Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - Weekly Operationl Update WHO 22 Mar 2021
• Inequity of COVID-19 vaccines grows 'more grotesque every day' – WHO chief UN News 22 Mar 2021 -- The growing gap between the number of vaccines being given in rich countries and those administered through COVAX is becoming "more grotesque every day", the head of the UN health agency said on Monday.
• AstraZeneca: Vaccine Provides '100% Efficacy' Against Severe, Critical COVID-19 Disease VOA 22 Mar 2021 -- AstraZeneca said Monday that the results of its COVID-19 vaccine trials provide evidence that its shot provides "100% efficacy against severe or critical disease and hospitalization."

United States

• US CDC Director Concerned About New Surge in Coronavirus Cases VOA 22 Mar 2021 -- The director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday she is concerned the United States could be headed for an avoidable surge in coronavirus cases as more states relax prevention measures and more people travel around the country.
• Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials The White House 22 Mar 2021
• Rush Transcript: Governor Cuomo Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress During Covid-19 Pandemic New York State 22 Mar 2021

China

• China's Vaccine Sent to Developing Nations May Find Wary Reception VOA 22 Mar 2021 -- Experts say that skepticism about Chinese vaccines in developing nations may counter Beijing's goal of increasing its influence by distributing doses.
• China looking to achieve herd immunity by beginning of 2022: China's CDC director Global Times 22 Mar 2021 -- It is hoped that China will reach 70 percent to 80 percent coverage of inoculation with the the COVID-19 vaccine, basically achieving herd immunity by the beginning of 2022, or even by the end of 2021, said China's CDC director.
• HKSAR chief executive urges residents to actively receive COVID-19 vaccine People's Daily 22 Mar 2021 -- Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam took the second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on Monday and called on Hong Kong residents to actively get the jab so as to return to normal lives at an early date.
• Chinese mainland reports no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 22 Mar 2021 -- The Chinese mainland reported no new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Sunday, the National Health Commission said on Monday.
• Nearly 75 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across China People's Daily 22 Mar 2021 -- Nearly 75 million COVID-19 vaccine doses had been administered across China by the end of Saturday, a spokesman for the National Health Commission said on Sunday.
• China Reports 7 New COVID-19 Cases SPA 22 Mar 2021 -- The Chinese mainland reported 7 new COVID-19 cases during the past 24 hours.

Europe

• EU Solidarity Breaks Down, States Complain of Unfair Vaccine Distribution VOA 22 Mar 2021 -- European Union solidarity is breaking down amid a vaccine debacle that analysts say may have long-lasting repercussions for the future of European political integration.
• Hungary becomes first European country to approve China's CanSino COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use Global Times 22 Mar 2021 -- CanSino's recombinant novel coronavirus vaccine has been approved for emergency use by the Hungarian National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition (OGYEI), based on the interim results of the Phase III clinical trial, according to an official document CanSinoBIO sent to the Global Times on Monday.
• New Chinese Vaccine Approved For Emergency Use In Hungary RFE/RL 22 Mar 2021 -- Hungary has become the first EU country to approve for emergency use China's CanSino Biologics coronavirus vaccine.

Russia

• Meeting on increasing vaccine manufacturing and vaccination progress President of Russia 22 Mar 2021 -- Vladimir Putin held a videoconference on increasing the manufacturing capacity of COVID-19 vaccines and the progress of vaccination in Russia.
• Putin Says He Will Get Vaccinated Against Coronavirus On March 23 RFE/RL 22 Mar 2021 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he will get vaccinated against coronavirus on March 23.
• On Sputnik V, Russian firm urges EU to 'stop being biased' Press TV 22 Mar 2021 -- "Dear Commissioner Breton, please stop being biased." That is part of an official response by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) to controversial remarks from Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, who said on Sunday evening that the European Union "had absolutely no need for Sputnik V."
• Russia Reports 9,284 New Coronavirus Cases, 361 Deaths SPA 22 Mar 2021 -- Russia on Monday reported 9,284 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, including 1,586 in Moscow, taking the national tally to 4,466,153, according to Reuters.

India

• Nearly 47,000 new COVID-19 cases, over 200 more deaths reported in India as 2nd wave feared Global Times 22 Mar 2021 -- Fear of the second wave of COVID-19 looms large in India as 46,951 new cases reported during the past 24 hours took the total tally to 11,646,081, according to the data issued by the federal health ministry on Monday.
• Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh account for more than 80% of the daily new COVID19 cases India PIB 22 Mar 2021 -- Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are reporting a surge in the COVID daily new cases. They together account for 80.5% of the total new cases registered in the last 24 hours.
• COVID19 Vaccination-Day 66 India PIB 22 Mar 2021 -- These include 78,30,626HCWs who have taken the 1st dose and 49,30,888HCWs who have taken the 2nd dose, 81,72,121FLWs (1stdose), 27,93,013FLWs (2nd dose), 1,94,07,739beneficiaries more than 60 years old and 4072747beneficiaries aged 45 and above with specific co-morbidities.
• Indian state chief minister tests positive for COVID-19 People's Daily 22 Mar 2021 -- Chief Minister of India's northern hilly state of Uttarakhand Tirath Singh Rawat said on Monday that he tested positive for COVID-19.
• Expert says relaxation, virus variants behind recent COVID-19 surge in India People's Daily 22 Mar 2021 -- The recent spike in COVID-19 infections in India was likely caused by slip-ups in precautionary measures and more infectious variants of the novel coronavirus, Dr Randeep Guleria, director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, has said.

Iran

• COVID-19 claims 80 lives in past 24 hours in Iran: Official IRNA 22 Mar 2021 -- Some 80 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 61,877 Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday.

Saudi Arabia

• 404 New Confirmed Covid-19 Cases, 387 Recoveries Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 22 Mar 2021 -- The Ministry of Health announced, in a statement here today, that 404 new confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 385,424, including 4,012 active cases undergoing treatment.

Taiwan

• Premier, health minister receive first AstraZeneca jabs in Taiwan CNA 22 Mar 2021 -- Taiwan on Monday began administering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, with Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) and Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) receiving the first shots.

Other Countries

• Canada seeing more cases from COVID-19 variants, says top doctor People's Daily 22 Mar 2021 -- Canada is seeing more cases from COVID-19 variants, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said in a statement on Sunday.
• Cambodia Confirms Fourth COVID-19 Death as Government Closes Schools, Entertainment Venues Radio Free Asia 22 Mar 2021 -- Cambodia recorded its fourth COVID-19 death Monday as the country ordered the closure of schools and entertainment venues amid an intensifying outbreak of the coronavirus that causes the disease more than a year after it was labeled a global pandemic.
• Mauritius Becomes 55th Country to Approve Use of Sputnik V Vaccine, RDIF Says Sputnik 22 Mar 2021 -- Mauritius became the 55th country to approve the use of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) said on Monday.
• Congolese Presidential Opposition Candidate Dies of COVID-19 VOA 22 Mar 2021 -- Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas, the main challenger in the Republic of Congo's presidential election, has died of COVID-19.