Australia.

South Africa

• South Africa's COVID-19 recovery rate reaches 80 percent People's Daily 17 Aug 2020 -- South Africa's COVID-19 recovery rate has reached 80 percent from 48 percent more than one month ago, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said Sunday.
• South Africa Has Reached Coronavirus Peak, President Says VOA 17 Aug 2020 -- South Africa, with the continent's highest burden of COVID-19, has reached the peak of the pandemic, according to the president and top health officials. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a loosening of restrictions but said that he is not yet breathing a sigh of relief.

Other Countries

• Survey of 68 Nations is Bright for Vietnam But in a Dim COVID-19 World VOA 17 Aug 2020 -- There is still growth in the Vietnamese economy and there is still optimism concerning that economy, but the economic picture must be viewed in the context of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.