Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• US Attorney General to Speak About Jan. 6 Capitol Riot Investigations VOA 04 Jan 2022 -- U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland is planning to speak Wednesday about the Justice Department's efforts to investigate and prosecute those involved in the U.S. Capitol riot a year ago.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Global Omicron surge drives cases to record highs in dozens of countries Press TV 04 Jan 2022 -- Dozens of countries across four continents have logged record number of infections from the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, underlining challenges facing both rich and poor nations.
• 70 per cent vaccination target must be met to ward off Omicron: WHO UN News 04 Jan 2022 -- As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to surge across the world, the UN health agency on Tuesday said that it was crucial that more is done to help all countries receive lifesaving coronavirus jabs as quickly as possible.

United States

• Remarks by President Biden Before Meeting on COVID-⁠19 The White House 04 Jan 2022
• COVID-19 Cases Will Continue to Rise, Biden Says VOA 04 Jan 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden warned Tuesday there's "going to be a continued rise in cases" and that the "coming weeks are going to be challenging" because of the highly contagious omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19.
• DAF COVID-19 Statistics - Jan. 4, 2022 US Air Force 04 Jan 2022
• U.S. single-day COVID-19 cases surpass 1 million as Omicron variant continues to haunt Europe People's Daily 04 Jan 2022 -- The United States shattered a single-day record with over 1 million COVID-19 cases on Monday amid the rapid spread of Omicron variant and government decisions to ease prevention and control measures in the country.
• US sets grim COVID record with 1 million daily cases Press TV 04 Jan 2022 -- The United States has set a grim coronavirus record, with more than 1 million cases diagnosed in a day as the highly transmissible Omicron variant is wreaking havoc across the country.
• US Registers Over 1Mln COVID Cases in 24 Hours Sputnik 04 Jan 2022 -- Over the past two weeks, the number of cases of the COVID-19 infection detected daily has been increasing in the US.
• Schools Scrambling to Respond as US Sees Record Coronavirus Surge VOA 04 Jan 2022 -- As the United States deals with its worst yet surge in coronavirus cases, students across the country are having to cope with sudden changes to try to stop the spread of infections.

China

• Xi'an health code system crashes briefly amid city-wide COVID-19 screening Global Times 04 Jan 2022 -- The health code system in Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, has gone down again, with many local residents claiming that the system wasn't working normally, as the city's lockdown entered its 13th day on Tuesday.
• COVID-19 community infection growth in Xi'an has been curbed: local government official Global Times 04 Jan 2022 -- Despite large numbers of newly reported cases in the past several days, Xi'an, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, said it has curbed the rapid rise in COVID-19 cases caused by community infections, which will provide support for further adjustment in control measures in some regions.
• Community transmission mostly curbed with strict control in Xi'an: local authority Global Times 04 Jan 2022 -- Community staff and volunteers in Xi'an, the capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, are working around the clock to meet demands ranging from the delivery of daily necessities and organizing massive nucleic acid testing, to urgent situations like quarantine transportation for its 13 million residents, which entered the 13th day of lockdown on Tuesday.
• East China city reports 26 COVID-19 cases, community spread under control People's Daily 04 Jan 2022 -- The city of Ningbo in east China's Zhejiang Province has reported a total of 26 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in Beilun District since Jan. 1, local authorities said on Tuesday night.
• Xi'an residents hit back over mass relocation, COVID-19 isolation facilities Radio Free Asia 04 Jan 2022 -- Residents of the northern Chinese city of Xi'an who were taken from their homes by the busload in a middle-of-the-night relocation operation have hit out at the conditions they were expected to stay in, as part of a compulsory "isolation" program aimed at eradicating COVID-19 in the city.
• China Records 175 New COVID-19 Cases SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- China reported 175 new coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.

Europe

• French Scientists Discover New Coronavirus Variant VOA 04 Jan 2022 -- As the world continues to struggle with the rapid spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus and the still-lingering delta variant, scientists in France say they have discovered a new variant that contains multiple mutations.
• UK Records 218,724 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- The UK recorded 218,724 new infections with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and 48 deaths in the past 24 hours.
• Johnson Confident UK Can 'Ride Out' Omicron Wave Without Another COVID-19 Lockdown Sputnik 04 Jan 2022 -- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said that the UK has a chance to "ride out" the Omicron wave without another lockdown, so he stressed there is no need for further COVID-19 restrictions apart from the ones already implemented.
• UK Hospitals Declare Critical Incidents, Urge 'More Cautious Approach' to COVID-19 Restrictions Sputnik 04 Jan 2022 -- As the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to drive cases up, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has held off on introducing stricter restrictions in England than his current "Plan B". Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, meanwhile, have opted for a toughening of the measures in place to curb the spread of the respiratory disease.
• Germany Records 30,561 COVID-19 Cases SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- Germany recorded 30,561 new novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases during the past 24 hours, pushing the total number of cases to 7,238,408.

