Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the Departure of the National Guard From the Capitol Complex DoD 24 May 2021
• Ending Mission on Capitol Hill, Guard Personnel Prepare to Go Home DoD News 24 May 2021 -- For the nearly 1,000 National Guardsmen who have remained in Washington, D.C., and who have been providing security assistance to the Capitol Police for the last five months, it's now time for the mission to end and to return home.
• National Guard Ends US Capitol Protection VOA 24 May 2021 -- National Guard troops are leaving Washington on Monday after protecting the U.S. Capitol for nearly five months following the deadly January 6 attack.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Weekly operational update on COVID-19 - 24 May 2021
• Step up global plan for COVID-19 vaccines, UN chief says in message to World Health Assembly UN News 24 May 2021 -- The COVID-19 pandemic "must be a turning point", UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, urging countries to take bold decisions now to both end the crisis and build a safe and healthy future for all.
• At World Health Assembly, WHO Chief Pays Tribute to Lost Health Care Workers VOA 24 May 2021 -- The World Health Organization chief opened the agency's annual World Health Assembly in Geneva Monday by paying tribute to the 115,000 health care workers around the world who lost their lives fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

United States

• DOD & HHS Announce DPA Title III Agreement With Retractable Technologies, Inc. to Expand Domestic Production Capacity for Low Dead-Space Safety Syringes and Needles DoD 24 May 2021 -- As part of the national response to COVID-19, the Department of Defense (DOD), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), signed an agreement with Retractable Technologies, Inc. (RTI) to expand the production of the low dead-space (LDS) safety syringes and needles. Government funding allocated was $27.3 million.
• US seeks Covid-19 origins, advises against visiting Japan Press TV 24 May 2021 -- The Biden administration has suggested that the US cannot determine the true origins of the coronavirus pandemic.

China

• Wuhan Institute of Virology lab director refutes WSJ report on sick staff, calling US intelligence doc 'a complete lie' Global Times 24 May 2021 -- The so-called US intelligence report on sick staff at the Wuhan Institute of Virology is an outright lie that came from nowhere, Yuan Zhiming, director of the institute's Wuhan National Biosafety Laboratory, told the Global Times on Monday, refuting the latest report from the Wall Street Journal about an undisclosed US intelligence report indicating three researchers from the lab became sick in November 2019.
• Over 500 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses administered across China People's Daily 24 May 2021 -- More than 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered across China as of Sunday, the National Health Commission said Monday.
• Shenzhen reports 2 new asymptomatic COVID-19 cases People's Daily 24 May 2021 -- The city of Shenzhen in south China's Guangdong Province on Sunday registered two new asymptomatic cases of the novel coronavirus, local authorities said.
• China Denies Alleged Illness of Wuhan Lab Employees in November 2019 Sputnik 24 May 2021 -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry refuted on Monday US media reports suggesting that three employees of the Wuhan Institute of Virology fell gravely ill right before the outbreak of COVID-19.

Europe

Russia

• RDIF, Panacea Biotec Launch Russia's Sputnik V COVID-19 Vaccine Production in India Sputnik 24 May 2021 -- The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) announced on Monday that it is launching production of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in India jointly with Indian pharmaceutical producer Panacea Biotec, with full-scale production due to start this summer.

India

• India's Coronavirus Missteps Belie High Expectations From Fellow Quad states Radio Free Asia 24 May 2021 -- India's mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis may have dealt a blow to the South Asian nation's big power aspirations.
• India's COVID-19 death toll crosses 300,000 People's Daily 24 May 2021 -- India's COVID-19 death toll crossed the 300,000-mark, reaching 303,720 on Monday, confirmed the federal health ministry.
• India crosses a major landmark with more than 1 Cr vaccine doses administered for 18-44 age group under Phase-3 of Vaccination Drive India PIB 24 May 2021 -- India has crossed a significant landmark in its fight against COVID19 pandemic today
• More than 21.80 crore vaccine doses provided to States/UTs India PIB 24 May 2021 -- As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost
• Update on COVID Relief Aid India PIB 24 May 2021 -- Government of India has been receiving international cooperation of COVID-19 relief medical supplies and equipment since 27th April 2021 from different countries/organisations
• Dr Harsh Vardhan chairs 27th meeting of Group of Ministers (GOM) on COVID-19 India PIB 24 May 2021 -- Dr
• COVID-19 Vaccination Update- Day 129 India PIB 24 May 2021 -- The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country exceeded 19.84 Cr (19,84,43,550) as per the 8 pm provisional report today.

