Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Global COVID-19 cases on rise again despite reduced testing: WHO People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) sounded the alarm on Wednesday over a global spike in COVID-19 cases, despite reduced testing and several weeks of declining infections.
• WHO warns about rise in global COVID cases Press TV 17 Mar 2022 -- The World Health Organization (WHO) has sounded the alarm over a global rise in COVID-19 cases, despite reduced testing and several weeks of declining infections.

United States

• Deputy Secretary of Defense Releases Workplace Guidance for Reentry of Department of Defense Civilian Personnel to DoD Workplaces DoD 17 Mar 2022 -- Today Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks issued guidance on the reentry of Department of Defense employees to their normal workplaces as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic wanes.
• The United States Shares 500 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Worldwide US Dept. of State 17 Mar 2022 -- The United States has now shared over 500 million safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses, free of cost, to more than 110 countries and economies around the world - for the sole purpose of saving lives.
• CDC sewer data suggests bump in U.S. COVID-19 cases People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- About a third of wastewater sampling sites across the United States have shown an uptick in COVID-19 cases, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Omicron subvariant spreads fast in U.S., causing nearly one quarter of new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- The BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant now makes up nearly a quarter of new COVID-19 infections in the United States, according to the latest data of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

China

• Jilin, still at transmission peak, needs concrete measures to curb COVID-19 spread: Vice Premier Global Times 17 Mar 2022 -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called on local officials in Northeast China's Jilin Province to strictly implement epidemic control and prevention measures, so as to contain the spread of COVID-19 as soon as possible.
• China updates its COVID-19 playbook to allow mild symptoms patients undergo collective quarantine Global Times 17 Mar 2022 -- China updated its COVID-19 playbook on Tuesday night, ordering COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms to go to centralized quarantine facilities instead of being hospitalized, and lowering the bar for patients to be discharged from hospital. Top epidemiologists hailed the adjustment as a "scientific and pragmatic" change that helps relieve pressure on the medical system as the country is facing the most severe outbreaks in two years, and they said that in no way can the adjustment be interpreted as the country "lying flat" facing the recent surge.
• China's Jilin hands out COVID-19 antigen test kits People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- The northeastern Chinese cities of Changchun and Jilin, hardest hit by the fresh outbreak of COVID-19, have distributed millions of COVID-19 self-test antigen kits to citizens, including students, to accelerate massive epidemiological screening.
• Asymptomatic, mild cases represent majority of COVID-19 infections in China's Jilin People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- Close to 95 percent of COVID-19 cases in the recent resurgence of infections in northeast China's Jilin Province are either asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, local authorities said Thursday.
• China updates its COVID-19 playbook to allow mild symptoms patients undergo collective quarantine Global Times 17 Mar 2022 -- China updated its COVID-19 playbook on Tuesday night, ordering COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms to go to centralized quarantine facilities instead of being hospitalized, and lowering the bar for patients to be discharged from hospital. Top epidemiologists hailed the adjustment as a "scientific and pragmatic" change that helps relieve pressure on the medical system as the country is facing the most severe outbreaks in two years, and they said that in no way can the adjustment be interpreted as the country "lying flat" facing the recent surge.
• Chinese mainland reports 1,226 new local COVID-19 cases People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- The Chinese mainland on Wednesday reported 1,226 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, down from 1,860 on Tuesday, the National Health Commission said Thursday.
• China's Jilin receives nationwide medical assistance amid COVID-19 resurgence People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- Medical assistance across China has been coming to the country's northeastern Jilin Province for the COVID-19 resurgence, local authorities said Wednesday.
• 300 more mainland medical staff arrive in Hong Kong to support epidemic fight People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- Another batch of the Chinese mainland medical staff on Wednesday arrived in Hong Kong to support the local fight against the COVID-19 epidemic.
• HKSAR gov't urges public not to let guard down on epidemic prevention People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam Wednesday called on the public not to let their guards down on epidemic prevention, as the number of COVID-19 infections in Hong Kong has not shown significant decline.
• Chinese vice premier calls for concrete measures to contain COVID-19 spread People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan called on local officials in northeast China's Jilin Province to strictly implement epidemic control and prevention measures, so as to contain the spread of COVID-19 as soon as possible.
• China's COVID-hit Jilin builds more makeshift hospitals People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- Hard hit by the COVID-19 resurgence, Jilin Province in northeast China is racing against time to build more makeshift hospitals to thwart the latest outbreak.
• Earlier, stricter measures to fight Omicron People's Daily 17 Mar 2022 -- Prevention and control measures should be in place earlier and deployed more quickly, and be stricter and more tangible, given that the stealthy Omicron sub-variant spreads quicker, said Chinese experts.

India

• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 180.80 Cr India PIB 17 Mar 2022 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 180.80 Cr (1,80,80,24,147) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,12,61,666 sessions.
• COVID - 19 Vaccination Update - Day 426 India PIB 17 Mar 2022 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 180.95 Crore (1,80,95,67,912) today. More than 13 lakh (13,77,376) Vaccine Doses have been administered till 7 pm today. More than 8.21 lakh (8,21,638) adolescents have been administered with the first dose of COVID-19 Vaccine so far. More than 2.16 Crore (2,16,24,841) Precaution Doses for the identified categories of beneficiaries (HCWs, FLWs and Over 60 years) for COVID vaccination have been administered so far. The daily vaccination tally is expected to increase with the compilation of the final reports for the day by late tonight.
• Update on COVID-19 Vaccine Availability in States/UTs India PIB 17 Mar 2022 -- The Union Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The nationwide COVID 19 vaccination started on 16th January 2021. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from 21st June 2021. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain.
• COVID-19 UPDATE India PIB 17 Mar 2022

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 98 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 17 Mar 2022 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 139,387 with 98 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Thursday.

Taiwan

• Taiwan records 91 new imported COVID-19 cases CNA 17 Mar 2022 -- Taiwan reported 91 new imported COVID-19 cases, and zero new domestic cases Thursday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).