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COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Capitol Riot Exposed QAnon's Violent Potential VOA 31 Mar 2021 -- Many followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory see themselves as digital warriors battling an imaginary cabal of Satan-worshipping pedophiles who rule the world from the convenience of their keyboards.
• Myanmar's Descent into Chaos to Further Fuel Mekong Drug Trade: UN VOA 31 Mar 2021 -- The chaos in Myanmar could see a surge in meth production across the' Golden Triangle', the United Nation's organized crime agency said Tuesday, as ethnic militias seek quick cash to firm up their positions in lawless borderlands whose fragile equilibrium has been disrupted by the coup.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

United States

• DOD Awards $53.7 Million Contract to Ortho Clinical Diagnostics DoD 31 Mar 2021 -- On March 31, 2021, the Department of Defense (DOD), on behalf of and in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), awarded a $53.7 million contract to Ortho Clinical Diagnostics to increase production capacity of COVID-19 antigen and antibody test kits and associated VITROS® Systems test analyzers.
• U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 550,000: Johns Hopkins University People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- U.S. COVID-19 deaths surpassed 550,000 on Tuesday, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.
• NYS COVID-19 hospitalizations up to 4,715, positivity rate 4.28 pct: governor People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- COVID-19 hospitalizations in New York state rose to 4,715 on Monday, compared with 4,575 one day earlier, tweeted Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday.
• CDC: COVID-19 Third Largest Cause of US Deaths in 2020 VOA 31 Mar 2021 -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Wednesday that COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the United States during 2020, and it boosted the overall U.S. death toll by nearly 16% from the previous year.
• Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials The White House 31 Mar 2021

China

• WHO report on virus origins work of "collaboration," says WHO team leader People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) report on the joint WHO-China study of COVID-19 origins was a "consensus" effort of a "sheer size" but it was too soon to provide definitive conclusions in a work that is still in progress, the WHO research team said on Tuesday.
• WHO releases report on global tracing of COVID-19 origins People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) report on the joint WHO-China study of COVID-19 origins was a "consensus" effort of a "sheer size" but it was too soon to provide definitive conclusions in a work that is still in progress, the WHO research team said on Tuesday.
• WHO expert: Future research on COVID-19 origin not limit to one region People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- All conclusions and recommendations in the report by the international team studying the origins of SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan are based on a global perspective, and future research will not be limited to a certain region, Liang Wannian, leader of the Chinese side of the China-World Health Organization (WHO) joint team, said at Tuesday's briefing on the 120-page report.
• China accelerates COVID-19 vaccination in rural areas Global Times 31 Mar 2021 -- China has vaccinated more than 100 million people and is still enlarging the scale of the vaccination program as an effort to build a massive immunity shield. In recent weeks, the country has accelerated the vaccination work to wider groups of people, including those in rural areas and more remote regions.
• China-Myanmar border city faces pressure of new COVID-19 surge Global Times 31 Mar 2021 -- Concerns have risen on epidemic control in China's border area, after Ruili, a major China-Myanmar border city in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, reported nine new COVID-19 cases since September, when a domestic resurgence was ignited by illegal border crossings by infected Myanmar nationals.
• China slams revived conspiracy theory over COVID-19 origin as 'extremely unethical' Press TV 31 Mar 2021 -- China has reacted to resurfaced allegations that the COVID-19 virus may have leaked from a Chinese lab, slamming the politicizing of the search for the origins of the virus as "extremely unethical".
• No basis to claims China withheld COVID-19 data: Chinese official Press TV 31 Mar 2021 -- A senior Chinese health official has rejected allegations that Beijing withheld data from a team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) investigating the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying there is no factual basis to the claims.
• China providing vaccine aid to 80 countries, 3 int'l organizations: FM spokesperson People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- China is providing vaccine aid to 80 countries and three international organizations, exporting vaccines to more than 40 countries, and cooperating with more than 10 nations in vaccine research, development and production, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.
• HKSAR's chief executive firmly supports NPC's adoption of amended annexes to HKSAR Basic Law People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Tuesday said that she and the governing team of the HKSAR government strongly support China's top legislature's adoption of amended Annexes I and II to the HKSAR Basic Law.
• Chinese mainland reports 6 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported six new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said Wednesday.
• China's Yunnan reports 6 local COVID-19 cases People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- The city of Ruili in southwest China's Yunnan Province on Wednesday launched a city-wide nucleic acid testing for COVID-19 after new cases were reported.
• Chinese military provides COVID-19 vaccines to Lao military PLA Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- For the implementation of President Xi Jinping's important declaration on making China's COVID-19 vaccine a global public good, with the approval of the Central Military Commission and at the request of Lao military, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) has provided anti-pandemic assistance to Lao Armed Forces with a batch of COVID-19 vaccines delivered to the Lao side on March 31.
  
