COVID-19 Alert - 22 January 2021

22 January 2021

This alert was created automatically by our award-winning intelligence product Silobreaker Online. Story selection is determined by an algorithm and based on queries initially set by a Silobreaker user. Contact us here for more information.

Actions by Governments

China’s disputed virus theory has shoppers shunning foreign food (The Straits Times All News)
Coronavirus digest: Netherlands introduces curfew to halt spread of new variant (Deutsche Welle)
Coronavirus variant found in Denmark is increasingly common in Northern California (star-telegram.com)
France and Germany’s ambassadors: On friendship, solidarity and the new normal (News24)
Germany sees online sales boom amid lockdown (Deutsche Welle)
Inside Switzerland’s biggest crematorium forced to extend its hours amid coronavirus pandemic (Mail Online UK)
Japan cabinet approves bill for tougher Covid-19 measures (Today Online)
More than one Covid death every minute in Mexico (FT.com – World, Americas)
Nearly one-third of Singaporeans gained weight during Covid-19 pandemic: Survey (The Straits Times All News)
Norway government to support struggling Norwegian Airlines (itv.com)
Portugal closes schools for 2 weeks amid surge of U.K. virus variant (New York Daily News)
Portugal schools and universities close for 15 days in a bid to stop COVID-19 surge (TownsvilleBulletin.com.au)
Portugal shuts schools, blames variant for COVID-19 surge (Dayton Daily News)
Portugal votes for a president amid record coronavirus infections (Politico.eu)
South Africa reels under COVID-19 variant (Deutsche Welle)
Suicides end 10-year decline in Japan as Covid-19 pandemic stress hits women harder (The Straits Times All News)
The latest numbers on COVID-19 in Canada for Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021 (NationalPost.com)
Total 145 persons detected with new coronavirus strain in India (Yahoo! India)
UAE supports plans by Asian nations to restart their tourism and travel sectors (WAM.ae Emirates)
UK – Boris Johnson ‘under pressure’ to close UK borders (The Scotsman)
UK – Boris Johnson Signals U.K. Virus Lockdown Could Last Into Summer (Bloomberg)
UK – NHS is vaccinating at rate of 200 jabs a minute, says Matt Hancock (London Evening Standard)
UK – Rishi Sunak has thrived in the pandemic, but his biggest challenges are yet to come (The Guardian)
UK – ‘Too early to say’ if lockdown will end by summer, Boris Johnson says (The Independent)
US – Amazon never offered Trump administration coronavirus vaccine distribution assistance, ex officials claim (FOXBusiness.com)
US – As the coronavirus unexpectedly slows, Tennessee holds its ground. And its breath. (Tennessean)
US – Biden to push U.S. Congress for money to fight pandemic globally (NationalPost.com)
US – Florida cracks down on ‘vaccine tourism’ amid uneven US rollout (Financial Times – UK Homepage)
US – Hundreds of Maine Farms, Food Producers Receive Virus Aid (US News & World Report)
US – It’s a secret: California keeps key virus data from public (star-telegram.com)
US – Maryland officials call for schools to reopen no later than March 1 (Washington Post)
US – Massachusetts coronavirus vaccine rollout: 306,646 people have received at least first shot (Boston Herald)
US – Massachusetts to lift business curfew and nighttime stay-at-home advisory (boston.com)
US – Pandemics won’t shut down Florida businesses again, state senator says (Orlando Sentinel)
US – Sask. watches as North Dakota continues to flatten the coronavirus curve (CTV News)
US – Signs of hope? Nearly 3,900 Americans die of COVID-19 but hospitalizations and cases are down (Mail Online UK)
US – West Virginia touts COVID-19 vaccination success story as national rollout sputters (NationalPost.com)
WHO and China criticized for slow Covid-19 responses (CNN)
WHO’s latest situation report (WHO)

