Other Security News
COVID-19 Pandemic News

Other Security News

• First of Two Convicted at Trial in Michigan Governor Kidnapping Plot Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison US Dept. of Justice 27 Dec 2022 -- A Michigan man was sentenced today to 16 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiracy to kidnap the Governor of Michigan and conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction against persons or property.
• New York National Guard deploys for snowstorm response Army News 27 Dec 2022 -- Four hundred and sixty New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen were on state active duty Dec. 27 to help respond to the massive snowstorm that hit the Buffalo area over Christmas weekend.
• UN chief issues global 'wake-up call' on Day of Epidemic Preparedness UN News 27 Dec 2022 -- Three years ago this month, the virus that causes COVID-19 was first detected, the UN chief reminded on Tuesday, the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
• 2022 Year In health: New Ebola and cholera outbreaks, mpox emergency, COVID-19 'not over' UN News 27 Dec 2022 -- The UN warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is still a cause for global concern, and outbreaks of cholera, Ebola and Monkeypox (now renamed mpox) led to the mobilization of health and aid workers to contain life-threatening illnesses. The UN warned that the aim of eradicating HIV/AIDS by 2030 was under threat, but a new vaccine raised hopes that malaria can be beaten.

COVID-19 Pandemic News

China

• Bodies left in homes as funeral parlors seek extra staff amid COVID-19 onslaught Radio Free Asia 27 Dec 2022 -- Bodies were piling up in people's homes awaiting cremation across China, as funeral homes recruited more staff to transport the dead amid a nationwide outbreak of COVID-19 since the loosening of pandemic restrictions.
• Easing of Quarantine Sparks Surge of Interest in China Travel VOA 27 Dec 2022 -- Chinese and international airlines are reviewing schedules and coping with a flood of inquiries about travel to China following this week's announcement that strict quarantine requirements for arriving travelers will be dropped early next month.
• No new coronavirus variant found in China as Omicron still 'dominant' Global Times 27 Dec 2022 -- No Delta variant has been found to be prevalent in China, and no restructuring of the Delta or Omicron variants has been found either, experts said on Tuesday, in response to public queries over whether there are new COVID-19 variants being detected in the country.
• China releases new measures to prepare for risks from downgrading move Global Times 27 Dec 2022 -- China has released a slew of COVID-19 response measures to instruct society and medical institutions to better address the surge of cases and achieve the goal of guaranteeing medical treatment and the prevention of severe cases as the country announced to downgrade COVID-19 management from Class A to Class B since January 8.
• Senior health expert calls on confidence as first wave of peak caseload shows no widespread deaths Global Times 27 Dec 2022 -- Some Chinese cities have undergone or are undergoing the first wave of peak infections. So far, there is no widespread death in the country and China is doing the best to protect health and lives of the public, said Liang Wannian, head of the expert panel overseeing the national Covid-19 response.
• Health officials call for appropriate precautions to deal with possible risks in early stage of COVID-19 downgrading adjustment Global Times 27 Dec 2022 -- Health officials called for taking precautions to deal with possible risks posed in early stage of the adjustment of downgrading COVID-19 from Class A to Class B, including surging COVID-19 infections and patients seeking medical treatment.
• China to resume outbound tourism, scrap tests, quarantine for arrivals Global Times 27 Dec 2022 -- China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that starting from January 8, 2023, when the country begins to downgrade the management of COVID-19 from Class A to Class B, nucleic acid tests will no longer be carried out on people entering the country, and that those with normal health declarations will no longer undergo any special process.
• China downgrades COVID management People's Daily 27 Dec 2022 -- Chinese health authorities announced late on Monday that they have decided to rename "novel coronavirus pneumonia" to "novel coronavirus infection" and downgrade the management of the disease from category A to category B starting Jan 8.
• China lifts COVID restrictions to int'l arrivals People's Daily 27 Dec 2022 -- China will cancel nucleic acid tests for international arrivals starting from Jan. 8, a statement on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website said on Tuesday.
• China ends travel quarantine for international arrivals Press TV 27 Dec 2022 -- China says it will drop quarantine requirements for international arrivals from January, in an abrupt decision to reopen its borders after almost three years.
• China to downgrade management of COVID-19 from Class A to Class B from January 8 Global Times 27 Dec 2022 -- China's National Health Commission (NHC) announced on late Monday night that the management of COVID-19 will be downgraded from Class A to Class B from January 8. This means there will be no more quarantine for people entering the country, and there will be no sealed control of COVID-19 cases and designation of high-risk areas.
• Xi Jinping makes important instruction on patriotic health campaigns People's Daily 27 Dec 2022 -- On the 70th anniversary of the launch of the patriotic health campaigns, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made an important instruction, and pointed out that, over the past 70 years, under the leadership of the CPC, the patriotic health campaigns have focused on people's health and given priority to prevention, playing an important role in changing the landscape of urban and rural environment and sanitation, effectively responding to major infectious diseases, and improving the level of social health management.
• Xi stresses protection of people's safety, health People's Daily 27 Dec 2022 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, demanded more targeted efforts to carry out patriotic health campaigns and concrete actions to protect people's safety and health.
• China to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases People's Daily 27 Dec 2022 -- China will manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases, in a major shift of its epidemic response policies.
• China urges smooth transition of COVID-19 response in holiday preparations People's Daily 27 Dec 2022 -- Chinese authorities have stressed the need to ensure a smooth transition of COVID-19 response phases in a circular on the work related to the upcoming New Year and Spring Festival holidays.

Iran

• COVID-19 kills 2 more Iranians over past 24 hours IRNA 27 Dec 2022 -- The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 144,677 with 2 more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Tuesday.

Taiwan

• Taiwan reports 24,498 new COVID-19 cases, 7 deaths CNA 27 Dec 2022 -- Taiwan on Tuesday reported 24,498 new COVID-19 infections and seven deaths from the disease, according to the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC).
• No plan to tighten restrictions on travelers as China eases rules: CECC CNA 27 Dec 2022 -- Taiwan will not follow Japan and tighten restrictions on inbound travelers from China as Beijing prepares to significantly relax its COVID-19 prevention rules next month, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) said on Tuesday.