• China Hits Out at Critics as WHO Chief Revives Viral Lab Leak Theory Radio Free Asia 31 Mar 2021 -- China on Wednesday slammed its critics as "unethical" after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said it would continue to consider the hypothesis that the coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic leaked from a top-security virology lab in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Europe

• Europeans Divided Over Sputnik Diplomacy VOA 31 Mar 2021 -- For Serbia and Hungary, Russia's coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V has been a godsend, allowing both countries to accelerate their inoculation drives. Austria announced midweek it is negotiating to buy a million doses.
• France confirms 30,702 new COVID-19 cases as tighter restrictions loom People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- France registered 30,702 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, pushing the total count above 4.5 million. The country's hospitals are nearing the breaking point and a third nationwide confinement is very much on the cards, figures released by the health authorities showed on Tuesday.
• France's Macron Orders Third Lockdown, Closes Schools VOA 31 Mar 2021 -- President Emmanuel Macron ordered France into its third national lockdown Wednesday in an effort to slow a third wave of COVID-19 infecting his country.
• Germany curbs use of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine: Merkel Press TV 31 Mar 2021 -- Germany has restricted the use of AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine to people aged 60 and over after recording cases of a rare brain blood clot in people receiving the jab.
• Germany registers 9,549 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- Daily COVID-19 infections in Germany continued to rise as 9,549 new cases were registered within one day, around 2,000 more than one week ago, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) announced on Tuesday.
• Germany Limits Use of Oxford-AstraZeneca Vaccine Because of Fears of Blood Clots VOA 31 Mar 2021 -- Germany has limited the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to people 60 years of age and older due to concerns that it may be causing blood clots.
• UK records another 4,040 coronavirus cases, 56 deaths People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- Another 4,040 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 4,341,736, according to official figures released Tuesday.
• Poland Reports 653 Coronavirus-Related Deaths SPA 31 Mar 2021 -- Poland reported its highest number of coronavirus-related deaths so far this year on Wednesday, amid a third wave of the pandemic that is putting the country's health service under extreme strain, Reuters reported .
• Macron, Merkel Discuss Navalny, Possible Vaccine Cooperation With Putin RFE/RL 31 Mar 2021 -- French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed possible cooperation on vaccines with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the French Presidency said on March 30.

Russia

• Russia Registers Vaccine to Protect Animals from COVID-19 VOA 31 Mar 2021 -- Russia says it registered the world's first vaccine for animals against the COVID-19 virus on Wednesday — with government officials hailing an inoculation labeled 'Carnivac-Cov' as a victory in the global race to protect both animals and humans from further mutations of the coronavirus.
• Russian daily COVID-19 infections drop most in half year People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- Russia logged 8,277 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the lowest daily rise since Sept. 29 last year, taking its national tally to 4,536,820, the country's official monitoring and response center said Tuesday.

India

• Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh report high Daily New Cases India PIB 31 Mar 2021 -- Eight States, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh report a surge in the COVID daily new cases. 84.73% of the new cases are reported from these 8 states.
• Union Health Secretary Reviews COVID Vaccination Drive and Preparations for April 2021 with all States and UTs India PIB 31 Mar 2021 -- Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary and Dr R S Sharma, CEO, National Health Authority (NHA) and Chairperson, Empowered Group on COVID Vaccination chaired a high-level meeting through video conference today with Health Secretaries, State Mission Directors of NHM and State Immunization officers of all States and UTs to review the status, pace and issues regarding COVID vaccination across the country as well as the preparations for April 2021 when vaccination would be extended to all persons above the age of 45.
• COVID19 Vaccination-Day 75 India PIB 31 Mar 2021 -- The cumulative number of COVID19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 6.43 Crore today.

Pakistan

• 1st batch of CanSino COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Pakistan People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- The first batch of CanSino COVID-19 vaccines that the Pakistani government purchased from China arrived here Tuesday night.

Iran

• Iran vaccinates 80% of health workers: Deputy health minister IRNA 31 Mar 2021 -- Iran has so far vaccinated some 80% of the health workers dealing with the COVID-19 patients, Deputy Health Minister Maryam Hazrati said on Wednesday.
• COVID-19 claims 96 lives in Iran over past 24 hours: Official IRNA 31 Mar 2021 -- 96 more Iranians have died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours bringing the total deaths to 62,665, Iran's Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Wednesday.

