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COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Biden Instructs Intelligence Agencies to Study Reports of 'Russian Hackers', US Soldier Bounties Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden took place on January 20 and marks the start of the four-year term of Biden as the 46th president of the United States and Kamala Harris as vice president. Since being inaugurated, Biden has already signed a series of executive orders to undo US President Donald Trump's legacy.
• S. Korea Culls 19.9 mln Poultry, Raises Guard against Bird Flu SPA 21 Jan 2021 -- South Korea's agricultural authority said today it has completed culling 19.9 million poultry since late November as the country continues to raise its guard against highly pathogenic bird flu, Yonhap reported.
• Ansarulllah designation as terrorist org. indicates US opposition to peace in Yemen: Officials Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- A number of high-ranking officials in Yemen's National Salvation Government have censured the administration of former US President Donald Trump over designating the Houthi Ansarullah movement as a foreign terrorist organization, saying the move clearly shows that Washington is not after establishment of peace and stability in the war-torn country.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Guterres urges world to 'work together in solidarity' as US moves to rejoin WHO UN News 21 Jan 2021 -- The United Nations Secretary-General on Wednesday welcomed the announcement by President Joe Biden that the United States will re-engage with the World Health Organization (WHO) and play a full role in advancing global health and health security.

United States

• Fauci announces US intention to resume major role in global health UN News 21 Jan 2021 -- The United States' top medical official said on Thursday that the US will now join the World Health Organization's global initiative to help poorer nations overcome COVID-19, in addition to a raft of new measures in support of access to universal healthcare, such as abortion services.
• Biden Signs New Orders to Fight Coronavirus VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Total deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in the United States "will likely top 500,000 next month," President Joe Biden warned Thursday, as he explained his government's plan to curb the toll the disease has been taking on Americans.
• US Pledges to Join WHO COVID Global Vaccination Initiative VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- The leading infectious disease expert in the United States says the country will participate in the global initiative to provide COVID-19 vaccines to poor countries.
• Pentagon Won't Force US Troops to Take COVID-19 Vaccine VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- The U.S. military has so far kept its coronavirus numbers relatively low, thanks in part to strict discipline and the ability to easily enforce social distancing rules. However, as the Pentagon rolls out COVID-19 vaccines at its bases around the world, it is dealing with the challenge of how to convince service members to voluntarily take the vaccine.
• DOD Responds to COVID-19 in Navajo Nation DoD News 21 Jan 2021 -- At the request of the Department of Health and Human Services, approximately 12 Navy personnel deployed to the Navajo Nation reservation in New Mexico and Arizona to provide support to the Northern Navajo Medical Center in Shiprock, New Mexico. The medical personnel have been working side-by-side with civilian and U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps health care providers to help treat COVID-19 patients.
• Experts slam U.S. handling of COVID-19 as Trump leaves office and death toll tops 400,000 People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- The COVID-19 death toll in the United Stated surpassed 400,000 on the day former President Donald Trump left office, U.S. media reported on Wednesday.
• Biden reverses U.S. withdrawal from WHO People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday reversed the U.S. process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO).
• US COVID deaths exceed WWII fatalities as Biden warns worst yet to come Press TV 21 Jan 2021 -- The number of US COVID-19 deaths surpassed the country's toll of military fatalities in World War II on Wednesday as new US president Joe Biden took office.
• 'Full Scale Wartime Effort': Biden Signs Executive Orders for New COVID-19 Response Program Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- Earlier on Thursday, the new director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, said the outgoing Trump administration's claim that the COVID-19 vaccine would be in every pharmacy by the end of February was wrong.

