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COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Sudan's State Sponsor of Terrorism Designation Rescinded US Dept. of State 14 Dec 2020 -- "Today, Sudan's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism is officially rescinded."
• Statement from Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin on Sudan US Treasury 14 Dec 2020 -- U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin issued the following statement on the rescission of Sudan's State Sponsor of Terrorism designation:
• US Rescinds Sudan's Designation as State Sponsor of Terror VOA 14 Dec 2020 -- The United States announced it was formally rescinding Sudan's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism as a result of its "historic democratic transition."
• US Removes Khartoum From List of Terror Sponsors Starting 14 December, Embassy Says Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has signed a notification, removing Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list, the decision enters into force starting Monday, the US embassy in Khartoum said.
• US formally removes Sudan from 'terror' blacklist after normalization with Israel Press TV 14 Dec 2020 -- Washington has now formally withdrawn Sudan from its blacklist of state sponsors of "terrorism" after the African country's military-led government agreed to normalize ties with the Israeli regime, the US embassy in Khartoum declared.
• Chairman Schiff Statement on Solar Winds Hack HPSCI 14 Dec 2020 -- Today, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement
• CISA Issues Emergency Directive to Mitigate the Compromise of Solarwinds Orion Network Management Products CISA 14 Dec 2020 -- The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) tonight issued Emergency Directive 21-01, in response to a known compromise involving SolarWinds Orion products that are currently being exploited by malicious actors. This Emergency Directive calls on all federal civilian agencies to review their networks for indicators of compromise and disconnect or power down SolarWinds Orion products immediately.
• Statement by DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Alexei Woltornist on Federal Government Cyber Breaches DHS 14 Dec 2020 -- "The Department of Homeland Security is aware of cyber breaches across the federal government and working closely with our partners in the public and private sector on the federal response."
• Suspected Russian Hackers Breach U.S. Treasury, Other Government Agencies RFE/RL 14 Dec 2020 -- Suspected Russian hackers broke into U.S. government networks, including the Treasury and Commerce departments, as part of a monthslong global cyberespionage campaign believed to have also targeted other governments and major corporations.
• British Cyber Spies Unaware of Any UK Impact from US Hacking, Says Downing Street Spokesman Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- US government agencies have been ordered to look for malware and disconnect potentially compromised servers after authorities learnt that the Treasury and Commerce departments had been hacked in an extensive global cyber-espionage campaign.
• Suspected Russian hackers allegedly broke into federal agencies: Sources Press TV 14 Dec 2020 -- Email systems at the US Treasury and Commerce Departments were breached by hackers who are allegedly part of a Russian intelligence campaign, sources familiar with the matter say.
• Dozens of Israeli Firms Reportedly Hit by Massive Iranian Cyberattack Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- Dozens of Israel's companies, including logistics ones, have been subjected to a wide-scale cyberattack supposedly carried out by an Iranian hacker group, according to Israeli media.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Weekly Update WHO 14 Dec 2020
• COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Reach New Records VOA 14 Dec 2020 -- Daily records continue to tumble for COVID-19 cases and deaths in many parts of the world, forcing governments to impose restrictions or consider lockdowns to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
• Worldwide Coronavirus Cases Cross 71.15 Million, Death Toll at 1,608,736 SPA 14 Dec 2020 -- More than 71.15 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,608,736 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

