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COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• U.S. Senators Urge Response To Cyberattack Blamed On Russian Hackers RFE/RL 20 Dec 2020 -- Two U.S. senators say the United States must respond to a widespread cyberattack that U.S. officials say was carried out by Russian hackers who managed to break into the computer networks of multiple U.S. government agencies.
• Biden Team Reportedly Considers Sanctions, Cyberattacks to 'Punish' Russia Over 'Hack Attack' on US Sputnik 20 Dec 2020 -- While Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Russia of being behind a recent major hacking attack on the US, President Donald Trump was not that sure, instead suspecting China's involvement in the intrusion.
• Trump discounts impact of huge hack, alleged Russia role, blames China Press TV 20 Dec 2020 -- Outgoing US President Donald Trump has downplayed the seriousness and impact of a massive cyber attack on the government's military, intelligence and financial institutions as well as the alleged Russian role in it, instead pointing to China as the possible source.
• Experts: US govt. caught blindsided in sophisticated cyber hack, 200 agencies hit Press TV 20 Dec 2020 -- After one of the most successful cyber intrusion operations in US history, questions remain abound over how the federal government have been so utterly blindsided by an attack many experts describe as a grave threat that should have been anticipated.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Global COVID Cases Pass 76 Million VOA 20 Dec 2020 -- Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center said early Sunday there are 76.3 million global COVID-19 cases.
• Worldwide Coronavirus Cases Cross 75.15 Million, Death Toll at 1,680,874 SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- More than 75.15 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,680,874 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

United States

• The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' Interim Recommendation for Use of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine — United States, December 2020 Center for Disease Control 20 Dec 2020 -- On December 18, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Moderna COVID-19 (mRNA-1273) vaccine (ModernaTX, Inc; Cambridge, Massachusetts), a lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated, nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine encoding the stabilized prefusion spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (1).
• Moderna Begins COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution in US VOA 20 Dec 2020 -- Moderna, Inc. and its partners have started distributing their COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, the second approved for emergency use in the country.
• U.S. reports all-time high daily COVID-19 case count of over 400,000 People's Daily 20 Dec 2020 -- The United States has reported over 400,000 new COVID-19 cases in a single day on Friday, setting a gloomy new world record as the country is preparing distribution of second COVID-19 vaccine to states.
• Most populous county in U.S. sees COVID-19 cases top 600,000 People's Daily 20 Dec 2020 -- Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the United States, on Friday hit a grim milestone of 600,000 confirmed cases in total.
• NYC COVID-19 test positivity rate up to 6.22 pct: mayor People's Daily 20 Dec 2020 -- New York City's COVID-19 test positivity rate on a seven-day average went up to 6.22 percent, compared with 6.16 percent one day earlier, Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted on Saturday.
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Calls on the Federal Government to Take Action in Wake of Highly Contagious Variant of Covid-19 Virus Circulating in the United Kingdom New York State 20 Dec 2020
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 20 Dec 2020

China

• Sinovac Beijing vaccine production facility works overtime to supply global inoculation Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- The Global Times reporters on Sunday visited the COVID-19 vaccine Beijing manufacturing plant of leading Chinese vaccine producer Sinovac to see how vaccines go through a complex packaging process - from vaccine bulk grouting to packaging - before they are shipped to vaccination sites around the world.
• Top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan warns of environment-to-human COVID-19 transmission Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- China's top respiratory diseases expert Zhong Nanshan said environment-to-human transmission has become a new pattern in the spread of COVID-19, and called on scientists to look for answers to this growing problem.
• Sinovac secures annual output of 300 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by end of year Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- China's leading vaccine maker Sinovac is working around the clock to prepare for mass production, with the first production line to secure 300 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine annually, the Global Times learned after an exclusive visit to the company's plant in Beijing.
• Beijing advises returnees to take direct flights, follow 21-day medical observation on entering China Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- Beijing authorities at a press conference on Sunday vowed to take a series of updated measures to curb imported COVID-19 cases, including advising returnees to take direct flights, requesting them to strictly follow 14+7 days of medical observation upon entering China, and strengthening management of a local medium-risk community where a recent confirmed case stayed.
• NE. China's Shenyang on alert after frozen Johnius carouna from India tests positive for COVID-19 Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- The outer packages of two pieces of frozen Johnius carouna products imported from India to Shenyang in Northeast China's Liaoning Province have tested positive for coronavirus on Saturday.
• China tightens COVID-19 test requirements for passengers from US after imported cases spike Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- China has tightened requirements for passengers flying in from the US amid a spike in imported COVID-19 cases among those traveling from the US.
• Medical institutions in NE. China's Dalian enter 'wartime mode' after COVID-19 flare-up Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- The port city of Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, ordered all of its local medical institutions to enter wartime mode on Sunday, after the city reported a new confirmed COVID-19 case on Saturday, bringing the total to two confirmed cases and six silent carriers.
• E. China's Tongxiang on alert after imported beef neck bone from Argentina tests COVID-19 positive Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- Tongxiang, East China's Zhejiang Province, has tested 72 samples from personnel, packages, and environment after a batch of contaminated beef imported from Argentina was sold to the city. All tests returned negative results.
• China tightens test requirements for passengers from US after imported cases spike Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- China has tightened requirements for passengers flying in from the US after seeing a sharp increase of imported COVID-19 cases from the US.
• China to inoculate key groups with COVID-19 vaccines People's Daily 20 Dec 2020 -- China will start inoculating some key groups with COVID-19 vaccines in this winter-spring period, said a National Health Commission (NHC) official in Beijing on Saturday.

