Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Latest Terror Attack in France Sparks Anger, Fear VOA 18 Oct 2020 -- France saw countrywide rallies defending free speech and secularism Sunday, while the government discussed a stronger response to Islamist extremism following the brutal killing of a French schoolteacher last week.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Hopkins: 39.3 Million Global COVID Cases VOA 18 Oct 2020 -- Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center reported early Sunday that there are nearly 39.7 million COVID-19 infections worldwide and 1.1 million deaths from the virus.
• Global daily COVID-19 infections hit record high with nearly 400,000 new cases reported: WHO People's Daily 18 Oct 2020 -- A total of 392,471 new COVID-19 infections were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday, a record high since the onset of the pandemic, taking the total number of confirmed cases worldwide to 39,196,259.
• Worldwide Coronavirus Cases Cross 39.51 Million, Death Toll at 1,105,938 SPA 18 Oct 2020 -- More than 39.51 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,105,938 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

United States

• Cinemas outside NYC allowed to reopen at 25 pct capacity: New York State governor People's Daily 18 Oct 2020 -- Outside of New York City, movie theaters in New York State can reopen at 25 percent capacity with up to 50 people per screen, starting Oct. 23, Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted on Saturday.
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces Ski Resorts Allowed to Reopen With 50 Percent Indoor Capacity Beginning November 6 New York State 18 Oct 2020
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 18 Oct 2020

China

• Use of Chinese-developed vaccines limited in scope, not open to general public Global Times 18 Oct 2020 -- Several cities in eastern China have been cautiously rolling out COVID-19 vaccines to the public for emergency use, which is limited to specific groups including workers and students who need to travel abroad. As Chinese vaccines are still in clinical trials, the scope of vaccination is limited to special groups in urgent need and not available to the general public, local officials and health workers told the Global Times on Sunday.
• More cities in Zhejiang ramp up efforts to offer COVID-19 vaccines to public for urgent use Global Times 18 Oct 2020 -- Three more cities in East China's Zhejiang Province are stepping up efforts to offer COVID-19 vaccines for urgent use, with priority being given to key groups in need before they can be rolled out to the general public, according to media reports.
• China finds living coronavirus on cold chain food packaging, marking world first Global Times 18 Oct 2020 -- China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Saturday that it has detected and isolated living novel coronavirus in a positive sample from the outer packaging of imported frozen cod, when the CDC was tracing a new small-scale outbreak occurred in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province.
• China passes first biosafety law following COVID-19 epidemic, raises level to national security Global Times 18 Oct 2020 -- China approved its first law dedicated to biosafety, a move analysts said showed a determination to strengthen biosafety management, given controversy regarding biological labs' management and problems of distribution of the power and responsibility for different government authorities revealed during the COVID-19 epidemic.
• Living coronavirus detected in imported frozen food packaging in Qingdao for 1st time, may push forward study of virus origins: virologist Global Times 18 Oct 2020 -- Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it has detected and isolated living coronavirus in a positive sample from the outer packaging of imported frozen cod, progress that virologists said could push forward research into the virus' origin, which may be aquatic creature.
• Living novel coronavirus isolated from packaging of imported frozen food in Qingdao: China CDC People's Daily 18 Oct 2020 -- It is the first time in the world that living novel coronavirus has been isolated from the outer packaging of cold-chain food.
• Chinese mainland reports no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 18 Oct 2020 -- No new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported Saturday across the Chinese mainland, the National Health Commission said Sunday.
• Asymptomatic COVID-19 case in Guangzhou close contact of imported case People's Daily 18 Oct 2020 -- One local asymptomatic COVID-19 case reported in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Friday should be treated as a close contact of an imported COVID-19 case in the city, local health authorities said Saturday.

Europe

• France reports 32,427 new COVID-19 infections, hitting another one-day high People's Daily 18 Oct 2020 -- To stem the quick spread of the virus, the French government declared a state of health emergency starting from Saturday. Curfews from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. were implemented in nine big cities since Friday midnight.
• Austria Breaks Record for New Daily Coronavirus Cases SPA 18 Oct 2020 -- The coronavirus outbreak in Austria reached a new record today, on Saturday as the Health Ministry confirmed 1,747 new cases

India

• India on a steady trajectory of sustained fall in Active Cases India PIB 18 Oct 2020 -- India continues to report a trend of steadily declining active cases. The active cases are less than 8 lakh for the second consecutive day and stand at 7,83,311. The active cases now comprise 10.45% of the total positive cases of the country.

Iran

• Official: COVID-19 kills 252 more in Iran IRNA 18 Oct 2020 -- Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Sunday that some 252 more Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours.
• WHO delivers 150 ventilators, 100 PCR machines to Iran IRNA 18 Oct 2020 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered 150 medical ventilators and 100 high-performance real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) thermal cyclers to the Islamic Republic of Iran to further support the country's health system in its efforts to respond to the COVID-19 health emergency.
• IRGC To Fight Un-Masked People In Tehran Radio Farda 18 Oct 2020 -- The commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) of Greater Tehran, Mohammad Reza Yazdi, announced the formation of a special coronavirus-related unit called "Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil."

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry Spokesman: 348 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 18 Oct 2020 -- Assistant Minister of Health and Official Spokesman of the Ministry of Health Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdulaali said in a press conference here today that 348 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 342,202 cases, including 8,479 active cases receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 825 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable, he said.

Taiwan

• Taiwan donates 100,000 masks to Yazidis in Iraq CNA 18 Oct 2020 -- Taiwan has donated 100,000 surgical masks to the Yazidi people in Sinjar, northern Iraq, through an international nonprofit organization, to help with the COVID-19 response there, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Sunday.

Other Countries

• Egypt reopens schools for 23 mln students amid anti-coronavirus measures Global Times 18 Oct 2020 -- Egypt officially reopened on Saturday tens of thousands of schools for millions of students across the country to start the new academic year while implementing precautionary measures against the COVID-19.
• New Zealand reports 3 new cases of COVID-19 Global Times 18 Oct 2020 -- New Zealand reported three new cases of COVID-19 including one new community case on Sunday, the Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield provided the update in a press conference.
• Maduro Says Venezuela Received Thousands of Doses of Coronavirus Treatment From Russia Sputnik 18 Oct 2020 -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says thousands of doses of a coronavirus treatment have arrived from Russia.