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COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Did Intelligence Failure Lead to US Capitol Attack? VOA 24 Feb 2021 -- The first in a series of congressional hearings on the January 6 U.S. Capitol attack has sparked a debate over whether intelligence breakdowns left the building vulnerable to what some officials and lawmakers have termed a "planned and coordinated" insurrection by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
• Technology Executives Say All Evidence Points To Russia In Major Hack Of Computer Networks RFE/RL 24 Feb 2021 -- Executives of U.S. technology companies told lawmakers on February 23 that a recent breach of corporate and government networks was so sophisticated that a nation had to be behind it and said all the evidence points to Russia.
• Along with COVID, France's Hospitals Battle Cyberattacks VOA 24 Feb 2021 -- Government officials in France say a number of hospitals have been hit by malware attacks, slowing down operations as they struggle to deal with COVID cases. French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced a plan to defend health facilities from cyber threats.
• Belgium To Try 14 People For Alleged Aid to Extremists in Paris 2015 Terror Acts, Reports Say Sputnik 24 Feb 2021 -- A Belgium court on Wednesday referred 14 people suspected of aiding and abetting extremists behind the 2015 Paris terror attacks to the criminal court, media reported.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Unitaid, partners launch COVID-19 oxygen emergency taskforce to help low-income countries People's Daily 24 Feb 2021 -- The global health agency Unitaid and the charitable foundation Wellcome joined forces to launch an emergency taskforce here on Tuesday to secure oxygen supplies and technical support for the countries worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

United States

• A Letter on the Continuation of the National Emergency Concerning the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic The White House 24 Feb 2021
• Notice on the Continuation of the National Emergency Concerning the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic The White House 24 Feb 2021
• Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials The White House 24 Feb 2021
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Announces Opening of State-FEMA Mass Vaccination Site at York College in Queens New York State 24 Feb 2021
• New York to Keep COVID-19 Restrictions Till June, Mayor Says Sputnik 24 Feb 2021 -- New York will not review COVID-19 restrictions currently in place until at least June, city mayor Bill de Blasio told reporters on Wednesday.
• One-Shot Vaccine Protects Against COVID, US Government Says VOA 24 Feb 2021 -- The U.S. government has determined that a one-shot COVID-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson is safe and offers partial protection against the disease.

China

• WHO mission member says "extremely unlikely" COVID-19 escaped from Wuhan lab People's Daily 24 Feb 2021 -- It is "extremely unlikely" that SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, escaped from a lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan, a member of a World Health Organization (WHO) expert team sent to China on a COVID-19 origin-tracing mission said on Monday.
• Hong Kong earmarks 1.08 bln USD to vaccinate majority of population against COVID-19 in 2021 People's Daily 24 Feb 2021 -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has earmarked over 8.4 billion Hong Kong dollars (1.08 billion U.S. dollars) for the procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccines, aiming to have the majority of the population vaccinated for free this year, a senior government official said Wednesday.
• Chinese mainland reports no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 24 Feb 2021 -- The Chinese mainland reported no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the National Health Commission said Wednesday.
• Sinopharm's Wuhan institute vaccine shows 72.5% efficacy; CanSino applies for emergency use approval Global Times 24 Feb 2021 -- Sinopharm's research institute in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday said that their inactivated COVID-19 vaccine shows an efficacy of 72.51 percent after two shots in phase III clinical trials.
• China Reports 12 New Coronavirus Cases SPA 24 Feb 2021 -- The Chinese mainland reported 12 new imported COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the National Health Commission said on Wednesday.
• China is exporting COVID-19 vaccines to 27 countries People's Daily 24 Feb 2021 -- China is exporting COVID-19 vaccines to 27 countries and providing free vaccine aid to 53 countries in need, foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tuesday.

Europe

• France Weighs More COVID-19 Restrictions as Infections, Hospitalizations Rise VOA 24 Feb 2021 -- The French government Wednesday said the COVID-19 situation is deteriorating in about 10 French regions, including the Paris-Ile-de-France area around the capital, and said it is considering additional restrictions to address the situation.
• France's COVID-19 infections surge by 20,064, deaths top 85,000 People's Daily 24 Feb 2021 -- French health authorities on Tuesday reported 20,064 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, up from 4,646 on Monday and from 19,590 last Tuesday.
• 2nd team of German army medics arrives in Portugal to help fight COVID-19 Global Times 24 Feb 2021 -- Portugal on Tuesday welcomed the second team of German military health professionals who assist the country in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
• Netherlands extends coronavirus curfew to March 15 Global Times 24 Feb 2021 -- In what he called a "calculated risk," demissionary Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced relaxations for some coronavirus measures on Tuesday, but extended the country's COVID-19 curfew until March 15.

Russia

• Russia Reports 11,749 New COVID-19 Cases, 383 Deaths SPA 24 Feb 2021 -- Russia on Wednesday reported 11,749 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, including 1,417 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 4,200,902 since the pandemic began, according to Reuters.