Europe

• Several Nations Ban Flights from Britain Over Mutant Coronavirus Strain VOA 20 Dec 2020 -- Several countries in Europe and the Middle East are banning air travel from Britain because of rising concerns over a mutant strain of the coronavirus that has been spreading rapidly in England this month.
• European countries suspend flights to UK over new coronavirus strain Press TV 20 Dec 2020 -- More and more European countries are suspending flights to the UK as a new strain of coronavirus takes hold in London and southeast England.
• Netherlands Bans Flights From UK After New Mutant Coronavirus Strain Identified Sputnik 20 Dec 2020 -- The Netherlands is banning flights from the United Kingdom starting Sunday because of a new strain of the COVID-19 coronavirus that threatens to spread far more rapidly than other variants, the Dutch government announced in a statement.
• UK PM announces new stricter restrictions to combat coronavirus surge People's Daily 20 Dec 2020 -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced new stricter coronavirus restrictions for London and parts of England to combat an alarming surge in infections linked to a new virulent strain.
• Bulgaria closes its borders for travellers from UK over virus fears SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- Bulgaria will close its air, sea and land borders to travellers coming from the United Kingdom from midnight until Jan. 31 to prevent importing a new strain of the coronavirus, the health ministry said on Sunday, Reuters reported.
• UK Reports 35928 New COVID-19 Infections, 326 Fatalities SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- Some 35928 COVID-19 cases were recorded in the UK on Sunday, pushing the caseload to more than 2 million, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
• Italy imposes partial lockdown for Christmas, New Year holiday Global Times 20 Dec 2020 -- Italians will have to spend much of the Christmas and New Year holiday in a nationwide "red zone" in a bid to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced in a nationally televised press conference on Friday evening.

Russia

• Russia Reports 28,948 New Coronavirus Cases, 511 Deaths SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- Russia reported 28,948 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, including 7,263 in Moscow, taking the national toll to 2,848,377, Reuters reported.

India

• On a steady downhill, India's Active Caseload further drops to 3.05 Lakh India PIB 20 Dec 2020 -- India's trajectory of active cases continues to follow a steadily dipping path. The total Active Caseload has dropped to 3.05 lakh (3,05,344) today.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 177 more people in Iran IRNA 20 Dec 2020 -- Some 177 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 53,625, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Sunday.
• Supreme Leader: Nurses among most respected strata in society IRNA 20 Dec 2020 -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei celebrated the birthday of Hazrat Zeinab, daughter of Imam Ali (AS), the first Imam of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) Infallible Household which coincides with Nurses National Day in Iran.
• People see importance, value of nurses during COVID-19 pandemic: Ayatollah Khamenei ISNA 20 Dec 2020 -- On the occasion of the auspicious birth of Lady Zeinab al-Kubra (pbuh) and National Nurses Day, the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei spoke to the people via a live TV broadcast on Sunday.
• Leader commends nurses for heroic sacrifices in COVID times Press TV 20 Dec 2020 -- Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has expressed his gratitude towards the country's nursing staff for their enormous sacrifices during the coronavirus pandemic.
• Iran orders fresh 50% wage hike for nurses amid pandemic Press TV 20 Dec 2020 -- The Iranian government has announced that nurses in hospitals and care homes across the country would see their wages increase by another 50 percent with immediate effect amid various support schemes introduced by authorities to help the healthcare system cope with surging number of coronavirus patients.

South Korea

• S. Korea's Daily Virus Cases Above 1,000 for 4th Day, Concerns Rise over Hospital Capacity SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- South Korea's daily new coronavirus cases topped the 1,000 mark for the fourth consecutive day today, on Saturday on continued cluster infections nationwide, deepening concerns over hospital bed shortages for seriously ill patients, Yonhap reported.

Japan

• Tokyo Reports 2nd Highest Daily Increase of 736 New Coronavirus Cases SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- Tokyo reported today, on Saturday 736 daily cases of novel coronavirus, the second-highest daily increase, bringing the monthly tally, already above the record cases logged last month, to 9,951, Kyodo reported.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 162 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that 162 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 361,010 cases, including 3,010 active cases receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 416 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable.

Taiwan

• Two colleagues of Taiwanese pilot among three new COVID-19 cases CNA 20 Dec 2020 -- Two colleagues of a Taiwanese pilot who tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday and an Indonesian man were the three new COVID-19 cases reported in Taiwan on Sunday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Other Countries

• Israel's Netanyahu gets vaccinated for COVID-19 People's Daily 20 Dec 2020 -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu got vaccinated for the COVID-19 virus on a live television broadcast Saturday evening.
• UAE Announces 1,171 New COVID-19 Cases, 866 Recoveries, and 3 Deaths in Last 24 Hours SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, announced that it conducted 128,562 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment.
• Australia Isolates Sydney over Covid-19 Outbreak SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- Sydney is being isolated by the rest of Australia as a Covid-19 outbreak on the city's northern beaches spreads across the metropolis, according to dpa.
• Brazil Registers 50,177 New Coronavirus Cases on Saturday SPA 20 Dec 2020 -- Brazil today, on Saturday registered 50,177 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the new total to 7,213,155, according to Reuters.
• With COVID-19 Tamped Down, Christmas Looks Up in Atlantic Canada VOA 20 Dec 2020 -- A brief surge of coronavirus infections in Atlantic Canada – one of the least-affected places on Earth – has been tamped down just in time for residents to enjoy something resembling a normal Christmas. But most say they will continue to observe the social distancing and other measures that have helped to keep the pandemic at bay.