COVID-19 Alert - 01 February 2021

01 February 2021

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Actions by Governments

After a year of battling Covid, signs that India may not face second wave (Business Standard India)
Australia reopens ?travel bubble? with New Zealand (australianherald.com latest)
China temporarily blocks foreigners travelling from Canada due to COVID-19 (Ani News)
Corona updates: RKI reports 5608 new infections in Germany, while the incidence rate in Bonn increases slightly (General-Anzeiger)
France and Germany mull sanctions on vaccine providers as EU row over delays escalates (Telegraph)
Germany open to Chinese and Russian vaccines (Deutsche Welle)
Germany’s coronavirus vaccine rollout falters (Deutsche Welle)
India’s Covid-19 curve declines, but many nations still in virus grip (Business Standard India)
India’s first Budget amid Covid pandemic (IANS Live)
Italy Dec jobless rate rises to 9.0%, 101,000 jobs lost in the month (Mail Online UK)
Italy factory activity grows more than expected in January – PMI (Mail Online UK)
Italy’s Coalition Talks Carry On as Deadline to Avoid Vote Looms (Bloomberg)
Portugal becomes latest country to ban foreign travel (Telegraph)
Portugal to send COVID patients to Austria as infections surge leaves hospital ICUs full (Sky News)
Portugal’s two-week anti-virus ban on travel abroad kicks in (France24)
Saudi Arabia warns of virus restrictions as infections rise (Business Times Singapore)
Saudi Press: Saudi Arabia Harnesses All Capabilities to Protect Lives from COVID-19 Pandemic (Saudi Press Agency)
Singapore’s tourist arrivals fell 85% to 2.7 million, lowest in 4 decades due to COVID-19 (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The latest news on COVID-19 developments in Canada (NationalPost.com)
The latest numbers on COVID-19 in Canada for Monday, Feb. 1, 2021 (NationalPost.com)
UK – Captian Tom Moore: Boris Johnson and Piers Morgan among well wishers after news 100-year-old has coronavirus (The Independent)
UK – Health Secretary Matt Hancock set to make coronavirus announcement at press conference today (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
UK – Matt Hancock hopes for ‘Great British summer’ with majority of adults having had Covid jabs (Telegraph)
UK – Matt Hancock tells Britons they can expect ‘a happy and free great British summer’ THIS YEAR (Mail Online UK)
UK – ‘1950s Sexism’: UK Government Deletes Controversial COVID-19 Ad (B&T Online)
US – Alcohol sales hit new record in Nebraska amid pandemic; liquor, wine rose the most (Omaha World-Herald)
US – Biden invites 10 Republican senators to the White House for COVID relief talks (Mail Online UK)
US – Biden set for showdown in U.S. Congress over COVID-19 relief plan (Global News Canada)
US – Biden’s COVID response team is scrambling to find 20 million coronavirus vaccine doses the Trump administration didn’t bother tracking (Business Insider)
US – Disabled People Are Waiting, Anxiously, For Lifesaving Covid-19 Vaccinations (Forbes.com)
US – End of pandemic can’t come soon enough for 2 Arizona towns (San Francisco Chronicle)
US – First California amusement park schedules 2021 reopening after pandemic closure (Fresno Bee)
US – Indiana Republicans Differ Over Governor’s COVID-19 Powers (US News & World Report)
US – Nine nuns die from COVID-19 outbreak in Michigan (New York Post)
US – Oregon businesses cited for coronavirus health violations took millions in federal relief (Oregonian)
US – Over 100 people flew from Vancouver to Hawaii on Friday and Saturday (VancouverSun.com)
US – Recall threat sharpens Newsom’s focus on California’s troubled COVID-19 response (latimes.com – Los Angeles Times)
WHO’s latest situation report (WHO)

