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COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Investigators in Tennessee Blast Looking at Link to Suburban Nashville Home VOA 27 Dec 2020 -- U.S. authorities are continuing to investigate the Christmas Day vehicle explosion in the southern city of Nashville, Tennessee, looking for clues in a home about 18 kilometers from the blast site.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• World must be ready for the next pandemic, UN says on first International Day of Epidemic Preparedness UN News 27 Dec 2020 -- The United Nations is commemorating the first International Day of Epidemic Preparedness on Sunday, underscoring the need to learn lessons from the coronavirus pandemic, and urging greater solidarity within and among countries, to deal with future health emergencies.
• WHO Urges Nations to Prepare for Future Pandemics VOA 27 Dec 2020 -- The World Health Organization is urging nations to prepare for inevitable future pandemics, as it marks the first International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
• Global COVID-19 cases surpass 80 mln: Johns Hopkins University People's Daily 27 Dec 2020 -- Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 80 million on Saturday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
• Worldwide Coronavirus Cases Exceed 79.9 Million, Death Toll 1,752,878 SPA 27 Dec 2020 -- More than 79.9 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 1,752,878 have died, according to a Reuters tally.

United States

• Fauci: US Facing 'Critical Time' in Fight Against Coronavirus VOA 27 Dec 2020 -- Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, said Sunday that the country is "really at a critical time" in confronting the coronavirus pandemic, as the number of new cases is soaring even as the first 1.9 million Americans have been vaccinated.
• US health officials brace for another surge in COVID-19 cases after holidays Press TV 27 Dec 2020 -- US health officials are bracing for yet another surge in COVID-19 cases across the country after the Christmas holidays similar to those happened following other national holidays in recent months.
• State Officials Announce Latest COVID-19 Facts California Department of Public Health 27 Dec 2020

