Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• Leader of North Carolina Chapter of Proud Boys Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Assault Charges in Jan. 6 Capitol Breach US Dept. of Justice 08 Apr 2022 -- A leader of the Proud Boys pleaded guilty today to felony charges for his actions before and during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others' actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election.
• Third Member Of Ukrainian Hacking Group Sentenced In U.S. RFE/RL 08 Apr 2022 -- A Ukrainian hacker who was part of a notorious cybercrime group that stole millions of credit-card records has been sentenced in Seattle to five years in prison.
• Microsoft Says Disrupts Hacking Attempts By Russian Military Spies RFE/RL 08 Apr 2022 -- Microsoft Corp says it has disrupted hacking attempts by Russian military spies aimed at breaking into Ukrainian, European Union, and U.S. targets.
• US Drug Overdose Deaths Soar VOA 08 Apr 2022 -- As the U.S. tries to emerge from the hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, health experts and law enforcement officials are concerned about another health crisis: a sharp rise in the number of drug related overdoses attributed to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
• Deputy Secretary McKeon's Meeting with World Health Organization Director-General Ghebreyesus US Dept. of State 08 Apr 2022

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• New COVID wave a reminder pandemic is 'far from over': Guterres UN News 08 Apr 2022 -- Governments and pharmaceutical companies need to work together in a better way, to deliver vaccines "to every person, everywhere" - not simply in the wealthiest nations, said the UN chief on Friday.

United States

• Statement by White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients on American Lives Saved by the COVID-19 Vaccination Program The White House 08 Apr 2022
• Wastewater data show COVID-19 may rise again in U.S.: report People's Daily 08 Apr 2022 -- Although COVID-19 cases have fallen from a pandemic-high reported in January 2022, there is some evidence that the virus may be on the rise again, said a recent report of Bangor Daily News.
• National Guard winds down COVID-19 support, remains ready Army News 08 Apr 2022 -- With COVID-19 case counts and positivity rates decreasing, the Department of Defense ended its active-duty component's support for coronavirus missions last week.

China

• Shanghai officials sacked for dereliction of duty over COVID-19 Global Times 08 Apr 2022 -- Three officials in Shanghai's Pudong New Area have been dismissed from their administrative posts for dereliction of duty and failure to control the COVID-19 outbreak, Shanghai authorities said on Friday. So far, at least five officials have been punished amid this wave of the Omicron outbreak.
• Shanghai registers 130,000 COVID-19 positive cases amid Omicron outbreak; one in critical condition Global Times 08 Apr 2022 -- Shanghai will conduct a new round of city-wide COVID-19 nucleic acid and antigen tests on Friday, as the city has registered over 130,000 positive cases since the beginning of the latest flare-up, with one case in a critical condition, the Shanghai authorities said on Friday.
• China firmly rejects US accusations about hacking Global Times 08 Apr 2022 -- China firmly opposes the US government and some cyber security companies spreading disinformation about "Chinese hacking," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday following a report claiming that hackers suspected of being linked to the Chinese government launched cyber espionage against India's power sector.
• Shanghai to open more temporary hospitals for COVID-19 treatment People's Daily 08 Apr 2022 -- Shanghai has opened and will continue to construct more temporary hospitals to enhance the city's treatment capacity for COVID-19 infections in its latest COVID-19 resurgence, authorities said Friday.
• Will the armed forces take over Shanghai communities? PLA Daily 08 Apr 2022
• President Xi defends China's 'zero-COVID' policy as cases soar in Shanghai Press TV 08 Apr 2022 -- China's President Xi Jinping commended the country's "tested Zero-Covid" strategy on Friday even as Shanghai prepared nearly 130,000 beds for new coronavirus patients.
• Shanghai warns people against 'rumor-mongering' as online pleas for food grow Radio Free Asia 08 Apr 2022 -- Authorities in Shanghai on Friday warned the city's 26 million residents not to post 'rumors' online amid growing public anger over food shortages amid a citywide COVID-19 lockdown.
• Shanghai Converting Office Buildings into Quarantine Sites as Omicron Outbreak Hits 131,000 Cases Sputnik 08 Apr 2022 -- The lockdown in China's largest city continued on Friday as health authorities registered more than double the number of symptomatic cases. However, the vast majority of cases in the six-week-long outbreak have been asymptomatic, with total cases since March 1 hitting 131,000.
• COVID-devastated Shanghai could clean up cases in the community in as soon as 10 days: CDC chief epidemiologist Global Times 08 Apr 2022 -- For a mega city of 27 million people, if one round of city-wide nucleic acid testing is completed in two to three days and up to four consecutive rounds follow closely, the outbreak could be cleared at the community level in as soon as 10 to 15 days, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said on Thursday commenting on Shanghai's most arduous fight against COVID-19 as the tally of local cases exceeded 100,000.
• Over 17,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in China's Jilin discharged from hospital People's Daily 08 Apr 2022 -- By the end of Wednesday, a total of 17,859 confirmed COVID-19 cases had been discharged from hospital in northeast China's Jilin Province, local health authorities said on Thursday.
• Shanghai vows to ensure daily supplies amid COVID-19 resurgence People's Daily 08 Apr 2022 -- Shanghai is taking multiple measures to meet its residents' demand for daily necessities, especially the essentials required by the elderly, mothers and babies, as the megacity is under temporary closed-off management due to COVID-19 resurgence.

India

• India's Cumulative COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage exceeds 185.38 Cr India PIB 08 Apr 2022 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has exceeded 185.38 Cr (1,85,38,88,663) as per provisional reports till 7 am today. This has been achieved through 2,23,73,869 sessions.
• COVID - 19 Vaccination Update - Day 448 India PIB 08 Apr 2022 -- India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 185.53 Crore (1,85,53,08,357) today. More than 12 lakh (12,82,597) Vaccine Doses have been administered till 7 pm today. More than 2.16 Crore (2,16,25,438) vaccine doses have been administered to 12-14 years age group so far. More than 2.41 Crore (2,41,82,818) 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 08 Apr 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 08 Apr 2022

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 36 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 08 Apr 2022 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 140,528 with 36 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Friday.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 507 new COVID-19 cases, 384 domestic CNA 08 Apr 2022 -- Taiwan reported 507 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday -- 384 domestically transmitted and 123 imported -- and no new deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).