India

• India's Active Caseload stands at 1.46 lakh today; Daily recoveries more than the daily new cases in the last 24 hours India PIB 24 Feb 2021 -- India has been containing the country's Active Caseload under 1.50 lakh. The active cases are 1,46,907 today. The present active caseload now consists of 1.33% of India's total Positive Cases.
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccination- Day 40 India PIB 24 Feb 2021 -- The cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered to healthcare and frontline workers has crossed 1.23 crore today in the country.
• Centre Rushes Multi-disciplinary High Level Central teams to States/UTs witnessing surge in cases India PIB 24 Feb 2021 -- The Centre has deputed high level multi-disciplinary teams to Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for supporting them in public health measures for targeted COVID response and management, and effectively tackling the pandemic.

Iran

• COVID-19 claims 73 lives in past 24 hours in Iran: Official IRNA 24 Feb 2021 -- Some 73 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 59,736, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Wednesday.
• Iran confirms 112 cases of COVID-19 variants IRNA 24 Feb 2021 -- Spokesman for the National Headquarters for Coronavirus Control, Alireza Reisi, said on Wednesday that up to now, some 112 patients with COVID-19 mutations have been detected in Iran from whom eight patients died.
• Iran closes Mehran border to passengers to fight UK COVID-19 variants IRNA 24 Feb 2021 -- Governor of Mehran announced on Wednesday that Mehran international border with Iraq was closed to fight spread of UK COVID-19 variants.

South Korea

• After Initially Leading World in COVID-19 Battle, Why Is South Korea Among Last Developed Nations to Start Mass Vaccinations? VOA 24 Feb 2021 -- After carrying out one of the world's most successful initial coronavirus responses, South Korea this week begins COVID-19 vaccinations, making it one of the last developed countries to start mass inoculations.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 353 New Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 24 Feb 2021 -- The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that 353 new confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; thus bringing the total number to 376,021 confirmed cases, including 2,531 active cases, receiving necessary medical care. Of these, there are 483 critical cases.

Taiwan

• Taiwan records four new imported cases of COVID-19 CNA 24 Feb 2021 -- Taiwan reported four new imported cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, three from the United States and one from Malaysia, bringing the total number to 946 since the epidemic began, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan eases restrictions on entry of foreign visitors (update) CNA 24 Feb 2021 -- Taiwan will partially lift restrictions on the entry of foreign visitors starting from March 1, as well as allow transit flights through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.
• Taiwan extends mask mandate at large gatherings CNA 24 Feb 2021 -- People who attend large gatherings in Taiwan will continue to be required to wear masks and forbidden from eating or drinking anything other than water, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said on Wednesday.
• Shortened quarantine for business travelers from certain countries CNA 24 Feb 2021 -- Short-term business travelers from countries deemed to be at low or low-to-moderate risk of COVID-19 will be able to apply for shorter quarantine periods again from March 1, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.

North Korea

• Emergency Anti-epidemic Work Stepped up in DPRK KCNA 24 Feb 2021 -- The central emergency anti-epidemic sector in the DPRK has taken timely measures to further tighten the emergency anti-epidemic system and discipline amid the global pandemic crisis.

NATO

• Coronavirus response: NATO support to the Republic of Moldova NATO 24 Feb 2021 -- On 24 February, the Republic of Moldova received 25,000 disposable suits for biological protection (Tyvek 600+) from NATO's Pandemic Response Trust Fund. The donation was coordinated by NATO's Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) in response to Moldova's request for international assistance.

Ghana

• Ghana receives first historic shipment of COVID-19 vaccinations from international COVAX facility UN News 24 Feb 2021 -- Six hundred thousand doses of lifesaving COVID-19 vaccine from the UN-partnered COVAX initiative have arrived in Ghana: a historic first for the international partnership to provide equitable innoculations for all.
• Ghana Receives 1st COVID-19 Vaccine Shipment Through Global Sharing Program VOA 24 Feb 2021 -- Ghana has received the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines through the World Health Organization's (WHO) global vaccine-sharing program.

Other Countries

• Senegal kicks off COVID-19 vaccination campaign with China's Sinopharm vaccines Global Times 24 Feb 2021 -- Senegal on Tuesday officially began the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination, taking a new step in the crusade against the pandemic.
• UAE Announces 3,102 New COVID-19 Cases, 19 Deaths SPA 24 Feb 2021 -- The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced that it conducted 179,229 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
• Tunisia Reports 797 New COVID-19 Cases SPA 24 Feb 2021 -- Tunisia reported 797 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 32 new deaths, during the past 24 hours.
• Iraq sees new daily record in COVID-19 infections; Oman to ban entry of travelers from 10 countries People's Daily 24 Feb 2021 -- Iraq sets a yearly new record in daily COVID-19 infections on Tuesday with 4,181 new confirmed cases. Meanwhile, Oman decided to ban travelers from 10 countries to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.