China

• With mature anti-epidemic system, nightmare of 2020 Spring Festival 'will not return' Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- Beijing on Sunday beefed up citywide measures against COVID-19 over concerns that the country's mass travel during the upcoming New Year holidays may trigger a new wave of infections, after the municipality reported 13 cases in three districts during the past two weeks of unknown source.
• Vigilance urged against virus mutation, sporadic outbreaks as world yet to end pandemic Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- With more countries reporting coronavirus cases related to the new variant over the weekend and the world again escalating control measures, people are asking at the end of 2020: Will the world be mired again in a pandemic nightmare like the beginning of the year? Some senior Chinese public health experts say this prediction is unlikely because people are more prepared, while cautioning that vigilance amid a surge in sporadic outbreaks should not be relaxed.
• Experts warn of possible multiple sources of Beijing's new COVID-19 outbreak Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- China's capital city, Beijing, home to more than 20 million residents, has reported 13 local COVID-19 infections in three districts over the past two weeks. With tracing yet to determine the source of virus and transmission chain, experts are warning the public to remain alert as there may be multiple sources behind the resurgence.
• Chinese Cities roll out vaccination projects amid sporadic cases Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- Cities around China are gradually rolling out vaccination projects for key personnel amid sporadic outbreaks in the country. Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, will provide free COVID-19 vaccinations for high-risk groups and people going abroad starting from Monday.
• China's first COVID-19 department established to normalize future coronavirus' treatment Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center has set up China's first COVID-19 department with closed-loop management in a bid to normalize the management and treatment of infectious diseases and ensure the novel coronavirus outbreak is put under control quickly as new variants emerge.
• Beijing districts, companies to enter into a state of emergency: official Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- Senior Beijing officials have ordered all of the municipality's districts, departments and companies to enter into a state of emergency to deal with the sporadic COVID-19 cases with a more resolute attitude and more stringent measures as the city has so far reported 13 cases in three districts, the source of which is still unknown.
• Large gatherings during New Year holiday to be cancelled in Beijing Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- Beijing is expected to embrace a New Year holiday with reduced numbers of large-scale public activities and outbound travel, as the Chinese capital city faces a resurgence of sporadic cases.
• Beijing reports 13 COVID-19 cases in 3 districts in latest wave, source remains unknown Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- Beijing reported five more COVID-19 cases and one asymptomatic case on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections since December 14 in the Chinese capital to 13. The source of the infections remains unknown, but some experts believe it may have been imported from overseas.
• Recent sporadic COVID-19 cases won't derail China's economic recovery: experts Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- Recent sporadic COVID-19 cases in several cities including Beijing may affect local consumption, especially with regard to holiday gatherings, experts said on Sunday, while noting that the economic recovery at large would remain intact.
• Construction starts on new plant for viral vector COVID-19 in Beijing Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- A groundbreaking ceremony for a COVID-19 vaccine production base was held on Sunday at Daxing Biomedical Industrial Base in southwestern Beijing. The vaccine will be based on the non-replicating viral vector using chimpanzee adenovirus, the first of its kind in China, media reported.
• Xinjiang has no active COVID-19 cases People's Daily 27 Dec 2020 -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region now has no active confirmed COVID-19 cases or asymptomatic infections, after two asymptomatic cases were discharged from medical observation on Saturday.
• China's Liaoning reports 7 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases People's Daily 27 Dec 2020 -- Northeast China's Liaoning Province on Saturday reported seven confirmed COVID-19 cases and three asymptomatic cases, all locally transmitted, the provincial health commission said Sunday.
• Hong Kong reports 59 new COVID-19 cases, exceeding 8,500 in total People's Daily 27 Dec 2020 -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported 59 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, taking its total tally to 8,540.
• Beijing reports five locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 27 Dec 2020 -- Beijing reported five new locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases and an asymptomatic case on Saturday, local health authorities said Sunday.
• Chinese mainland reports 12 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 27 Dec 2020 -- The Chinese mainland on Saturday reported 22 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 12 locally transmitted cases and 10 arriving from outside the mainland, the National Health Commission said Sunday.
• 16 COVID-19 patients newly discharged from hospitals on Chinese mainland People's Daily 27 Dec 2020 -- Sixteen COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery on the Chinese mainland Saturday, the National Health Commission said in a daily report Sunday.
• Temporary hospital to enhance Hong Kong's ability to cope with COVID-19: HKSAR chief executive People's Daily 27 Dec 2020 -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam on Saturday said that the temporary hospital under construction with the support of the central government will greatly enhance Hong Kong's ability to cope with the COVID-19 epidemic.
• Beijing tightens epidemic prevention measures People's Daily 27 Dec 2020 -- Beijing has tightened epidemic prevention and control measures after new reports of local infections of COVID-19.
• Beijing tightens coronavirus restrictions as new cases detected Press TV 27 Dec 2020 -- China has tightened restrictions imposed to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, urging residents not to leave cities and villages during the holiday period.

Europe

• France reports 146 COVID-19 deaths in past 24 hours Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- France reported 146 deaths caused by COVID-19 infection in the past 24 hours, according to data released on Saturday by the health authorities.
• EU Nations Start Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign Sputnik 27 Dec 2020 -- The European Union's member states on Sunday kicked off the bloc-wide immunisation against the coronavirus disease with the vaccine developed by the Pfizer and BioNTech pharmaceutical companies.
• EU Countries Begin Vaccinations Against Coronavirus VOA 27 Dec 2020 -- Several European Union countries began vaccinating against COVID-19 Sunday.
• Nurse, 29, First to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine in Italy VOA 27 Dec 2020 -- Italians began to receive COVID-19 vaccines Sunday after the first batch of nearly 10,000 doses arrived. Italians hope that the massive vaccination campaign will soon bring an end to lockdowns and return them to their normal lives.

Russia

• Kremlin Spokesman: Putin Decided to Take COVID-19 Vaccine Sputnik 27 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has decided to take a vaccine against the coronavirus, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Sunday.
• Kremlin Says Putin To Get Coronavirus Vaccine Soon RFE/RL 27 Dec 2020 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to receive his country's Sputnik-V coronavirus vaccine in the near future.
• Russia Reports 28,284 New Coronavirus Cases SPA 27 Dec 2020 -- Russia reported 28,284 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 3,050,248 after it crossed the 3 million mark on the previous day, Reuters reported.

