Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Ebola Spreading Rapidly in DR Congo's Equateur Province VOA 22 Aug 2020 -- The World Health Organization is concerned by the rapid increase and spread of the deadly Ebola virus in remote, densely forested areas of Equateur province in the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Defeat COVID-19 and put an end to hate and discrimination: UN chief UN News 22 Aug 2020 -- In a message published on the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Violence Based on Religious Belief, which falls on 22 August, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned of a rise in racism since the spread of COVID-19 across the world.
• WHO: Older Children Should Wear Face Masks to Slow Coronavirus Spread VOA 22 Aug 2020 -- Children ages 12 and older should wear a face mask in the same situations an adult should, while children ages 6 to 11 should wear them as risks require, the World Health Organization and UNICEF said, to stem the spread of the coronavirus.
• Global Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 800,000 VOA 22 Aug 2020 -- The coronavirus death toll topped 800,000 Saturday, according to Johns Hopkins University, which also reported more than 23 million cases worldwide.
• Grim Prediction: Covid-19 Could Be Around 'Forever' Says Leading UK Scientist Sputnik 22 Aug 2020 -- The comments comes amidst creeping concerns in the UK about the country's increasing coronavirus R rate - that is, the rate of infection - which now sits between 0.9 and 1.1 - meaning that it has the potential to once again spread more rapidly across the nation.

United States

• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 22 Aug 2020
• Coronavirus death toll in US higher among minorities: Report Press TV 22 Aug 2020 -- Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asian Americans have had a higher COVID-19 death toll compared the majority of Whites in the United States,
• Half of US COVID Deaths Are People of Color VOA 22 Aug 2020 -- The Associated Press reported Friday that half the COVID-19 deaths in the United States were people of color – Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asian Americans.

China

• China launched urgent use of COVID-19 vaccines in July Global Times 22 Aug 2020 -- China has officially launched urgent use of COVID-19 vaccines, which were going through clinical trials, on July 22, a National Health Commission official said Saturday, a month after the move.
• China's first COVID-19 vaccine made from insect cells approved for clinical trials Global Times 22 Aug 2020 -- China's first recombinant protein COVID-19 vaccine made from insect cells has been approved for clinical trials by the National Medical Products Administration, media reported on Saturday.
• Coronavirus detected in Guangdong appears to have originated in Hong Kong Global Times 22 Aug 2020 -- The genome sequence of the coronavirus collected from five patients in S. China's Guangdong were found to be highly similar to the strain of virus that has caused an outbreak in Hong Kong.
• Hong Kong to launch massive COVID-19 testing with central gov't support People's Daily 22 Aug 2020 -- As the support from the central government has boosted its testing capacity, China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region will start a massive screening for COVID-19 on Sept. 1. All asymptomatic Hong Kong residents aged no less than six can participate in the testing.
• Chinese mainland reports 22 new imported COVID-19 cases People's Daily 22 Aug 2020 -- The Chinese mainland reported 22 new imported COVID-19 cases Friday, bringing the total number of imported cases to 2,390, the National Health Commission said Saturday.
• Chinese mainland reports no new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 22 Aug 2020 -- No new locally-transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported Friday across the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Saturday.

Europe

• Croatia, Austria added to UK's quarantine list: senior official Global Times 22 Aug 2020 -- Croatia, Austria and Trinidad and Tobago have been added to Britain's quarantine list in an effort to contain the spread of coronavirus in the country, a senior British official announced Thursday.
• Italy Tops 1,000 Daily Coronavirus Cases for 1st Time Since May SPA 22 Aug 2020 -- Italy's health ministry today, on Saturday reported 1,071 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, exceeding 1,000 cases in a day for the first time since May when the government eased rigid lockdown measures, according to Reuters.

India

• India's daily COVID-19 testing hits new high of 1 mln Global Times 22 Aug 2020 -- India conducted over a million COVID-19 tests in a single day, which is a new record.
• India records Highest ever single day peak of 63,631recoveries India PIB 22 Aug 2020 -- On the day, India's daily tests have scaled a new peak of 10 lakh 23 thousand,India has achieved another milestone as it recorded highest ever single day recoveries of 63,631 in the last 24 hours.
• India crosses a crucial milestone in the fight against COVID-19 India PIB 22 Aug 2020 -- Keeping to its promise of exponentially increasing the daily COVID-19 tests to 10 lakhs, India has crossed the significant milestone in its fight against COVID today.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 126 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 22 Aug 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Saturday that some 126 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 20,502.

South Korea

• S.Korea to expand tighter social-distancing campaign nationwide amid surging COVID-19 cases Global Times 22 Aug 2020 -- South Korea will expand its tighter social-distancing campaign nationwide from Sunday amid the surging number of newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases in recent days.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: Total Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, at 306,370, total Recoveries, at 278,441, in Saudi Arabia SPA 22 Aug 2020 -- The Ministry of Health announced in a statement here today that 1,184 new confirmed cases of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 306,370 cases, including 24,310 active cases undergoing treatment.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports new imported case of COVID-19 CNA 22 Aug 2020 -- Taiwan confirmed one new imported case of COVID-19 on Saturday, bringing the total number in the country since the start of the pandemic to 487, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• CECC 'won't allow' local governments to do universal COVID-19 testing CNA 22 Aug 2020 -- Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Saturday that the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), which he heads, will not allow local governments to test all arriving COVID-19 passengers without a coordinated response from the CECC.
• 18 non-quarantine hotels in Taipei take quarantine guests: gov't CNA 22 Aug 2020 -- Eighteen non-quarantine hotels in Taipei have been found to be in violation of COVID-19 epidemic prevention rules by accommodating guests under quarantine, the Taipei City government announced Friday, demanding the hotels rectify the problem by Aug. 28.
• All tests negative in contact tracing of two exported COVID-19 cases: CECC CNA 22 Aug 2020 -- A total of 17 people, identified as contacts of two COVID-19 patients who were recent travelers from Taiwan, have all tested negative for the disease, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Saturday.

Other Countries

• New Zealand reports 6 new COVID-19 cases, 1,321 in total Global Times 22 Aug 2020 -- There were six new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand on Saturday, the Ministry of Health announced in a statement.
• Philippines reports 4,933 coronavirus infections, 26 deaths SPA 22 Aug 2020 -- The Philippines reported 4,933 infections of the new coronavirus on Saturday, the fifth straight day above 4,000, and 26 COVID-19 deaths.
• Mexico Reports 5,928 New Coronavirus Cases and 504 More Deaths SPA 22 Aug 2020 -- Mexico's health ministry today, on Friday reported 5,928 new confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 504 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 549,734 cases and 59,610 deaths, according to Reuters.
• Venezuela Proposes Assistance in Testing COVID-19 Vaccine to Russia Sputnik 22 Aug 2020 -- Venezuela has proposed assistance in producing COVID-19 vaccines to Russia, China, and Cuba; and also in testing the Russian vaccine, the Venezuelan authorities said.