China

• Experts urge stronger measures to curb spread of new COVID-19 variant Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Beijing has become the fourth city in China to report confirmed COVID-19 cases that appear to be the same as the variant initially found in the UK. Experts have called for stronger prevention and control measures to curb the spread of the more transmissible variant in the country.
• Holidays challenge villages' epidemic controls Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Chinese health authorities released on Wednesday an extra strict guideline especially for people returning to their hometowns in rural areas during the upcoming Spring Festival holidays, stipulating tough measures including a 14-day health monitoring period at home after arrivals. Many wonder, however, if such moves will fix existing local loopholes.
• Chinese vaccines show preliminary effect on most coronavirus variants: experts Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Chinese health authorities released on Wednesday an extra strict guideline especially for people returning to their hometowns in rural areas during the upcoming Spring Festival holidays, stipulating tough measures including a 14-day health monitoring period at home after arrivals. Many wonder, however, if such moves will fix existing local loopholes.
• Virus prevention work complicated, severe in Beijing after 2 isolated outbreaks: spokesperson Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Two new local COVID-19 cases and one asymptomatic case were found in Beijing on Wednesday, the local government announced on Thursday, noting the new outbreak in the capital city's southern district Daxing is not related to previous outbreaks in the northeastern Shunyi district.
• Shanghai reports 3 local COVID-19 confirmed cases since Nov, screens 14,411 contacts Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Shanghai found three local confirmed COVID-19 cases in its downtown Huangpu and Xuhui districts on Thursday, two months since the last local case was reported in the city, the municipal health authorities said Thursday.
• Shandong reports one new local coronavirus case, another asymptomatic Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Pingdu city in East China's Shandong Province reported one new confirmed local COVID-19 case and one an asymptomatic virus carrier on Wednesday, making the total number of local infected cases to 778, with 770 patients already discharged from hospitals.
• China sets rules on test capacity, requires cities to cover 5m residents in two days Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- China's health authorities will set up mobile nucleic acid testing teams, after the State Council issued rules stipulating that cities with a resident population of less than 5 million must be able to complete nucleic acid testing of all residents within two days.
• Two Shanghai hospitals suspend outpatient services after suspected COVID-19 cases reported Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- Two top-tiered hospitals in Shanghai — Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and Renji Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine — have suspended outpatient services in their downtown branches on Thursday for COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control reasons after two suspected COVID-19 cases were reported on Wednesday and Thursday at the two hospitals.
• China's CoronaVac vaccine recognized by multiple countries People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- Brazil's Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) announced on Jan. 17 that it has approved the emergency use of the CoronaVac vaccine, from the Chinese biotech firm Sinovac. The first batch of Brazilian vaccines were vaccinated on the same day.
• Chinese mainland reports 144 new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- The Chinese mainland on Wednesday recorded 144 new COVID-19 cases – 126 local transmissions and 18 from overseas, the National Health Commission said on Thursday.
• Over 15 mln doses of COVID-19 vaccine administered in China People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- More than 15 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in China since the country launched its vaccination program in December last year, China's health authorities said Wednesday.
• Three Chinese cities resume mass testing to halt COVID-19 People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- The Chinese cities of Shijiazhuang and Tonghua, as well as Daxing District of the national capital Beijing, started a new round of mass nucleic acid testing on Wednesday in an effort to contain the latest COVID-19 resurgence.
• Construction of central gov't-funded temporary hospital for COVID-19 patients completed in Hong Kong People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- The construction of a temporary hospital funded by the central government for treating COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) was completed Wednesday.
• Govts race to vaccinate with Chinese jabs People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- Mass inoculation programs using Chinese vaccines against COVID-19 are rolling out across continents while more countries plan options, reaffirming China's global public good promise.

Europe

• UK records highest daily coronavirus death toll People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- Another 1,820 people in Britain have died within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, the highest number of deaths reported on a single day since the outbreak began in the country, according to official figures released Wednesday.
• Portugal Shuts Schools as COVID-19 Fatalities Soar SPA 21 Jan 2021 -- Portugal's schools and universities will close doors for at least 15 days, Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Thursday as authorities scrambled to tackle the country's worst outbreak since the pandemic started, according to Reuters.
• Hungary Becomes First EU Country to Authorise Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- Bloomberg earlier reported that the Hungarian drug regulator had issued a recommendation to authorise the use of the Sputnik V vaccine in the country.

India

• Fire Rips Through COVID-19 Vaccine Plant in India VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Fire erupted Thursday in a building under construction in India that is owned by the world's largest vaccine maker, but the company said it would not affect production of a COVID-19 vaccine.
• India's Active Caseload further contracts to 1.92 Lakhs India PIB 21 Jan 2021 -- India's active cases today stand at 1,92,308. The share of Active Cases in the total Positive Cases has further shrunk to 1.81%.
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccination India PIB 21 Jan 2021 -- The countrywide COVID-19 vaccination program was conducted successfully on the sixth day as well.

Pakistan

• China to Gift Pakistan 500K COVID-19 Vaccine Doses VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Pakistan said Thursday it will receive half-a-million free doses of China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine by January 31.