Actions by Companies

2 men to be charged with breaching Covid-19 laws during birthday celebration involving Mediacorp artistes (Today Online)
A billionaire investor blamed the GameStop stock surge on the government’s $1,200 COVID-19 relief checks (Business Insider)
Apple leads global tablet market in 2020; followed closely by Samsung (Business Standard India)
As Google eyes Australia exit, Microsoft looks to make inroads with Bing (Business Standard India)
AstraZeneca to deliver 9M more coronavirus vaccine doses to EU (Politico.eu)
AstraZeneca ‘to increase EU vaccine deliveries by 30 per cent’ (South China Morning Post – News)
Chevron and Exxon discussed merger last year after Covid pandemic devastated oil prices, reports say (CNBC)
China’s largest lender ICBC remains world’s most valuable banking brand, report shows (Abu Dhabi National)
Comment: Britain needs more AstraZenecas if we are to thrive in the future (Telegraph)
Embrace Opportunities Created by Saudi SABIC Chief (BEDigest)
Exxon’s Darren Woods and Chevron’s Mike Wirth spoke about combining the oil giants after the pandemic shook the wor… https://t.co/3ZPl9cnLcE (WSJ – Twitter)
Facebook, Apple will miss 2020 a lot (Emirates-Business.ae)
Indonesia to Get Up to 23.1 Million AstraZeneca Shots Via Covax (Bloomberg)
Italy cautions against using AstraZeneca jab for those over 55 (Mid Day)
JAL expects net loss of $2.86 billion in FY 2020 amid pandemic (Mainichi JP)
Julius Baer benefits from surge in trading by wealthy customers (FT.com – Companies, Europe)
Mahindra & Mahindra records 50% growth in tractor sales (Business Standard India)
Mahindra & Mahindra sells 39,149 units in Jan 2021 (Business Standard India)
Mahindra & Mahindra total sales dip 25% to 39,149 units in January (Business Standard India)
Moody’s – European pharmaceutical and healthcare mergers to pick up in 2021, while COVID-19 and social risks remain (Business Insider)
Naspers SA CEO tips digital economy to fuel restart of economy (IT Web)
Pakistan air force special jet leaves for China to bring Sinopharm vaccine (The Gulf Today)
Pandemic payoff continues for Nintendo as profit soars (Bangkokpost.com Most recent)
QNB Group gets back on strong recovery path, says chairman (Qatar Tribune)
Ryanair forecasts biggest ever loss on virus hit (Bangkokpost.com Most recent)
Ryanair planning for European expansion despite heavy losses (The Independent)
SABIC expects vaccine rollout to boost its petrochemical sales, earnings (CNBC)
Single-Shot Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Reveals 66% Efficacy Against Covid-19 (PageOne.ph)
South Africa: Eskom’s Proposed New Tariff Structure and the Catch-22 of Generating Enough Revenue As Consumers Go Off-Grid (AllAfrica.com)
StarHub, SP reach out to needy families (Business Times Singapore)
Tata Motors records 28% growth in domestic sales in Jan (Business Standard India)
UPDATED: Egypt authorises AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for emergency use (Al Ahram)
What do consumers want now? P&G bets on beard oil, cleaners (Dayton Daily News)
Zero-trust defence can help India shield world from cyberattacks: Google VP (Business Standard India)
covid vaccine news astrazeneca pfizer uk eu tom moore latest (Telegraph)

Drugs, Treatments & Vaccines

COVID-19 antibodies transmit from moms to babies during pregnancy (FirstWord Pharma)
Cambridge vaccine aims to ‘take care of’ variants (BBC)
Coronavirus updates: Drugmaker AstraZeneca to supply E.U. with more vaccine doses; Israel extends lockdown despite widespread immunization (Washington Post)
Coronavirus updates: Experts urge faster vaccinations and efforts to curb spread in response to virus variants (Washington Post)
Coronavirus vaccine would have to be 85 percent effective to stop a surge in deaths (Mail Online – Latest Stories)
Remdesivir Blocks Covid-19 Coronavirus, But Is It Worth The Cost? (Forbes.com)
SUNDAY CONVERSATION: Katy infectious disease expert explains COVID-19 mutations and how they will fare against the new vaccine (Houston Chronicle)
Vaccine ruled out as cause of death in man who had COVID-19, Placer County officials say (Sacramento Bee)
Vietnam approves AstraZeneca vaccine after new virus outbreak (FirstWord Pharma)
Why You Can Still Test Positive For Coronavirus After Covid-19 Vaccination (Forbes.com)