United States

• Officials Provide Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution DoD News 14 Dec 2020 -- Officials with the Defense Department, Operation Warp Speed and the Department of Health and Human Services today provided an update on COVID-19 vaccine packaging and distribution and forecast a possible time period when all Americans will have access to the vaccine.
• W.Va. Guard, interagency partners hold drill to prepare for COVID-19 vaccine arrival Army News 14 Dec 2020 -- Members of the West Virginia Joint Interagency Task Force for vaccines held a Rehearsal of Concepts (ROC) drill to finalize operational plans for and to simulate COVID-19 vaccine shipment receipt, handling, and distribution processes to Phase 1 recipients across the Mountain State at the West Virginia National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters in Charleston, West Virginia, Friday, Dec. 11.
• US Surpasses 300,000 COVID Deaths VOA 14 Dec 2020 -- The United States surpassed 300,000 recorded deaths from COVID-19 Monday — the same day the first American was vaccinated against the coronavirus that causes the disease.
• US Begins to Vaccinate Health Care Workers Against Coronavirus VOA 14 Dec 2020 -- The United States began administering the newly approved coronavirus vaccine Monday, with health care workers among the first to get shots.
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in United States New York State 14 Dec 2020
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces Updated COVID-19 Micro-Cluster Focus Zones New York State 14 Dec 2020
• LA's COVID-19 hospitalizations hit new record People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States, set a new record of COVID-19 hospitalizations Sunday for a fourth consecutive day with over 10,000 new cases.
• U.S. CDC director signs recommendation to use Pfizer-BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Robert Redfield said on Sunday he has signed the recommendation of a key CDC advisory group to use the COVID-19 vaccine of American drugmaker Pfizer in partnership with German company BioNTech.
• New York City May Face Full Lockdown as COVID-19 Surge Outpaces Vaccine Rollout, Mayor Says Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- New York City could see another full lockdown because it might be overwhelmed by new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, despite the start of vaccinations for the virus, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday.
• Readout from the Trump Administration's 44th Governors Briefing on COVID-19 Response & Best Practices The White House 14 Dec 2020
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 14 Dec 2020

China

• Coveted COVID-19 Chinese vaccines provoke social media scams, scalpers targeting overseas Chinese Global Times 14 Dec 2020 -- Global Times reporters found that the COVID-19 vaccines claimed by scalpers are being sold for excessive rates in a thriving black market, or more specifically, across social media.
• Chinese mainland reports 16 new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- The Chinese mainland recorded 16 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including two locally transmitted cases in Heilongjiang Province, the National Health Commission announced on Monday.

Europe

• UK Health Ministry Says New COVID-19 Variant Discovered in Britain VOA 14 Dec 2020 -- British Health Minister Matt Hancock said Monday that a new variant of COVID-19 has been identified in southern Britain, which could explain why infection levels in that area have increased faster than in other areas of the country.
• UK Health Minister Says 'New Variant' of Coronavirus May Be Behind Spread of Disease in London Area Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- Hancock said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been informed of the new variant and government scientists are studying it at the UK military defense laboratory at Porton Down, near Salisbury, to establish whether it is resistant to vaccines.
• UK records another 18,447 coronavirus cases with 144 deaths People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- Another 18,447 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 1,849,403, according to official figures released Sunday.
• German President: COVID-19 Situation 'Bitterly Serious' VOA 14 Dec 2020 -- German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged Germans Monday to abide by strict new lockdown measures to be implemented Wednesday, saying the situation regarding the coronavirus was "bitterly serious."
• Germany to impose stricter lockdown over "exponential growth" in COVID-19 cases People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- Germany will go into stricter lockdown from Wednesday, closing non-essential shops and limiting the size of private gatherings, Chancellor Angela Merkel and regional leaders agreed on Sunday.

Russia

• Russia reports 28,080 new coronavirus cases, 488 deaths SPA 14 Dec 2020 -- Russia confirmed 28,080 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours on Sunday, including 6,425 in Moscow, pushing the national tally to 2,653,928 since the pandemic began.
• Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Against COVID More Than 90% Effective After 3 Control Points Sputnik 14 Dec 2020 -- The World's First Registered Coronavirus Vaccine

India

• India's Active Caseload further contracts to 3.52Lakhs; lowest in 149 days India PIB 14 Dec 2020 -- India's active cases today stand at 3,52,586.The share of Active Cases in the total Positive Cases has further shrunk to 3.57%. This is lowest after 149 days. The total active cases were 3,58,692 on 18thJuly, 2020
• India's COVID-19 tally reaches 9,884,100 as Delhi's death toll crosses 10,000 People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- India's COVID-19 tally reached 9,884,100 on Monday even as 27,071 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, the latest data from the federal health ministry showed.

