Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Biden Warns U.S. Private Sector Of Russian Cyberattacks, Citing 'Evolving Evidence' RFE/RL 21 Mar 2022 -- U.S. President Joe Biden has warned the nation's businesses and nongovernmental organizations to immediately "harden" their defenses against potential cyberattacks by the Russian government, citing "evolving intelligence" of such plans by the Kremlin.
• Biden Calls on US Firms to Boost Cyber Defenses Amid Claims of Potential Russian Attack Sputnik 21 Mar 2022 -- This is not the first time that top US officials have reported new cyberattacks against US companies by hacker groups said to be directly or indirectly supported by Moscow. Russia has consistently denied allegations of cyberattacks against sovereign states.
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Deputy NSA for Cyber and Emerging Technologies Anne Neuberger, March 21, 2022 The White House 21 Mar 2022
• Statement by President Biden on our Nation's Cybersecurity The White House 21 Mar 2022
• Statement from CISA Director Easterly on Potential Russian Cyberattacks Against the United States CISA 21 Mar 2022 -- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly released the following statement today:
• Statement from Secretary Mayorkas on Cybersecurity Preparedness DHS 21 Mar 2022 -- Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas released the following statement on cybersecurity preparedness:
• Remarks by Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes Elizabeth Rosenberg at the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS) Hollywood Conference US Treasury 21 Mar 2022 -- how quickly the private sector has met the moral clarity of the moment, too. Major financial institutions and financial service providers have joined the hundreds of companies that are suspending or outright withdrawing from Russia. It's an enormous, very rapid wave of de-risking. You can't buy a Big Mac in Moscow anymore. Or Russian oil in Florida. The world's largest country has become an economic island.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

China

• Hong Kong to lift COVID-19 flight bans, open schools despite soaring death toll Radio Free Asia 21 Mar 2022 -- Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Monday said the city would lift some flight bans and stall plans for compulsory mass testing favored by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as the city ran out of coffins amid spiraling COVID-19 deaths.
• 10,000 doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 drug arrive in epidemic-hit Jilin frontlines Global Times 21 Mar 2022 -- Epidemic-hit Jilin Province in Northeast China has received and distributed 10,000 doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 treatment drug Paxlovid to the anti-epidemic frontlines, the first batch of this coronavirus oral pill to be used in the Chinese mainland after gaining approval.
• Hong Kong to suspend mass testing, cancel flight bans on nine countries Global Times 21 Mar 2022 -- Hong Kong will suspend citywide mass nucleic acid testing, cancel flight bans on nine foreign countries, lower the requirements for quarantine of international arrivals, and deliver epidemic prevention kits to residents, according to a series of adjusted measures that the Special Administrative Region government announced on Monday.
• Shanghai increases medical institutions to treat COVID-19 patients amid rising infections Global Times 21 Mar 2022 -- Shanghai has temporarily increased centralized treatment centers to provide treatment for infected patients, as the city is facing a severe and complex COVID-19 epidemic situation, a Shanghai government official said at Monday's press briefing. The city reported a record number of 24 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, and 734 local asymptomatic infections on Sunday.
• 4th shot to be in consideration; Vaccination rates, medicine stockpiles and medical resources to be focus of China's COVID-19 prevention strategy: expert Global Times 21 Mar 2022 -- Zhang Wenhong, Shanghai-based renowned infectious disease expert noted at a forum on Saturday that China will explore smarter COVID-19 prevention and control strategies, emphasizing that vaccination rates, medicine stockpiles and medical resources will be the focus of China's future epidemic management.
• China strives to win long-term battle against virus with more targeted measures Global Times 21 Mar 2022 -- The daily tally of COVID-19 cases in China remained high over the weekend, with 3,803 infections being reported in the Chinese mainland on Sunday, involving 21 provincial-level localities.
• Vaccination rates, medicine stockpiles and medical resources to be the focus of China's next stage against COVID-19: expert Global Times 21 Mar 2022 -- Zhang Wenhong, Shanghai-based renowned infectious disease expert noted at a forum on Saturday that China will explore smarter COVID-19 prevention and control strategies, emphasizing that vaccination rates, medicine stockpiles and medical resources will be the focus of China's future epidemic management.
• Chinese mainland reports 1,947 new local COVID-19 cases People's Daily 21 Mar 2022 -- The Chinese mainland on Sunday reported 1,947 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission's Monday report showed.
• Over 3.22 bln COVID-19 vaccine doses administered on Chinese mainland People's Daily 21 Mar 2022 -- The amount of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered on the Chinese mainland grew by over 4.15 million on Saturday, with the total number reaching over 3.22 billion, data from the National Health Commission showed Sunday.

India

• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 181.24 Cr India PIB 21 Mar 2022 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 181.24 Cr (1,81,24,97,303) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,14,03,116 sessions.
• COVID - 19 Vaccination Update - Day 430 India PIB 21 Mar 2022 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 181.52 Crore (1,81,52,45,644) today. More than 27 lakh (27,07,127) Vaccine Doses have been administered till 7 pm today. More than 32 lakh (32,36,418) vaccine doses have been administered to 12-14 years age group so far. More than 2.18 Crore (2,18,70,591) 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 21 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 21 Mar 2022

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 52 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 21 Mar 2022 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 139,662 with 52 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Monday.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 98 new COVID-19 cases, including 5 domestic CNA 21 Mar 2022 -- Taiwan on Monday reported 98 new COVID-19 cases -- five domestically transmitted and 93 that originated abroad -- and no new deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• Some 722,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Taiwan about to expire CNA 21 Mar 2022 -- Around 722,000 doses of Taiwan's COVID-19 vaccine stock will expire in March and will have to be discarded if they are not used by then, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said Monday.
• Taiwan reports 121 new COVID-19 cases People's Daily 21 Mar 2022 -- The Taiwan region of China reported 121 new COVID-19 cases, including three locally transmitted infections and 118 imported cases, the island's disease monitoring agency said on Sunday.