Societal & Economic Impact

Austrians and neo-Nazis march in Vienna, defying ban to protest coronavirus restrictionsSouth China Morning PostPolice arrested around 10 protesters and four officers were injured during scuffles Many who took part in the march ignored government regulations on mask wearing and social-distancing measures

Beach ban protest: ‘The crap of closing the beaches has nothing to do with the virus’CAPE ARGUSCape Town – Covid-19 denialists and those against wearing of protective masks were among the almost 200 people who gathered at Muizenberg beach at the weekend in protest against the adjusted Level 3 restrictions. Several beaches were the site of…

British government working on Covid recovery plan for economy: ReportBusiness Standard IndiaBritain's government is working on a recovery plan for the country's Covid-battered economy LONDON (Reuters) – Britain's government is working on a recovery plan for the country's COVID-battered economy, a source said on Sunday, as ministers direct…

Hit by pandemic, salaried middle class expects subsidies, tax reliefTimes of IndiaKolkata: Struck by Covid-19 as well as the financial turmoil triggered by it, hundreds of residents of Kolkata are still struggling to bounce back to life and are pinning their hopes on the Union budget. They expect more subsidies and tax relief for…

Hit hard by Covid-19 lockdown, economy on firm path of fragile recoveryBusiness Standard Indiais happy to inform you of the launch of "Business Standard Premium Services" As a premium subscriber you get an across device unfettered access to a range of services which include: Access Exclusive content – articles, features & opinion pieces Weekly…

India presents budget to revive economy after coronavirus slump, including twice as much spending on health careSouth China Morning Post – NewsUnveiling an annual budget on Monday aimed at reviving an economy that plunged into deepest recorded slump amid the coronavirus pandemic, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed doubling health care spending to 2.2 trillion Indian rupees…

Japan expected to extend COVID-19 state of emergency: sourcesToday OnlineTOKYO – Japan is expected to extend a state of emergency on Tuesday to fight the spread of COVID-19 for Tokyo and other areas, three sources with knowledge of the legal procedures said on Monday.

Japan likely to extend COVID-19 state of emergencyNews On JapanThe Japanese government will likely extend its state of emergency declaration for COVID-19 in the Tokyo and Osaka areas beyond February 7. It will make a decision after hearing experts' views this week. (NHK)

Protests over virus restrictions in BelgiumOutlook IndiaBrussels, Jan 31 (AP) Belgian protesters denouncing coronavirus restrictions staged a demonstration on Sunday in central Brussels and local media say police arrested about 300 people who tired to join the unauthorized action. Brussels police on…

Suspected fraudster enlisted hundreds to scam coronavirus subsidyNews On JapanTokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 23-year-old man who is suspected of exploiting a government subsidy provided due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, reports Fuji News Network (tokyoreporter.com)

Geopolitical Impact

China’s push to control Americans’ health care futureMSN CanadaFor all the polarization that grips Washington, here's a source of rare consensus: the emerging threat of China's push to acquire our health care data, including the DNA of American citizens. U.S. officials tell us the communist regime's aggressive…

Erdogan is moving Turkey towards Russia and ChinaAni NewsBy John Solomou Nicosia [Cyprus] February 1 (ANI): Facing sanctions from both the EU (European Union) and the US for a series of actions that caused anger and irritation to Ankara's western allies, President Tayyip Erdogan is gradually changing the…

Once Upon a Time, Britain, China and Hong Kong Made a Deal. Why are they Now at a Crossroads?News18.comStarting Sunday, Hong Kong residents can apply for a special visa which offers them the opportunity to become British citizens. The move by UK has come as a response to Beijing’s imposition of a national security law in the Asian financial hub last…