South Korea

• S.Korea reports 506 more COVID-19 cases, 103,088 in total People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- South Korea reported 506 more cases of COVID-19 as of midnight Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 103,088.
• South Korea Reports 506 New COVID-19 Cases SPA 31 Mar 2021 -- South Korea reported 506 new COVID-19 cases during the past 24 hours.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Ministry: 585 New Confirmed Covid-19 Cases, 369 Recoveries Reported in Saudi Arabia SPA 31 Mar 2021 -- The Ministry of Health announced, in a statement here today, that 585 new confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, bringing the total number to 390,007, including 5,255 active cases.

Taiwan

• Taiwan confirms six new imported cases of COVID-19 CNA 31 Mar 2021 -- Taiwan on Wednesday confirmed six new imported cases of COVID-19 -- two from Indonesia and one each from the United States, Myanmar, Ethiopia and Bangladesh -- according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Taiwan to expand COVID-19 vaccination of medical workers next week CNA 31 Mar 2021 -- Taiwan's COVID-19 vaccination program will be expanded with effect from April 6 to include a wider category of medical workers, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.
• Taiwan to enter talks with Guam on 'travel bubble' deal CNA 31 Mar 2021 -- Taiwan and Guam are set to enter talks about the possibility of establishing a "travel bubble" together, the Tourism Bureau said Wednesday, the day before the inaugural flight operated under a similar initiative between Taiwan and Palau will depart from Taipei.

North Korea

• North Korean Official Purged for Neglecting COVID-19 Quarantine Rules Radio Free Asia 31 Mar 2021 -- Authorities in North Korea have purged a local government official for allowing a coronavirus quarantine center to operate at reduced capacity at a time when Pyongyang is trying to maximize defenses against the deadly virus, sources in the country told RFA.

Other Countries

• Africa's confirmed COVID-19 cases pass 4.19 mln: Africa CDC People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has reached 4,195,068 as of Tuesday noon, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.
• Rural COVID, Urban COVID: Africa Sees Sharp Divide VOA 31 Mar 2021 -- It is hard to see COVID-19 here, in the small village of KaMatsamo. Goats pick their way through a path that runs from the highway, the main thoroughfare in this South African town of some 23,000 people.
• As COVID-19 Epicenter, South Africa to Receive 41 Million Vaccine Doses VOA 31 Mar 2021 -- The coronavirus vaccine is coming, with South Africa expecting to conclude negotiations in upcoming weeks to vaccinate 41 million people, and the next stage of vaccinations to begin in May, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced late Tuesday.
• Brazil registers record daily high of 3,780 COVID-19 deaths People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- Brazil on Tuesday registered the highest daily count of 3,780 COVID-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, the country's ministry of health said.
• Turkey sets new daily record of 37,303 COVID-19 infections; Jordan's caseload tops 600,000 People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- Turkey reported 37,303 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, breaking its record of single-day infections since the outbreak of the pandemic last year. Meanwhile, Jordan's total COVID-19 infections exceeded 600,000.
• Philippines logs 9,296 new COVID-19 cases, India's tally reaches 12,095,855 People's Daily 31 Mar 2021 -- The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread in Asia-Pacific countries as the Philippines reported 9,296 new cases on Tuesday while India's tally reached 12,095,855.
• Kyiv To Close Schools, Kindergartens, Restrict Transport Amid Sharp Rise In Infections, Deaths RFE/RL 31 Mar 2021 -- Kyiv authorities say they will close schools and kindergartens and restrict public transport from April 5, as the Ukrainian capital faces a dramatic rise in coronavirus infections and related deaths.
• Moldova Introduces Two-Month State Of Emergency To Contain Pandemic RFE/RL 31 Mar 2021 -- Moldova's parliament on March 31 voted to introduce a 60-day state of emergency to fight the coronavirus pandemic, a decision condemned by allies of pro-Western President Maia Sandu as a ploy to delay early elections.
• Amid COVID-19 Surge, Kazakhstan Admits First Patients To Sports Arena Converted Into Hospital RFE/RL 31 Mar 2021 -- Health authorities in Kazakhstan's largest city have admitted the first patients into a sports stadium that has been converted into a COVID-19 hospital as infection cases have multiplied, officials in Almaty said on March 31.
• Yemen: Arrival of COVID-19 vaccines a 'gamechanger' UN News 31 Mar 2021 -- The arrival of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines in Yemen on Wednesday has been hailed by health experts as a "gamechanger" in the fight against coronavirus spread in the war-torn country.