India

• Landmark peak in India's Covid19 trajectory- Daily new cases drop to 18,732 after 6 months India PIB 27 Dec 2020 -- India has scaled a significant peak in the fight against the global pandemic.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 119 more people in Iran IRNA 27 Dec 2020 -- Some 119 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 54,693, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Sunday.
• Iran to buy COVID-19 vaccines in current month: Minister IRNA 27 Dec 2020 -- Iran has planned to buy COVID-19 vaccines in the current Iranian month in parallel with manufacturing domestic vaccines, Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said.
• Iran's President Claims Washington Demanding That Coronavirus Vaccine Transaction Run Through U.S. Bank RFE/RL 27 Dec 2020 -- Following an announcement that Tehran had won approval from the United States to use foreign-currency reserves to buy coronavirus vaccines, Iran's president has claimed that Washington is now demanding that such a transaction go through a U.S. bank.
• Iran registers lowest daily coronavirus death toll in past months: Health minister Press TV 27 Dec 2020 -- Iran's health minister says the country has registered its lowest COVID-19 death toll in the past few months as a result of strict adherence to preventive protocols, and is producing its own coronavirus vaccines, the second instance of which will enter human test phase next week.

South Korea

• S. Korea to Shorten Approval Process of COVID-19 Vaccines, Treatments SPA 27 Dec 2020 -- South Korea's medicine regulator said Sunday it will shorten an approval process of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, as the nation signed deals to import coronavirus vaccines amid the winter wave of the pandemic, Yonhap News Agency reported.
• S. Korea Adds over 1,100 Virus Cases Despite Tougher Distancing Rules SPA 27 Dec 2020 -- South Korea reported more than 1,100 daily new coronavirus cases today, on Saturday, despite all-out efforts to lower the curve of infections with the toughest distancing rules yet in place, Yonhap reported.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry Spokesman: 700,000 Have Applied for Corona Vaccine SPA 27 Dec 2020 -- Official Spokesman of the Ministry of Health Dr. Muhammad Al-Abdulaali said in a press conference here today that the number of people who applied for Corona vaccine has reached 700,000, pointing out that the increase in number of applicants reflects the society's awareness.

Taiwan

• CAL flight from London arrives, passengers tested, quarantined CNA 27 Dec 2020 -- A China Airlines (CAL) flight from London arrived in Taiwan Sunday evening, with all 114 passengers given a COVID-19 test shortly after they arrived.
• Taiwan reports two new imported COVID-19 cases from Indonesia CNA 27 Dec 2020 -- Taiwan reported two new imported cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, both of which are Indonesian nationals employed to work as fishermen, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan suspends mail services to U.K. due to COVID-19 CNA 27 Dec 2020 -- Postal services to the United Kingdom will be temporarily suspended starting Monday due to the cancellation of flights by airlines as the spread of COVID-19 accelerated in that country, Taiwan's Chunghwa Post announced on Sunday.

Other Countries

• Canada's most populous province of Ontario to enter lockdown from Saturday Global Times 27 Dec 2020 -- Ontario, Canada's most populous province, announced Monday it will go into lockdown on Dec. 26 to curb the fast spread of COVID-19.
• Iraq lifts hurried ban on passenger travel from Iran Press TV 27 Dec 2020 -- The Iraqi government has allowed travel of passengers from neighboring Iran just two days after it announced borders would close for two weeks over fears about the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus.
• Israeli minister orders prisons not to vaccinate Palestinian inmates against COVID-19 Press TV 27 Dec 2020 -- An Israeli minister has ordered prison officials not to vaccinate Palestinian prisoners against COVID-19, saying certain prisoners should not be given vaccines without permission.
• UAE Announces 944 New COVID-19 Cases, 1,265 Recoveries, and 2 Deaths in Last 24 hours SPA 27 Dec 2020 -- The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, MoHAP, announced that it conducted 152,146 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment.