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COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• US Man Charged With Attempting to Provide Support to IS VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- A U.S. citizen has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State (IS) terror group, the U.S. Department of Justice said Monday.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Weekly Operationl Update WHO 01 Feb 2021
• Consecutive drop in new COVID-19 cases 'encouraging news': WHO UN News 01 Feb 2021 -- The number of new COVID-19 cases globally has fallen for the third week in a row, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Monday, though urging countries not to let up efforts to defeat the disease.
• WHO Chief: Global Coronavirus Cases Drop for Third Straight Week VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) noted Monday that globally, the number of new coronavirus cases fell for the third consecutive week.

United States

• DHS Statement on Equal Access to COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccine Distribution Sites DHS 01 Feb 2021 -- DHS and its Federal government partners fully support equal access to the COVID-19 vaccines and vaccine distribution sites for undocumented immigrants. It is a moral and public health imperative to ensure that all individuals residing in the United States have access to the vaccine. DHS encourages all individuals, regardless of immigration status, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine once eligible under local distribution guidelines.
• DOD Announces $1.1 Million Defense Production Act Title III Agreement With American Apparel, Inc. to Strengthen the Domestic Clothing and Textile Industrial Base DoD 01 Feb 2021 -- As part of the national response to COVID-19, the Department of Defense entered into a $1.1 million agreement with American Apparel, Inc. to sustain critical industrial base production of U.S. military uniforms.
• DOD Awards $231.8 Million Contract to Ellume USA LLC to Increase Domestic Production Capacity and Deliver COVID-19 Home Tests DoD 01 Feb 2021 -- On Feb. 1, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded $231.8 million to Ellume USA LLC to onshore production capacity of the Ellume COVID-19 Home Test for the United States.
• Trump used to coax medical staff to minimize gravity of COVID-19 situation, says Fauci People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- U.S. top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said recently that former U.S. President Donald Trump used to coax him to downplay the gravity of the COVID-19 situation in the United States.
• U.S. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations drop while deaths still increase People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- Amid a slow and uneven rollout of vaccines and increasing concern about new coronavirus variants, key COVID-19 indicators show ease of the pandemic across the country, according to a weekly report of The COVID-19 Tracking Project.
• Black New Yorkers receiving COVID vaccines far lower than whites, mayor acknowledges Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- The mayor of New York City has acknowledged that Black and Latino residents are receiving COVID-19 vaccines at far lower rates than other groups, highlighting widespread racial disparity and discrimination in particular against African Americans in the United States.

China

• WHO Visits Center In Charge of Early COVID Outbreak VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- A team of World Health Organization scientists investigating the source of the coronavirus, that first emerged in China's Hubei province in late 2019, visited a provincial disease control center Monday that was key in the early management of the COVID outbreak.
• WHO Team Unlikely to Meet With Critics of China's Handling of Pandemic: Rights Group Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- World Health Organization (WHO) investigators probing the origins of the coronavirus in China are unlikely to be allowed to meet with critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP)'s handling of the early stages of the pandemic, an overseas-based rights group said on Monday.
• 3,000 doses of fake COVID-19 vaccines confiscated, illegal sales began in September Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- More than 80 people were arrested and 3,000 doses of fake COVID-19 vaccines were confiscated in a special campaign that China has carried out to crack down on vaccine-related crimes. The suspects had been profiting from the illegal manufacturing and sales of the vaccines since September 2020.
• Flattened curve suggests latest COVID-19 flare-ups in China 'being controlled' Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- After another round of arduous struggle against the raging COVID-19 outbreak that swept across the country in the first month of 2021, China has seen the curve in infection numbers flattened in multiple places, including the mega-cities of Beijing and Shanghai, and the densely-populated North Chinese province of Hebei.
• China-donated COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Pakistan Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- A plane carrying Chinese donation of COVID-19 vaccines for Pakistan has arrived in the country, Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Health Faisal Sultan said on Monday.
• CanSino says its COVID-19 vaccine has no serious adverse events, meets efficacy criteria in interim analysis Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- The AD5-nCOV vaccine candidate developed by Chinese biopharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics has met its pre-specified primary safety and efficacy criteria at interim analysis, with no serious adverse events, and the company will continue to advance its phase III clinical trial of the vaccine.
• Sinovac says Brazilian consulting firm fabricated 'statement' slamming US vaccination plan Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- Chinese biopharmaceutical firm Sinovac Biotech said on Sunday that a recent statement released by a Brazilian consulting company in Sinovac's name, which condemns the US for protecting only Americans in its vaccination plan, is fabricated and was not released by the Chinese firm.
• Over 250,000 people could have been infected with COVID-19 in N China without strict prevention measures: top epidemiologist Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- If there were no strict prevention and control measures, at least 130,000 people in Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and 120,000 people in North China's Hebei Province could have been infected with the coronavirus by the end of February, said China's top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan.
• China provides COVID-19 vaccines to 14 developing countries and will aid 38 more: Chinese FM Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- In addition to Pakistan, China is providing aid in the form of COVID-19 vaccines to 13 developing countries including Brunei, Nepal, the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at press conference on Monday.
• China has administered 22 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- As of Tuesday, China has administered 22.77 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in its mass vaccination campaign, an official said on Wednesday.
• Chinese mainland reports 33 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- The Chinese mainland on Sunday reported 42 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 33 locally transmitted ones, the National Health Commission said Monday.
• Mass inoculation shows safety, efficacy of Chinese COVID-19 vaccines: expert People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- China's renowned respiratory-disease expert Zhong Nanshan said Sunday that the mass inoculation of homegrown COVID-19 vaccines underway in China shows the vaccines are safe and effective.

Europe

• Europe's Populists Ready to Seize on COVID Vaccination Bungle VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- Europe's populists have seen their polling numbers dip since the coronavirus emerged on the continent, but as the economic impact of lockdowns and restrictions starts to be felt in earnest, widening income disparity, they could see a revival, some analysts forecast.
• EU prepares for rapid development of vaccines against COVID-19 variants Global Times 01 Feb 2021 -- The European Union's (EU) top health officials held discussions on Sunday with drug giants about rapid development and production of vaccines specially against the new variants of the coronavirus.
• German Pharma Company Bayer to Produce New COVID Vaccine VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- German pharmaceutical giant Bayer announced Monday it will help a smaller German biomedical company, CureVac, produce its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, the latest drug maker to offer up manufacturing capacity as supplies fall behind demand worldwide.
• German official suggests use of Chinese, Russian vaccines to ease supply shortage People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- Minister-President of Germany's southern state of Bavaria Markus Soeder on Sunday called on European authorities to consider using Chinese and Russian vaccines to ease the current delivery shortage.
• AstraZeneca to increase vaccine supply to EU: von der Leyen People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- Pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca has promised to increase its vaccine supply to the European Union (EU), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday.
• Easing lockdown has to be done "very cautiously", warns UK expert People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- Lifting coronavirus lockdown measures would have to be done "very slowly, very cautiously" to avoid a resurge in infections, a British medical expert warned Sunday.
• Britain Identifies 105 Cases of South African COVID-19 Variant VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- British Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Monday said 105 cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa have been found in the nation, with 11 of those cases having no links to international travel.

India

• India's Recovery Rate touches 97%; 11,858 recoveries in the last 24 hours India PIB 01 Feb 2021 -- With a consistent rise in cumulative recoveries, India's Recovery Rate has reached 97%, one of the highest globally. India's total Active Caseload has dropped to 1.68 lakh (1,68,235) today. The active caseload now consists of just 1.56% of India's total Positive Cases.
• Pandemic's Impact on Economy: Weak Revenue Flow Combined with High Expenditure on Essential Relief India PIB 01 Feb 2021 -- In the Budget speech today, the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman drew the attention of the Parliament on the fact that the pandemic's impact on the economy has resulted in a weak revenue inflow. This was combined with high expenditure to provide essential relief to vulnerable sections of .the society especially the poor, women, SCs and STse
• Sharp Focus on Health & Wellbeing in India's 2021-22 Budget Reflecting Deep Imprint of Global Pandemic India PIB 01 Feb 2021 -- The Union Budget 2021-22 presented in Parliament today by the Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman clearly reflected the deep imprint the global pandemic of COVID-19 has left on the country's public health landscape.

Pakistan

• China-donated COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Pakistan People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- A plane carrying Chinese donation of COVID-19 vaccines for Pakistan has arrived in the country, Special Assistant to the Pakistani Prime Minister on Health Faisal Sultan said on Monday.

Iran

• All Iranians to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by next winter: Health official IRNA 01 Feb 2021 -- The secretary of biotechnology development department in Iran's presidential office said on Monday that the necessary doses for inoculation against the coronavirus will be provided through purchase and domestic production and that the public vaccination will be complete by winter 2022.
• WHO grants Iran vaccine approval IRNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Head of Food and Drug Administration of Iran Mohammad Reza Shanehsaz said on Monday that the World Health Organization (WHO) has granted permission to Iran's Food and Drug Administration to approve the vaccine.
• Some 79 deaths caused by COVID-19 in Iran IRNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Some 79 deaths were caused by COVID-19 in Iran over the past 24 hours, spokeswoman for Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday.
• Iran to begin imports of Russian vaccine this week: Official Press TV 01 Feb 2021 -- Iranian officials say a first batch of Russian-made COVID-19 vaccines will arrive in the country later this week.