Pakistan

• Pakistan's Overcrowded Prisons Ravaged By Pandemic, Amnesty Says RFE/RL Gandhara 14 Dec 2020 -- Pakistan's handling of the coronavirus threat faced by tens of thousands of detainees held in overcrowded prisons has been severely criticized in a report by Amnesty International (AI) released on December 14.

Iran

• Some 251 more Iranians die from COVID-19: official IRNA 14 Dec 2020 -- Some 251 Iranians have died from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 52,447, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday.
• Iran set to begin COVID-19 vaccination early summer: Official IRNA 14 Dec 2020 -- Iran will begin vaccination early summer if the domestically developed COVID-19 vaccine is successfully tested next month, to spokesperson of the Ministry of Health Sima Sadat Lari.

South Korea

• South Korea Reports 718 New Coronavirus Cases SPA 14 Dec 2020 -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases fell back below 1,000 on Monday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Saudi Arabia

• 125 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Detected, as Active, Critical Medical Conditions Decreased, in Saudi Arabia SPA 14 Dec 2020 -- The Ministry of Health announced here today that 125 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 360,013 cases, including 3,162 active cases receiving necessary medical care.

Taiwan

• Four new imported cases of COVID-19 reported in Taiwan CNA 14 Dec 2020 -- Taiwan recorded four new imported cases of COVID-19 on Monday, two from the Philippines and two from Indonesia, bringing the total number of cases to 740 since the epidemic began, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan proposes certified COVID-19 tests for Indonesian workers CNA 14 Dec 2020 -- Taiwan has proposed that migrant workers from Indonesia provide reports of COVID-19 nucleic acid tests conducted by government-certified institutions as a condition for resuming the entry of migrant workers from the Southeast Asian country, Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Monday.

North Korea

• North Korea Halts All Public Transportation Outside of Pyongyang to Stop Coronavirus Radio Free Asia 14 Dec 2020 -- North Korea has suspended all public transportation nationwide except for in the capital Pyongyang, the latest measure by the self-proclaimed "virus-free" nation to stop the spread of coronavirus within its borders, sources in the country told RFA.
• North Korea Vows Merciless Punishment for Smugglers to Stop COVID-19 Radio Free Asia 14 Dec 2020 -- Authorities in North Korea have begun threatening harsh punishments for residents caught smuggling goods to and from China, as earlier warnings went unheeded by desperate citizens, sources in the border area told RFA.

Other Countries

• Singapore reports 7 new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- Singapore's Ministry of Health (MOH) reported seven new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 58,320.
• COVID-19 death toll in Africa near 56,000 as confirmed cases pass 2.36 mln: Africa CDC People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- The death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic in the African continent reached 55,989 as of Sunday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
• COVID-19 pandemic in Rwanda reaches "critical stage" with spike in new cases: health minister People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- Rwandan Minister of Health Daniel Ngamije on Sunday warned the COVID-19 pandemic has reached a "critical stage" in the country, with an ongoing spike in new cases and increase in deaths.
• Indonesia reports 6,189 new COVID-19 cases, 166 new deaths People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- The COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 6,189 within one day to 617,820, with the death toll adding by 166 to 18,819, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.
• Ukraine adds 12,811 COVID-19 cases People's Daily 14 Dec 2020 -- Ukraine on Saturday reported 12,811 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, bringing the national total to 885,039, said the country's National Security and Defense Council.
• UAE Announces 1,092 New COVID-19 Cases, 670 Recoveries, and 1 Death in Last 24 Hours SPA 14 Dec 2020 -- The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, announced that it conducted 98,562 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.