  12,52,320 beneficiaries of the age group 18-44 years received their first dose of COVID vaccine today and cumulatively 1,18,81,337across 37 States/UTs since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive

• Highest ever single day load of more than 1142 MT of Oxygen relief delivered by Oxygen Expresses India PIB 24 May 2021 -- Overcoming all hurdles and finding new solutions, Indian Railways is continuing its journey of bringing relief by delivering Liquid Medical Oxygen(LMO) to various states across the country

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 251 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 24 May 2021 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 78,848 with 251 more Iranians dying from the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Monday.

Japan

• Japan opens mass vaccination centers in Tokyo, Osaka People's Daily 24 May 2021 -- Japan on Monday opened large-scale vaccination centers in Tokyo and Osaka with the state-backed facilities aimed at speeding up the country's sluggish COVID-19 vaccination rollout.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 595 new COVID-19 cases, including backlog (update) CNA 24 May 2021 -- Taiwan on Monday reported 590 domestic COVID-19 cases, five new imported ones, and six deaths, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Experts suggest extending Level 3 COVID-19 alert: CECC head CNA 24 May 2021 -- Local experts have suggested that Taiwan's Level 3 COVID-19 alert be extended rather than allowed to expire Friday given that domestic transmission of the disease remains severe, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said Monday.
• Taipei reports COVID-19 cluster infection at elderly care home CNA 24 May 2021 -- A COVID-19 cluster infection has been reported at a care home for the elderly in Taipei after four of its residents and workers were confirmed as having contracted the disease, the city's Department of Social Welfare said Monday.
• 60-year-old man dies before test finds him COVID-positive (update) CNA 24 May 2021 -- The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) on Monday confirmed that six people died of COVID-19 over the last few days, including a man in his 60s whose death was reported before a test for COVID-19 was conducted on him and the result came back positive.

Other Countries

• Egypt receives raw materials to produce Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine People's Daily 24 May 2021 -- Egypt has received the first batch of the raw materials to manufacture China's Sinovac vaccine, said the Chinese embassy in Egypt on Sunday.
• Philippines logs 4,973 new COVID-19 cases, total rises to 1,184,706 People's Daily 24 May 2021 -- The Philippines' Department of Health (DOH) reported on Monday 4,973 new COVID-19 infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,184,706.
• Cambodia logs 556 new COVID-19 cases, tally rises to 25,761 People's Daily 24 May 2021 -- Cambodia on Monday reported a daily record of 556 new COVID-19 cases, pushing the national case tally to 25,761 so far, the Ministry of Health (MoH) said in a statement.
• Ethiopia's COVID-19 caseload tops 269,000 People's Daily 24 May 2021 -- Ethiopia registered 293 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking its nationwide tally to 269,194 as of Sunday evening, the country's health ministry said.
• South Sudan Returning 72,000 COVID Vaccine Doses VOA 24 May 2021 -- South Sudan's National Task Force on COVID-19 is sending back 72,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine to the COVAX facility for use in other countries before the doses expire.
• Australia Urged to Offer Cash Incentives to Boost COVID Vaccination Rates VOA 24 May 2021 -- The Australian government is being urged to offer citizens cash and lottery tickets as incentives to boost slow rates of COVID-19 vaccinations. Public health and advertising experts say more needs to be done to counter mounting hesitancy and confusion about a mass inoculation program.