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Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• WHO: Learn from COVID Pandemic, It Won't be the Last VOA 26 Dec 2020 -- The pandemic caused by the coronavirus "will not be the last pandemic, and epidemics are a fact of life," World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a video message Sunday.

United States

• California becomes first U.S. state to surpass 2 million COVID-19 cases People's Daily 26 Dec 2020 -- California on Thursday became the first state in the United States to surpass 2 million COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, according to official figures.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 26 Dec 2020

China

• COVID-19 vaccine to be available when clinical trial data meets standards: government Global Times 26 Dec 2020 -- The Chinese authorities are reviewing related data and materials submitted by vaccine developers, and will grant market approval to a COVID-19 vaccine when phase III clinical trial results are unblinded and meet standards, the central government said Friday on its website in response to questions from Chinese netizens.
• Beijing to test some residents of Wangjing, Shunyi district enters wartime mode Global Times 26 Dec 2020 -- Two locally transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported in Beijing on Friday, and almost 3,000 employees working in an office tower in Wangjing, in the city's Chaoyang district have tested negative. Health authorities in the district plan to continue testing residents who live in communities in Wangjing on Saturday and Sunday.
• Beijing's Shunyi district goes into coronavirus wartime mode with community lockdowns and mass testing Global Times 26 Dec 2020 -- Following reports of two confirmed locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in Beijing on Friday, with patients involved residents in Shunyi ditrict of Beijing, Shunyi local health authorities say they will test 800,000 residents over the weekend.

Europe

• US CDC to require negative COVID-19 test from air travelers from UK Global Times 26 Dec 2020 -- A new order is expected to be signed on Friday to require air passengers arriving in the United States from the United Kingdom to test negative, no more than 72 hours before departure, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• China suspends all UK flights for indefinite period due to threat from 'British Virus' Press TV 26 Dec 2020 -- Joining other Asian countries including South Korea, India and the Philippines, China has suspended direct flights to and from the United Kingdom for an indefinite period of time, citing the emergence of a new coronavirus strain, popularly dubbed the "British Virus".
• UK records another 32,725 coronavirus cases, 570 deaths People's Daily 26 Dec 2020 -- Another 32,725 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 2,221,312, according to official figures released Friday.
• UK under new lockdown , EU set to kick-start mass vaccinations Press TV 26 Dec 2020 -- The United Kingdom has placed six million more people under harsh coronavirus restrictions, amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and the threat of a new more infectious variant of the deadly virus, which has been discovered in Britain and is spreading across the globe.
• First new COVID-19 variant case reported in Germany People's Daily 26 Dec 2020 -- Germany reported its first case of the new COVID-19 variant on Thursday in a woman who flew in from Britain, local health authorities said.
• France, Romania Receive First Doses of Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine VOA 26 Dec 2020 -- France on Saturday received its first batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, which were delivered to the Paris hospital pharmacy network.
• France Records First Infection of Coronavirus Variant from Britain SPA 26 Dec 2020 -- The French health ministry announced today, on Friday the detection of the first case of the coronavirus variant that has spread in Britain.
• Greece Receives First Doses of Coronavirus Vaccine SPA 26 Dec 2020 -- Greece received its first 9,700 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from Bulgaria on Friday, dpa quoted state television

Russia

• Russia Approves COVID-19 Vaccine For Use By The Elderly RFE/RL 26 Dec 2020 -- Russia's Health Ministry has approved the country's Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for use by people over the age of 60.
• Russia's total number of COVID-19 cases crosses 3 million mark SPA 26 Dec 2020 -- The total number of cases of coronavirus infections in Russia crossed the 3 million mark for the first time on Saturday after officials recorded 29,258 new cases in the preceding 24 hours and 567 deaths, Reuters reported.
• Russia Approves Sputnik V Vaccine Use for People Over 60 Sputnik 26 Dec 2020 -- Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Saturday that the use of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine had been approved for people aged 60 and older.

