Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• ICYMI: ICE Discovers Sophisticated Subterranean Tunnel in California Near U.S.-Mexico Border DHS 11 Aug 2021 -- Last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents, working with Mexican authorities, discovered a 183-foot long subterranean tunnel in Mexicali, Baja California, near the international border.
• WHO supports Guinea after detection of first-ever case of Marburg disease UN News 11 Aug 2021 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) is supporting Guinea following a confirmed death from Marburg virus disease, the first known case in the country and West Africa, the UN agency reported on Wednesday.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• WHO announces three new drugs for latest COVID-19 'Solidarity' clinical trials UN News 11 Aug 2021 -- Three new candidate drugs are being tested in the latest phase of global Solidarity clinical trials to find effective treatments against COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday.
• WHO to Test 3 Drugs as Possible COVID-19 Treatments VOA 11 Aug 2021 -- The World Health Organization said Wednesday it will begin testing three drugs currently used to treat other diseases to see if they can be used as treatments for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.

United States

• Oregon Becomes Latest US State to Reintroduce Indoor Mask Mandate VOA 11 Aug 2021 -- Oregon Governor Kate Brown on Wednesday announced she was restoring a statewide indoor mask requirement for public settings as her state suffers from a record-breaking number of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, largely among unvaccinated individuals.
• California to Require COVID Vaccinations for Teachers, School Staff VOA 11 Aug 2021 -- California will require that all teachers and school staff be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday. No other state has enacted such a requirement.
• Vaccine mandates become "sticky issue" as COVID-19 cases top 36 mln in U.S. People's Daily 11 Aug 2021 -- Vaccine mandates are increasingly a sticky issue in the United States as the country's COVID-19 cases topped 36 million Tuesday, fueled by the unchecked spread of the Delta variant among under-vaccinated areas.
• Readout of President Biden's Meeting with Business, University and Health Care Leaders on COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements The White House 11 Aug 2021

China

• Chinese cities speed up vaccination for teenagers preparing for new semester Global Times 11 Aug 2021 -- Amid COVID-19 resurgence in multiple provinces across China, many cities are promoting large-scale vaccination campaigns for minors aged 12-17 on a voluntary basis during the summer holiday, in a bid to ensure that the new semester starts normally in early September.
• Over 1.8 bln doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered in China People's Daily 11 Aug 2021 -- More than 1.8 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered in China by Tuesday, the National Health Commission (NHC) said Wednesday.
• Chinese mainland reports 83 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases People's Daily 11 Aug 2021 -- The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 83 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, including 54 in Jiangsu Province, 14 in Hubei, seven in Henan, five in Hunan, two in Yunnan and one in Beijing, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Wednesday.
• China intensifies hospital-acquired COVID-19 infection control People's Daily 11 Aug 2021 -- China has stepped up efforts to prevent COVID-19 infections at hospitals as the country is reining in a resurgence of locally transmitted cases.
• China strengthens nucleic acid testing People's Daily 11 Aug 2021 -- Requirement and measures have been issued in China to strengthen nucleic acid testing amid a resurgence of COVID-19 in multiple localities.
• China's State Broadcaster Takes Down Virus Article Outed as 'Fake News' Radio Free Asia 11 Aug 2021 -- Some Chinese state media outlets have removed a report on the origins of the coronavirus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic that cited a "Swiss biologist" after the Swiss embassy said there was no such person.

Europe

• Britain reports highest daily coronavirus deaths since March People's Daily 11 Aug 2021 -- Britain recorded another 146 coronavirus-related deaths, the highest daily figure since March 12, according to official data released Tuesday.
• Macron: COVID-19 Situation in France 'More Than Difficult' Due to Delta Strain Sputnik 11 Aug 2021 -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday said that the COVID-19 situation in the country is getting very tough in light of the spread of the Delta virus variant.

Russia

• Russia's Sputnik V Vaccine 83% Effective Against Delta Coronavirus Strain, Health Minister Says Sputnik 11 Aug 2021 -- Russia's Sputnik V vaccine shows great results against the Delta coronavirus strain, with its effectiveness against it reaching around 83%, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said on Wednesday.

India

• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 51.90 Cr India PIB 11 Aug 2021 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 51.90 Cr
• COVID-19 Vaccination Update- Day 208 India PIB 11 Aug 2021 -- In a significant achievement, India's Cumulative COVID Vaccination Coverage has crossed52 crore (52,32,53,450) landmark milestone, as per the 7 pm provisional report today
• COVID-19 UPDATE India PIB 11 Aug 2021
• COVID-19 Vaccination Update India PIB 11 Aug 2021 -- The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 536 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 11 Aug 2021 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 95,647 with 536 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry said on Wednesday.
• Iran president calls on FM to accelerate imports of COVID-19 vaccine IRNA 11 Aug 2021 -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday urged Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to take the necessary measures to accelerate the imports of the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Leader: Coronavirus spread first and foremost issue of country IRNA 11 Aug 2021 -- Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that the coronavirus spread was the first and foremost issue of the country.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 16 new COVID-19 cases; entire building quarantined CNA 11 Aug 2021 -- Taiwan on Wednesday reported 16 new cases of COVID-19, including one in a New Taipei residential building that has now recorded five cases in the past two weeks resulting in all residents being placed under quarantine.
• Taiwan to begin administering domestic COVID-19 vaccine Aug. 23 CNA 11 Aug 2021 -- Taiwan will begin administering a locally-produced COVID-19 vaccine on Aug. 23, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Wednesday.

North Korea

• North Korea to Impose Hard Labor Sentences for COVID-19 Gathering Violations Radio Free Asia 11 Aug 2021 -- North Korea will impose hard-labor sentences on citizens who gather and dine in groups of more than three in violation of coronavirus quarantine rules, sources in the country told RFA.

Other Countries

• Bangladesh receives Chinese COVID-19 vaccines through COVAX facility People's Daily 11 Aug 2021 -- Bangladesh has received another batch of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped via the COVAX Facility.
• All Kazakh Regions Labeled 'Red Zone' Amid New Coronavirus Wave RFE/RL 11 Aug 2021 -- Authorities in Kazakhstan have labelled all regions of the Central Asian nation as "red zones" as they are facing a new wave of coronavirus infections.
• Rohingya refugees receive first COVID vaccinations in Bangladesh UN News 11 Aug 2021 -- More than 4,000 Rohingyas living in Cox's Bazar refugee camps in Bangladesh have received their first COVID-19 vaccine shots, as part of a national inoculation drive to curb the spread of the deadly coronavirus, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Wednesday.
• Police, Anti-Government Demonstrators Clash in Bangkok VOA 11 Aug 2021 -- Demonstrators clashed with Thai police in Bangkok Wednesday amid ongoing protests over the government's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
• More Ugandans Turn Up for COVID-19 Vaccinations VOA 11 Aug 2021 -- Uganda has resumed mass vaccinations against COVID-19 after running out of doses in June. But even with less vaccine hesitancy, essential workers say the rate of vaccination is too slow.
• More Australian Police to Enforce Sydney's COVID-19 Lockdown VOA 11 Aug 2021 -- More police are being sent to Sydney's COVID-19 hot spots as delta variant cases continue to surge in Australia's biggest city. State health authorities in New South Wales have said a lack of compliance with lockdown rules in districts with large migrant populations has been fueling the outbreak.
• Chinese Authorities in Tibet Cancel Annual Horse Race Festival Over COVID Concerns Radio Free Asia 11 Aug 2021 -- Chinese authorities in Tibet have arrested 110 Tibetans on suspicion of sharing videos of preparations for a local horse racing festival they ordered canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, sources in Tibet told RFA.