India

• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 146.70 Cr India PIB 04 Jan 2022 -- With the administration of close to 1 Cr Doses (99,27,797) vaccine doses in the last 24 hours, India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 146
• COVID - 19 Vaccination Update - Day 354 India PIB 04 Jan 2022 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 147
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in States/UTs India PIB 04 Jan 2022 -- 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 04 Jan 2022
• Ministry of Health & Family Welfare - INITIATIVES & ACHIEVEMENTS-2021 India PIB 04 Jan 2022
• India Reports 37,379 New COVID-19 Cases SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- India reported 37,379 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said on Tuesday, the most since early September as the Omicron coronavirus variant overtakes Delta in places such as the capital New Delhi, Reuters reported.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 34 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 04 Jan 2022 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 131,736 with 34 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Tuesday.

South Korea

• S.Korea Records 3,024 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- South Korea recorded 3,024 new cases of the novel coronavirus along with 51 deaths in the past 24 hours.

Japan

• Japan irked at US military's failure to contain spread of Omicron variant Press TV 04 Jan 2022 -- The top government officials in Japan's Okinawa prefecture have blasted the US military for failing to contain the COVID-19 outbreak at its bases in the country and allowing the Omicron variant to spill over to the local population.

Saudi Arabia

• Health Minister Stresses Efficiency of COVID-19 Vaccines in Reducing Hospital Admission SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- Minister of Health Fahad Al-Jalajel stressed that COVID-19 vaccine has proven efficiency in reducing symptoms resulting from contracting the COVID-19 virus and its benefits in reducing the number of cases admitted to hospitals and alleviating pressure on hospitals. He noted that worry now is for categories that have not completed their doses, where the majority of people in ICUs are those who are not fully immunized.
• Ministry of Health Reports 2,585 New COVID-19 Cases, 375 Recoveries in Saudi Arabia SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- The Ministry of Health (MoH) announced the registration of 2,585 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 375 recoveries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the past 24 hours.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports four domestic COVID cases, including one Omicron (update) CNA 04 Jan 2022 -- Taiwan on Tuesday reported four new domestic COVID-19 cases, involving three employees at Taoyuan International Airport and a taxi driver, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said.
• Mask rules tightened, testing sites set up in Taoyuan amid COVID cluster CNA 04 Jan 2022 -- Stricter face mask rules have been introduced with immediate effect for people in Taoyuan, where several testing sites have been set up following the identification of a cluster of COVID-19 infections, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) announced Tuesday.
• Taiwan's CECC suggests offering incentives to expedite COVID-19 vaccination CNA 04 Jan 2022 -- Local governments around Taiwan have been advised to offer incentives to people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as the Omicron variant of the virus is causing new outbreaks worldwide, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Tuesday.

Other Countries

• Morocco Records 4,299 New Infections of COVID-19 SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- Morocco recorded 4,299 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 971,961.
• Kuwait Records 1,482 New Cases of COVID-19 SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- Kuwait recorded 1,482 new cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), along with 201 recoveries in the past 24 hours.
• Jordan Records 2,296 New Cases of Coronavirus SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- The Jordanian Ministry of Health announced the registration of 2,296 new infections of the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of infections to 1,069,549.
• UAE Announces 2,581 New COVID-19 Cases in Last 24 Hours SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- The UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) announced 2,581 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of recorded cases to 772,189, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported.
• Egypt Records 723 New Infections of Coronavirus SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- Egypt recorded 723 new infections of the novel coronavirus "COVID-19", along with 20 deaths in the past 24 hours.
• Brazil Registers 76 COVID-19 Deaths SPA 04 Jan 2022 -- Brazil registered 76 COVID-19 deaths on Monday and 11,850 additional cases, according to data released by the nation's Health Ministry, Reuters reported.
• Mozambique's President and Wife Test Positive for COVID VOA 04 Jan 2022 -- Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi and his wife Isaura Nyusi have gone into isolation after testing positive for coronavirus.
• Ecuador Shifts 50% of Public Sector Employees to Remote Work Over COVID-19 - Minister Sputnik 04 Jan 2022 -- The National Emergency Operations Committee (COE) of Ecuador has switched half of public sector employees to remote work until January 23 due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, Labor Minster Patricio Donoso said on Monday.
• Ontario Implements Emergency Measures to Curb Spread of Omicron Variant - Premier's Office Sputnik 04 Jan 2022 -- Schools in the Canadian province of Ontario will move to remote learning and retail stores will operate at 50 percent capacity beginning on January 5 to curb the spread of the coronavirus Omicron variant and create opportunity to administer more vaccines for maximum protection, the Premier's office said in a statement.