Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• The Political Directors Small Group Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS US Dept. of State 07 Dec 2022 -- The Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United States hosted a meeting of political directors from the Small Group of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS today in The Hague.
• North Korea Reportedly Exploited Itaewon Tragedy in Hacking Attempt VOA 07 Dec 2022 -- North Korean hackers exploited public interest in October's tragic Itaewon crowd surge to target South Koreans with malware, Google cybersecurity researchers said Wednesday.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

• Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 07 Dec 2022

United States

• Los Angeles experiences COVID-19 surge as cases spike by 75 pct People's Daily 07 Dec 2022 -- Los Angeles County in the U.S. West Coast is experiencing another COVID-19 surge, with cases rising by 75 percent in the last week.
• Over 15 mln children in U.S. infected with COVID-19 People's Daily 07 Dec 2022 -- Over 15 million children in the United States have tested positive for COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, according to the latest report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children's Hospital Association.

China

• China Faces New Challenges After Relaxing 'Zero-COVID' Policy VOA 07 Dec 2022 -- Days after protesters took to the streets of China over Beijing's strict "zero-COVID" policy, experts say the government may soon face bigger COVID-19 containment challenges than those that came with three years of locking down entire cities.
• China loosens COVID restrictions in wake of anti-lockdown protests Radio Free Asia 07 Dec 2022 -- China on Wednesday announced a further loosening of its COVID-19 prevention measures, allowing the majority of cases and contacts to quarantine at home in an apparent bid to stave off further anti-lockdown protests and kickstart the economy.
• Localities nationwide make sustained efforts on COVID-19 response optimization People's Daily 07 Dec 2022 -- With an elevated capability for science-based and targeted epidemic response, localities across China have been making sustained efforts to optimize their COVID-19 prevention and control measures in a range of areas.
• China declares considerable loosening of COVID restrictions Press TV 07 Dec 2022 -- The Chinese government has announced a broad, nationwide loosening of strict health protocols imposed in the past years due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
• COVID response further optimized, focusing more on vulnerable group Global Times 07 Dec 2022 -- China further adjusted and optimized its COVID-19 response by releasing 10 new measures on Wednesday, including allowing asymptomatic carriers and patients with mild symptoms and those who meet certain requirements to quarantine at home. China's top health officials said these optimized measures do not signal a full relaxation, rather it is a comprehensive consideration based on experiences accumulated in response to the new characteristics of the virus.
• China's newly released 10-point plan an active move to optimize COVID response, more scientific and precise: NHC Global Times 07 Dec 2022 -- China's newly released 10-point plan is a more scientific and precise move that the country has taken proactively to further optimize COVID-19 response, rather than "a complete relaxation," leading health experts said during a press conference on Wednesday.
• SINOVAC releases key real-world data for COVID vaccine efficacy for seniors as China seeks to boost vaccination rates Global Times 07 Dec 2022 -- Chinese vaccine manufacturer SINOVAC released real-world data on the company's COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac, addressing the vaccine's safety and efficacy for seniors, a key target group for China's continued push to improve vaccination rates, particularly for those aged 80 or above.
• China releases new 10-point plan to optimize COVID response, allowing asymptomatic carriers, mild cases to quarantine at home Global Times 07 Dec 2022 -- China further adjusted and optimized its COVID response by releasing 10 new measures, including allowing asymptomatic carriers and mild COVID-19 patients and those who meet certain requirements to quarantine at home.
• Demand for COVID-19 antigen detection kits surges following policy optimization Global Times 07 Dec 2022 -- Demand for antigen detection kits has surged in China in recent days as the country moves away from large-scale nucleic acid testing toward a flexible way of combating the COVID-19 virus, public data and media reports noted.
• Chinese drug makers, pharmacies scramble to meet surging demand as government eases anti-COVID measures Global Times 07 Dec 2022 -- Chinese drug sellers and manufacturers are scrambling to ramp up supply in response to surging market demand for fever and cold drugs nationwide against the backdrop of the relaxing of epidemic control measures.
• China Announces Easing of COVID-19 Restrictions Amid Public Discontent Sputnik 07 Dec 2022 -- The Chinese government has developed a new package of 10 measures easing its notorious zero-tolerance policy for COVID-19, which has caused mass protests across the country in recent weeks, the Chinese State Council said on Wednesday.
• What to Know About Protests in China VOA 07 Dec 2022 -- Beijing residents no longer need a negative COVID-19 test to enter grocery stores, offices, airports and parks, as China relaxes its strict zero-COVID policy after an unprecedented display of civil disobedience erupted in cities across China last month.
• Demand for COVID-19 antigen detection kits surges following policy optimization Global Times 07 Dec 2022 -- Demand for antigen detection kits has surged in China in recent days as the country moves away from large-scale nucleic acid testing toward a flexible way of combating the COVID-19 virus, public data and media reports noted.
• China's top health authority encourages patients with mild COVID symptoms to stay at home for observation, treatment Global Times 07 Dec 2022 -- The National Health Commission's official WeChat account "Health China" on Tuesday reposted a CCTV interview with Wang Guiqiang, director of the infectious diseases department at Peking University First Hospital, suggesting stratified treatment for COVID-19 patients, which means asymptomatic and mild patients can be observed and treated at home, while limited medical resources are reserved for those with severe and high-risk conditions.
• Chinese mainland reports 4,351 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases People's Daily 07 Dec 2022 -- The Chinese mainland on Tuesday reported 4,351 locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said Wednesday.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 1 more Iranian over past 24 hours IRNA 07 Dec 2022 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 144,649 with one more Iranian killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Wednesday.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 16,741 new COVID-19 cases, 26 deaths CNA 07 Dec 2022 -- Taiwan reported 16,741 new COVID-19 infections and 26 deaths on Wednesday, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).

Other Countries

• Sri Lanka removes COVID-19 restrictions for passengers People's Daily 07 Dec 2022 -- Sri Lanka's health ministry on Wednesday said it removed COVID-19 restrictions that were in place on passengers arriving from overseas.
• Bangladesh to offer 4th COVID-19 vaccine shot People's Daily 07 Dec 2022 -- The Bangladeshi government has said that everyone aged 60 or above will be offered a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine in order to boost people's fading immunity against the disease.
• Up to half a million Australians infected with COVID-19: expert People's Daily 07 Dec 2022 -- A leading infectious diseases expert has predicted that up to 500,000 Australians are currently infected with COVID-19.
• COVID-19 pandemic worsens child malnutrition, stunting in Philippines: World Bank People's Daily 07 Dec 2022 -- The shocks from the COVID-19 pandemic have manifested themselves in child malnutrition and stunting in the Philippines, and reduced student learning, especially among the poor, according to a World Bank report released on Tuesday.