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Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• US House Votes to Hold Trump Adviser Bannon in Contempt VOA 21 Oct 2021 -- The U.S. House of Representatives voted Thursday to hold Steve Bannon, one of former President Donald Trump's longtime advisers, in contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a congressional inquiry into the January 6 rioting at the U.S. Capitol.
• DHS Releases New Strategic Framework for Addressing Climate Change DHS 21 Oct 2021 -- Today, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its first Strategic Framework for Addressing Climate Change to govern the Department's efforts to combat the climate crisis. DHS is at the forefront of national initiatives to address the impacts of climate change, including by leading efforts to build resilience in communities across our country.
• DOD Begins Fielding 5G Communications to California First Responders DoD News 21 Oct 2021 -- First responders often face communications challenges that hinder collaboration and real-time situational updates, especially in remote areas while responding to natural disasters such as fires, storms, earthquakes and flooding.
• FATF Works to Strengthen Financial Transparency, Combat Misuse of Virtual Assets US Treasury 21 Oct 2021 -- The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) concluded its October plenary today, the sixth session since the start of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With hybrid participation both virtually and in-person in Paris, FATF advanced its core work on virtual assets, beneficial ownership transparency, and illicit finance risks.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Up to 180,000 health workers may have died from COVID-19 UN News 21 Oct 2021 -- Between 80,000 and 180,000 health and care workers may have died from COVID-19 between January of 2020 and May of this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
• Researchers Raise Concerns Over New 'Delta Plus' Variant of Coronavirus VOA 21 Oct 2021 -- Researchers around the world are keeping a close eye on a mutation of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus.

United States

• U.S. approves new booster of COVID-19 vaccines, "mix and match" dose People's Daily 21 Oct 2021 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday authorized COVID-19 booster doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, and approved "mix and match" booster dose for currently available approved COVID-19 vaccines.
• US Hits 200 Million COVID Vaccine Donations Worldwide VOA 21 Oct 2021 -- The United States on Thursday marked the successful distribution of 200 million COVID-19 vaccines to more than 100 countries, a move the White House says fulfills President Joe Biden's vow to become "the world's arsenal of vaccines."

China

• New Beijing COVID-19 case caused by Delta variant; city to offer residents booster shots Global Times 21 Oct 2021 -- Beijing on Thursday reported one newly confirmed COVID-19 case linked to the recent epidemic flare-up in Northwest China, which has been identified as caused by the Delta variant, local health authorities said.
• Lanzhou suspends all elementary, secondary schools after 4 new cases reported Global Times 21 Oct 2021 -- Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu Province, suspended all elementary and secondary schools from Thursday after reporting 4 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 from 16:00 on Tuesday to 16:00 on Wednesday.
• Trains and flights canceled in northern Chinese cities amid strengthened COVID-19 prevention and control measures Global Times 21 Oct 2021 -- Over 50 percent of flights and a dozen rail routes were canceled in northern Chinese provinces that have reported COVID-19 infections. China upgraded prevention and control measures after several areas in the country have reported domestically transmitted confirmed cases and asymptomatic patients since Sunday.
• Over 2.238 bln COVID-19 vaccine doses administered on Chinese mainland People's Daily 21 Oct 2021 -- More than 2.238 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines had been administered on the Chinese mainland as of Wednesday, data from the National Health Commission showed Thursday.
• Chinese mainland reports 13 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, 8 imported cases People's Daily 21 Oct 2021 -- The Chinese mainland on Wednesday reported 13 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said in its daily report on Thursday.
• Hong Kong reports 4 new imported COVID-19 cases People's Daily 21 Oct 2021 -- Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection (CHP) reported four new imported cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, taking the total tally to 12,305.

Europe

• Johnson: Britain Sticking to Its Plan, Despite COVID Surge VOA 21 Oct 2021 -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is resisting calls by some public health officials to implement new COVID-19 restrictions, despite a surge of new infections hitting the nation.
• Europe blasts UK's Covid-19 handling as cases mount Press TV 21 Oct 2021 -- Several European countries have criticized British handling of Covid-19, as there are growing signs of fresh wave of pandemic across Europe.
• UK Gov't 'Mulls COVID Plan C' to Keep Economy Open Amid Warning New Daily Cases May Reach 100,000 Sputnik 21 Oct 2021 -- As 223 more COVID-19 deaths were reported on 19 October - the highest daily-reported figure in seven months – the chief executive of the UK's National Health Service Confederation urged ministers to roll out Plan B, including possible mandatory vaccine passports for mass events, to avert a potential NHS crisis.

Russia

• Russia Identifies New Coronavirus Variant As Moscow Tightens Restrictions Amid Record Cases, Deaths RFE/RL 21 Oct 2021 -- Russia has reported some COVID-19 infections with a new coronavirus variant believed to be even more contagious than the Delta one amid a surge in coronavirus infections and deaths that has pushed Moscow's authorities to reimpose lockdown measures.
• New Coronavirus Variant AY.4.2 Found in Russia, It May Spread, Rospotrebnadzor Watchdog Says Sputnik 21 Oct 2021 -- The new coronavirus Delta strain variant, AY.4.2, has been found in isolated cases in Russia, Kamil Khafizov, the head of the scientific group for the development of new methods for diagnosing human diseases at Russian consumer rights watchdog Rospotrebnadzor's Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, said.

India

• India achieves the major milestone of 'one billion' vaccinations India PIB 21 Oct 2021 -- In a historic achievement, the cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has surpassed the 100-crore milestone
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in States/UTs India PIB 21 Oct 2021 -- The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country
• COVID-19 UPDATE India PIB 21 Oct 2021
• India Hails 'Historic' One Billion Covid Vaccination Milestone in Nine Months Sputnik 21 Oct 2021 -- India launched a nationwide inoculation programme on 16 January 2021 which was monitored through CoWIN, a digital app. Up to this moment, only China has administered a billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines, a goal it achieved in June.
• India Marks Milestone Hitting One Billion COVID Jabs VOA 21 Oct 2021 -- India celebrated the milestone of administering one billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday, marking a key turnaround in a drive that got off the ground slowly earlier this year.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 178 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 21 Oct 2021 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 124,763 with 178 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Thursday.
• Iran's Goal Of Coronavirus Vaccine Self-Sufficiency Suffers Setbacks RFE/RL 21 Oct 2021 -- Iran unveiled its homegrown Fakhra coronavirus vaccine to much fanfare, with officials touting it as a "high-quality" inoculation.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports two imported COVID-19 cases, zero local ones CNA 21 Oct 2021 -- The Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported on Thursday two new imported COVID-19 cases and zero local infections and deaths from the disease.
• Border controls to remain until 7 million fully vaccinated: official CNA 21 Oct 2021 -- Taiwan's COVID-19 border control measures will remain unchanged until at least 30 percent of the population have been fully vaccinated, Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said Thursday.

Other Countries

• Marathon COVID-19 Lockdown Ends in Melbourne, Australia VOA 21 Oct 2021 -- A COVID-19 lockdown in the Australian city of Melbourne — officially the world's most locked down city — will end Thursday. Restrictions on leaving home will be lifted and a nighttime curfew will be scrapped because the state of Victoria has met its double dose vaccination target of 70%.