Iran

• Health official recommends home-grown COVID-19 vaccine "satisfactory quality" IRNA 21 Jan 2021 -- The home-made COVID-19 vaccines enjoy "satisfactory quality", deputy Minister of Health and Medical Education said on Thursday.
• Some 93 deaths caused by COVID-19 in Iran IRNA 21 Jan 2021 -- Some 93 deaths were caused by COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education Sima Sadat Lari said on Thursday.

Japan

• Japan's main opposition party chief condemns government's slack virus response People's Daily 21 Jan 2021 -- Japan's main opposition party leader took aim at the administration of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Wednesday for its purported delayed action in responding to the novel coronavirus pandemic currently sweeping the nation.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry Calls for Adherence to Precautionary Measures, Reports 212 New COVID19-Confirmed Cases SPA 21 Jan 2021 -- The Ministry of Health said in statement today that 212 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; thus bringing the total number to 365,775 confirmed cases, including 2,096 active cases, receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 326 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable.

Taiwan

• Health Ministry Calls for Adherence to Precautionary Measures, Reports 212 New COVID19-Confirmed Cases SPA 21 Jan 2021 -- The Ministry of Health said in statement today that 212 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; thus bringing the total number to 365,775 confirmed cases, including 2,096 active cases, receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 326 critical cases, while the health condition of the rest is stable.
• Taiwan reports two new imported COVID-19 cases CNA 21 Jan 2021 -- Taiwan on Thursday reported two new imported cases of COVID-19, both from the Philippines, but did not record any domestic transmissions for the first time in five days.
• Taiwan records another new imported COVID-19 case CNA 21 Jan 2021 -- Taiwan on Thursday reported another imported case of COVID-19, involving a Danish national who arrived in the country for business purposes on Dec. 30, 2020, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to three that day.
• Taoyuan hospital completes mass evacuation of patients CNA 21 Jan 2021 -- Taoyuan General Hospital in northern Taiwan has completed a mass evacuation of patients, including those confirmed to have COVID-19 in a cluster infection, so hospital buildings can be disinfected, Mayor Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) said Thursday.

Albania

• Albania Expels Russian Diplomat For 'Repeated' Violations Of Coronavirus Restrictions RFE/RL 21 Jan 2021 -- Albania says it is expelling a Russian diplomat for allegedly violating lockdown rules aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus in the Adriatic country.
• Russian Diplomat Declared Persona Non Grata in Albania Over Violation of Anti-Coronavirus Measures Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- It is stated that the ministry contacted the Russian Ambassador to Tirana, Mikhail Afanasyev, expressing concern about the continuing violations of measures to combat COVID-19 by the diplomat of the Russian embassy.

UAE

• UAE Announces 3,529 New COVID-19 Cases, 3,901 Recoveries, 4 Deaths in Last 24 Hours SPA 21 Jan 2021 -- The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it conducted 163,285 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment.
• UAE Authorises Emergency Use of Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine Against COVID-19 Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- The United Arab Emirates authorized emergency use of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) confirmed on Thursday, noting that Phase III clinical trials were still ongoing in the UAE.

Other Countries

• COVID 'vaccine hoarding' putting Africa at risk: WHO UN News 21 Jan 2021 -- Africa is in danger of being left behind in the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines as countries in other regions strike bilateral deals, thus driving up prices, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday.
• Recipients testing positive in Israel sparks concern over Pfizer vaccine efficacy Global Times 21 Jan 2021 -- More than 12,400 in Israel were reportedly infected after accepting Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine, which led to doubts over the vaccine's efficacy, despite the reported 95 percent efficacy in Phase III clinical trials.
• Brazil registers 1,316 new coronavirus deaths on Thursday SPA 21 Jan 2021 -- Brazil on Thursday registered 1,316 new deaths due to coronavirus, the health ministry said, the third day in a row with more than 1,000 deaths. Deaths now total 214,147.
• Cuba To Produce 100 Million COVID-19 Vaccines for Citizens and Other Developing Nations Sputnik 21 Jan 2021 -- Countries including India, Pakistan, Iran, Vietnam and neighbouring Venezuela are already interested in importing the Cuban-developed Soberana-2 vaccine against COVID-19, the Finlay Institute said, although the jab is still undergoing clinical trials.
• Zimbabwe Foreign Minister Dies of COVID-19 VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Zimbabwe is mourning the death of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Sibusiso Moyo.
• Chile Approves Emergency Use of Second Coronavirus Vaccine VOA 21 Jan 2021 -- Chile is getting a new weapon to help in its fight against the spread of the coronavirus.