Actions by Companies

11 top marketers from General Mills, Pepsi, P&G and others reveal how advertising will change in 2021 (Business Insider)
7 airlines poised to win big now that Norwegian Air is cancelling its cheap trans-Atlantic flights (Business Insider)
After Disappointing Sinovac Trial, Beijing Snipes at Western Vaccines (China Digital Times)
AirAsia seeks to raise RM454.51m via private placement (Malay Mail)
Airbus to raise jet production more slowly as pandemic bites https://t.co/H9YhSmn9XN (FT – Twitter)
Airbus to raise production more slowly as pandemic bites (FT.com – Companies)
Baker Hughes Posts Earnings Miss as Pandemic Hits Oil Demand (TheStreet.com)
Bank of America to Pay Bonuses for Staff Working Through Pandemic (Bloomberg)
COVID-19 pandemic reshaped consumer spending behaviour, Budget 2021 must reflect changes: SBI Ecowrap report (Moneycontrol.com)
Capitec gives clients R160m interest refund for payment holidays (IOL)
Capitec to refund thousands of its clients as part of Covid-19 relief (Times Live South Africa)
Chinese phone maker Honor partners with chip suppliers after Huawei split (Business Standard India)
Displaced workers from Nissan, Makati Shangri-La entitled to cash aid – DOLE (ABS-CBN News)
Eli Lilly’s antibody drug reduces COVID-19 in nursing homes in latest study (FOXBusiness.com)
Hungary approves Sputnik V and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines (Xinhua News Agency)
IBM expects to return to revenue growth this year, even as corporate customers’ focus on preserving cash during the… https://t.co/d2A1tXOq3U (WSJ – Twitter)
IDBI Bank takes prompt corrective action; all eyes now on Q3 results (Business Standard India)
Israeli Government Sharing COVID-19 Vaccine Data With Pfizer (US News & World Report)
KLM suspends longhaul flights to curb COVID-19 (CH-Aviation)
Louis Vuitton models don huge 3D renderings (Mail Online UK)
Markets likely to consolidate; RIL, Yes Bank, Bajaj Auto in focus (Livemint.com)
Mr Price sales rise on work-from-home boost, COVID-19 aid (Mail Online UK)
Netcare launches support line to keep Covid-19 patients in touch with families (Kempton Express)
Netflix comes up tops in pandemic (The Straits Times All News)
Netflix keeps growing in pandemic, passes 200m subscribers (Globaltimes.cn)
Nissan closes Sunderland production line after pandemic hits supplies of parts (Newcastle Evening Chronicle)
Nissan commits to Sunderland as COVID-19 pauses UK car production (Yahoo! Finance UK and Ireland)
Regeneron’s Antibody Miracle for Covid-19 (WSJ.com Opinion)
Siegel: ‘Disgraceful’ if Amazon delayed coronavirus vaccine help for political reasons (FOXNews.com)
Siemens Climbs as Biggest Units Beat Earnings Expectations (Bloomberg)
UAE telcos Etisalat, du raise foreign ownership to 49% (Arab News)
Unilever to insist all suppliers pay living wage by 2030 (The Independent)
Volkswagen Posts $12.2 Billion Profit in Resilient Pandemic Year (Bloomberg)
Volkswagen faces European Union fine for missing 2020 emissions targets (Business Standard India)
YTL Corp.’s Yeoh on Coronavirus, M&A, Business Strategy (Bloomberg)

Drugs, Treatments & Vaccines

Amazon offers to help with US vaccine delivery (BBC News – Technology)
Biden’s lays out national COVID-19 strategy as crisis worsens, vaccine rollout lags (ABC News)
COVID-19 and mental health (Lancet)
Coronavirus Vaccine Less Effective In New COVID-19 Strains: Fauci (International Business Times)
Coronavirus vaccine rollout would ‘move much faster’ if distributed at state, local levels: Doctor (FOX Business – Video)
KY hits daily high of 58 virus deaths; more vaccines sought (star-telegram.com)
Lilly antibody reduced Covid-19 risk by 80% in nursing… (Mail Online UK)
Mental health services for refugees in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic (Lancet)
Neuropathology associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection (The Lancet)
One year after Washington’s first confirmed COVID-19 case, cases high amid slower vaccine rollout (seattlepi.com)
Reaffirming health and safety precautionary principles for COVID-19 in the UK (The Lancet)
Safety and immunogenicity of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, BBV152: a double-blind, randomised, phase 1 trial (Lancet Infectious Diseases)
Study: Antibody drug may help prevent virus (Pittsburgh Tribune Review)
The vaccine for COVID-19 has been nearly 20 years in the making (USA Today)
Transformative learning in early-career child and adolescent psychiatry in the pandemic (Lancet)
Vaccine shortages as U.S. sees 2nd deadliest day of pandemic (CBS News)
[World Report] India begins COVID-19 vaccination amid trial allegations (The Lancet)
[World Report] South Africa responds to new SARS-CoV-2 variant (The Lancet)
the intersection of education and health (The Lancet)
α1-Antitrypsin deficiency and the risk of an urgent call to action (Lancet Respiratory Medicine)