India

• India reports less than 30K Daily New Cases continuously for last 13 days India PIB 26 Dec 2020 -- The exponential rise in recoveries in tandem with lower daily new cases has resulted in consistent decline in the active cases and low mortality. Total recovered cases are nearing 97.5 lakh (97,40,108) today. India's cumulative recoveries are highest in the world.
• National Task Force Discusses testing, treatment and surveillance strategies for COVID-19 in view of the new virus strain from UK India PIB 26 Dec 2020 -- A meeting of the National Task Force (NTF) on COVID-19 was convened today by ICMR under co-chairpersonship of Prof. Vinod Paul, Member Niti Aayog and Prof. Balram Bhargava, Secretary, Deptt. of Health Research & Director General ICMR. The meeting was also attended by Prof. Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS; Director General Health Services (DGHS); Drug Controller General of India (DCGI); Director, National Center for Disease Control (NCDC); other representatives from Ministry of Health and ICMR as well as independent subject experts.
• Asia's largest slum in Mumbai reports zero COVID-19 case after 267 days People's Daily 26 Dec 2020 -- Asia's largest slum in India's financial capital Mumbai drew a blank score for fresh COVID-19 cases on Friday for the first time after 267 days, after it reported the first case on April 1 this year.
• India's COVID-19 tally rises to 10,146,845, S.Korea reports highest daily caseload of 1,241 infections People's Daily 26 Dec 2020 -- The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Asia-Pacific countries as India registered 23,067 new cases on Friday while South Korea reported its highest daily caseload.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 134 more people in Iran IRNA 26 Dec 2020 -- Some 134 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 54,574, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Saturday.
• COVID-19 loss on Iran's domestic economy estimated at nearly $26bn: Report Press TV 26 Dec 2020 -- A new analysis shows that the spread of the COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus pandemic, has cost Iran nearly $26 billion in losses suffered in the domestic section of the economy.

Japan

• Tokyo's COVID-19 cases hit 2nd highest daily record as virus runs rampant People's Daily 26 Dec 2020 -- The Tokyo metropolitan government reported 884 new COVID-19 infections on Friday, with the figure marking the second-highest on record for the capital amid a resurgence in cases.
• Tokyo Reports Record 888 Daily Coronavirus Cases SPA 26 Dec 2020 -- Tokyo reported a record 888 daily coronavirus cases Thursday, amid growing concern over the strain on the medical system as the country faces a resurgence of infections, Yonhap reported.

Saudi Arabia

• 163 New Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Detected, 189 Recoveries Reported, in Saudi Arabia SPA 26 Dec 2020 -- The Ministry of Health announced in a statement here today that 163 new confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 362,066, including 2,886 active cases undergoing treatment.

Taiwan

• Flight crews may need to take longer home quarantine, tests: CECC CNA 26 Dec 2020 -- Taiwan is expected to impose more stringent regulations for flight crews, which could include an extension of home quarantine from no more than five days currently to seven days, as well as having to provide a negative PCR test, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Saturday.
• Strict protocols in place for flight arriving from U.K. Sunday: CECC CNA 26 Dec 2020 -- Taiwan has strict COVID-19 protocols in place for the arrival on Sunday of a flight from the United Kingdom, which has recently faced a surge in cases caused by a new, highly-infectious variant of the coronavirus, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan reports three new imported COVID-19 cases CNA 26 Dec 2020 -- Taiwan reported three additional imported cases of COVID-19 infections on Saturday, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 783, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Other Countries

• Mideast countries tighten restrictive measures due to new COVID-19 strain People's Daily 26 Dec 2020 -- Many countries in the Middle East region have imposed new restrictive measures due to concerns over a new strain of coronavirus. Meanwhile, Turkey's total COVID-19 cases hit 2,118,255 on Friday.
• Turkish president announces measures to curb pandemic during New Year celebrations People's Daily 26 Dec 2020 -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday that Turkey has been taking all the necessary measures for the New Year celebrations to prevent large gatherings to curb the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Brazil Coronavirus Death Toll Hits 190,000 SPA 26 Dec 2020 -- Brazil registered 22,967 additional cases of the new coronavirus and 482 related deaths in the prior 24 hours, Reuters cited data from the country's Health Ministry as showing today, on Friday.