Globalsecurity.org

It was already night. The Yinhang Community health service center in Shanghai's Yangpu District was still full of COVID-19 patients receiving infusion therapy.

China has taken the initiative, not passively, to optimize its COVID-19 prevention measures and it has paid close attention to mutation of the virus and sought out better policies and treatments, Liang Wannian, head of China's COVID-19 response expert panel under the National Health Commission (NHC), told a press conference on Friday.

China will further optimize the medical insurance coverage for COVID-19 patients, with a major focus to fully reimburse hospitalization expenses, after the country decided to downgrade the infectious disease from Class A to Class B management from Sunday, according to a notice jointly issued by four Chinese government agencies on Saturday.

220.13 cr Total Vaccine doses (95.14 cr Second Dose and 22.42 cr Precaution Dose) have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive

The number of deaths from the coronavirus pandemic in Iran increased to 144,706 with two more Iranians killed by the deadly disease over the past 24 hours, Iran's Health Ministry announced on Saturday.

China has always worked to collect, analyze and assess statistics on the COVID-19 epidemic as the data is key to formulating prevention policies and understanding changes in the epidemic situation, Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a Friday press conference.

Chinese authorities have released a circular to further optimize medical insurance policies to ease the financial burden of COVID-19 patients.

While the Spring Festival travel rush, known as chunyun, officially kicked off on Saturday, China's top health authority called for enhanced epidemic prevention and medical treatment in rural areas given that many areas are dealing with insufficient medical resources and large populations. Officials stated that localities must fight the epidemic in rural areas like fighting poverty, expanding grassroots medical resources and enhancing monitoring of

The State Council joint prevention and control mechanism against COVID-19 issued the 10th edition of the COVID-19 prevention and control protocol on Saturday in accordance to the decision of downgrading the epidemic management from Class A to Class B, highlighting the monitoring of mutated variants and early warning as well as protection of key groups by preventing severe cases.

Starting from January 8, people who violate COVID-19 prevention measures will not be convicted or punished for obstructing the control of an infectious disease based on current regulations, according to a notification jointly issued by judiciary and law-enforcement authorities, as well as other relevant departments on Saturday.

Hong Kongers, worried about the possible influx of mutant strains of COVID-19 when the border with China reopens this weekend, have laid bare pharmacy shelves once stocked with nonprescription drugs for alleviating symptoms.

Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) reported 24,422 new COVID-19 infections Saturday -- all but 290 domestic cases -- and 61 deaths from the disease. all but 290 domestic cases -- and 61 deaths from the disease. and 61 deaths from the disease.

Ovidio Guzmán López, aka "El Raton", alleged drug cartel leader and son of the notorious Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán, was arrested on January 5 by Mexican authorities in Culiacan, Sinaloa state.

In December 2022, the World Health Organization reported that almost three years since the first COVID-19 case in Africa was registered in February 2020, the number of infection cases detected on the continent was around 9.5 million.

Russian consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said on Saturday that the Kraken new Omicron strain has not been detected in Russia, with the situation being closely monitored by the country's health care authorities.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskiy has praised the United States for including tank-killing armored vehicles and antiaircraft missiles in its January 6 package of military aid, saying that they will strengthen Ukraine's army on the battlefield.

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi continues to discuss the situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP) with Russia and Ukraine, the IAEA informs.

Ukraine has imposed sanctions on more than 100 Russian actors, musicians, and television personalities who Kyiv says are "propagandists of death" for supporting the war in Ukraine.

The Russian armed forces will continue to comply with the Christmas ceasefire regime despite continued shelling by Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

The new military assistance package for Ukraine includes 50 Bradley fighting vehicles with 500 TOW anti-tank missiles and 250,000 rounds of 25mm ammunition, among other items, the US Defense Department stated.