South Korea

• South Korea Reports 305 New Coronavirus Cases SPA 01 Feb 2021 -- South Korea reported today 305 more COVID-19 cases, including 285 local infections, raising the total caseload to 78,508, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), Yonhap News Agency reported.
• S. Korea Confirms 7 More Cases of COVID-19 Variants SPA 01 Feb 2021 -- South Korea has confirmed seven more cases of contagious variants of the new coronavirus, bringing the total caseload to 34, according to health authorities on Monday.

Saudi Arabia

• 255 New Confirmed Covid-19 Cases, 266 Recoveries Reported, in Saudi Arabia SPA 01 Feb 2021 -- The Ministry of Health announced, in a statement, here today that 255 new confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) have been reported, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 368,329, including 2,111 active cases undergoing treatment.

Taiwan

• Taiwan confirms one new imported COVID-19 case, no new local cases CNA 01 Feb 2021 -- Taiwan on Monday confirmed one new imported case of COVID-19 but reported no locally transmitted cases for the second consecutive day, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• CECC denies report that Taiwan has obtained Pfizer vaccines (update) CNA 01 Feb 2021 -- The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Monday there is no truth to a media report that Taiwan has secured 100,000 doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine through "diplomatic sources" in the United States.
• CECC to further expand testing to control Taoyuan COVID cluster CNA 01 Feb 2021 -- The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) will expand the scope of COVID-19 testing later this week to cover all people working at Taoyuan General Hospital -- the epicenter of a cluster infection -- to make sure no coronavirus patient is missed.

NATO

• Coronavirus response: NATO delivers equipment to Montenegro NATO 01 Feb 2021 -- On February 1st, the Ministry of Health of Montenegro received 20 sets of ventilator equipment from the NATO Pandemic Response Stockpile. The donation was coordinated by NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) and made possible with financial contributions by the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, the United Kingdom as well as the United States. Next week, the sets will be distributed to local hospitals.

Malaysia

• Malaysia begins phase 3 trials of China-developed COVID-19 vaccine People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- Malaysia has begun a phase 3 clinical trial of a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by the Institute of Medical Biology of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (IMBCAMS), the Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
• Malaysia to Receive First Batch of Pfizer Vaccines on Feb. 26 SPA 01 Feb 2021 -- Malaysia is expected to receive the first batch of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines on Feb. 26, a senior health official said on Monday, according to a report by national newswire Bernama.

Other Countries

• Chile welcomes second shipment of Sinovac vaccines People's Daily 01 Feb 2021 -- The Chilean government received a second shipment of nearly 2 million vaccines developed by Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech on Sunday, which will be used to begin the mass vaccination in Chile, scheduled to start on Wednesday.
• Tajik Mosques Reopen As Government Claims No New Coronavirus Cases RFE/RL 01 Feb 2021 -- Mosques in Tajikistan have reopened their doors to believers for the first time in nine months following a government order and official claims that there have been no new COVID-19 cases in the country for three weeks.
• Egypt Reports 533 New COVID-19 Cases SPA 01 Feb 2021 -- Egypt reported today 533 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
• Armenian Health Ministry Authorises Russian Coronavirus Vaccine Sputnik V, RDIF Says Sputnik 01 Feb 2021 -- The Armenian Health Ministry authorized the use of the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said in a statement.
• South Africa Receives First COVID Vaccine Shipment VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- On an unusually dreary Johannesburg day, a figurative ray of sunshine: the arrival of the first pallets of coronavirus vaccines that will, in about two weeks, begin making their way into the arms of South Africans.
• Single New COVID-19 Case Sends Australian State Into 5-Day Lockdown VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- The city of Perth in Western Australia has entered a five-day lockdown after a security guard working at a quarantine hotel tested positive for coronavirus. It is the state's first locally acquired coronavirus case in 10 months. Australia has recorded 28,811 COVID-19 cases and 909 deaths since the pandemic began, according to official government figures.
• Brazilians Protest Bolsonaro's Handling of COVID Pandemic VOA 01 Feb 2021 -- Hundreds of Brazilians took to the streets Sunday in a fresh round of protests against President Jair Bolsonaro over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
• Cambodia's Hun Sen Asks Washington for Money, Not Vaccine Radio Free Asia 01 Feb 2021 -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Monday that the country is unable to use coronavirus vaccines from the United States because storage of the vaccine requires an ultra-cold freezer.