Thousands flee Hong Kong for UK, fearing China crackdownMillennium PostLondon: Cindy had a comfortable lifestyle in Hong Kong: she owned several properties with her husband, they had a good business going. But last year she made up her mind to leave it all behind and move her family to Britain, and not even a global…

US, NATO allies slam Taliban for destroying vital infrastructure in AfghanistanBusinessworld IndiaKabul [Afghanistan], January 31 (ANI): The United States and its North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies on Sunday demanded the Taliban to end its activities such as assassinations, kidnappings, and destruction of vital infrastructure in…

as millions are vaccinated, foreigners in China seek clarity over how and when to get the jabthestar.com.myHONG KONG, Feb 1 (SCMP): One month into the national roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations for priority groups, foreigners in China are still confused about how and when they can get vaccinated. With only a few countries approving vaccines from China and…

Cybersecurity Impact

COVID-19 PUSHES FURTHER INTO THE HEARTLANDS: IN PAHANG, 40 STAFF AT KUANTAN MUNICIPAL COUNCIL INFECTED – MB’S HANDPHONE HACKEDMalaysia ChronicleSAMSUNG CAMERA PICTURES Kuantan Municipal Council complex closed after 40 staff members test positive KUANTAN: The Kuantan Municipal Council (MPK) complex has been temporarily closed from today after about 40 of its employees were infected with…

CyberScoopNews – How the US military used a creepy island to test cyberattacks on the grid — in the middle of a pandemic… https://t.co/anjkdRv5fOCyberScoopNews – TwitterHow the US military used a creepy island to test cyberattacks on the grid — in the middle of a pandemic https://www.cyberscoop.com/plum-island-darpa-cyber-exercise-grid/ https://twitter.com/CyberScoopNews/status/1355951489844391938/photo/1

Cybersecurity – a collective responsibility and business enablerBusiness Times SingaporeThere is no doubt COVID-19 has exponentially increased the speed and magnitude of digital adoption. Globally, six in ten c-suite executives said that their organisations had accelerated their digital transformation due to the pandemic. Indeed, over…

DarkReading – IT organizations have undergone major changes necessitated by COVID-19; most expect to respond to a major breach in… https://t.co/DfRmCfFey2DarkReading – TwitterIT organizations have undergone major changes necessitated by COVID-19; most expect to respond to a major breach in the next year. In this report, learn how businesses are responding to phishing, targeted campaigns, vulnerability exploits, and DoS…

GameStop chaos shines a spotlight on Wall Street’s vulnerabilitiesWA TodayIt’s also triggered a range of controversies, lawsuits and the interest of senior politicians from both sides of US politics and has the potential to force regulatory change. In the midst of the chaos is Robinhood, accused by some of favouring hedge…

ISB Virtual Conference: Key Cyber Security Challenges and Solutions in 2021Information Security BuzzConference Title : Key Cyber Security Challenges and Solutions in 2021 Date: April 08, 2021 With over 100,000+ readers, Information Security Buzz (aka ISBuzz) is a premier independent resource that provides experts comments, analysis and opinion on the…

List of data breaches and cyber attacks in January 2021 – 878 million records breachedIT Governance BlogThankfully, January was relatively quiet on the data breach front, following a chaotic end to 2020 in which we surpassed a …

Taking on the rising cyber threatSydney Morning HeraldAustralian businesses better understand the risk of cyber than they did a few years ago and place a higher priority on a cyber security program, but they still need to have a detailed crisis management plan in place because attacks are inevitable,…

Although Silobreaker has relied on what it regards as reliable sources while compiling the content herein, Silobreaker cannot guarantee the accuracy, completeness, integrity or quality of such content and no responsibility is accepted by Silobreaker in respect of such content. Readers must determine for themselves what reliance they should place on the compiled content herein.

01 February 2021

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