Societal & Economic Impact

ECB Seeks New Gauges by March to Aid Pandemic Stimulus DebateBloombergOfficials want new ways to measure impact of existing stimulus ECB President Lagarde has said they’ll take ‘holistic’ view officials have asked staff to propose new ways to measure financial conditions in the euro area, potentially assisting future…

Economist: Biden’s executive orders on Covid-19 are ‘critical’ for US economyCNNEconomist: Biden's executive orders on Covid-19 are 'critical' for US economy Economist: Biden's executive orders on Covid-19 are 'critical' for US economy

France to Seek Coordination With U.S. on Pandemic Stimulus PlansBloomberg LawFrench Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said he will seek to coordinate European and U.S. fiscal stimulus efforts in talks as soon as next week, indicating unease with President Joe Biden’s plans for a massive $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief plan.

From climate change to coronavirus, ‘frayed’ global order blocks problem-solvingNationalPost.comBy Laurie Goering…

Govt rescue package for public transport extended, will now cost $83mstuff.co.nzThe government is extending financial aid to local councils experiencing an ongoing slump in public transport patronage following the Covid-19 lockdowns. The government underwrite of traditional fare revenue will have cost it $83 million by the end of…

Mongolian prime minister resigns after COVID-19 protestsToday OnlineULAANBAATAR – Mongolia's parliament has approved the resignation of Prime Minister Khurelsukh Ukhnaa after protests in the capital Ulaanbaatar over the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state news agency, Montsame, said.

New unemployment claims remain high at 900,000 as pandemic and lockdowns continue to spur layoffsMail Online UKNew applications for U.S. unemployment benefits dropped slightly last week, but remain at a historically high level that points to further job cuts in a raging pandemic. For the week ending January 16, 900,000 people filed for unemployment, a decrease…

Suicide in Cincinnati region was near or at 5-year lows in 2020 despite COVID-19 pandemicCincinnati EnquirerEven with the stress of the pandemic, suicide counts in 2020 in five local counties were at or near five-year lows, Experts say the results from Boone, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties could be due to more state resources for suicide…

Thai economy may grow 3-4% this year after COVID-19 reemerges – Finance MinisterToday OnlineBANGKOK – Thailand's economy could grow 3-4% this year, less than earlier forecast, following its biggest coronavirus outbreak yet, while the key interest rate should remain low to support domestic activity, the finance minister said on Thursday.

Vaccine rationed to north amid national supply issues, reports sayThe IndependentDelivery of doses to GPs in North East and Yorkshire will be halved next week Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile Vaccine supplies sent to the North East and Yorkshire are to be rationed because the region is ahead…

Geopolitical Impact

As Biden takes office, China again calls for relations with the U.S. to ‘return to the right track’CNBC"The two peoples (of the U.S. and China) have suffered & hope to see ties return to the right track at an early date," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Friday on Twitter. In the 36 hours after the inauguration, official commentary from…

Biden should revisit China trade deal to weed out problem spots for U.S. agriculture -BraunNasdaqBy FORT COLLINS, Colo., Jan 21 (Reuters) – U.S. grain and oilseed producers cheered when the United States signed the Phase 1 trade deal with China a year ago, as it suggested one of their most crucial customers would be back in the American market…

Brexit, Virus Put U.K. Firms on Alert About Raw-Material ShortagesBloombergU.K. manufacturers are growing that supplies of raw materials will be disrupted, hitting factory output in the coming months. The concern reflects the impact on businesses from coronavirus restrictions, as well as customs and borders delays linked to…

COVID-19 versus Brexit: Pandemic wins by a knockoutChristian Science MonitorAfter five years of intense debate, Britain is now finally, fully, out of the European Union. But its departure, when it happened on Jan. 1 st , turned out to be something of an anticlimax. That’s because the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government’s…

China failed to buy agreed amounts of U.S. goods under ‘phase one’ trade deal, data showsCNBCChina has so far failed to meet its committed purchases of U.S. goods under the "phase one" trade deal that it struck with the Trump administration. In 2020, China imported $100 billion of the U.S. goods agreed to in the deal — roughly 58% of the…

Germany’s Merkel stands by Russia pipeline that United States opposesBusiness Standard IndiaThis is likely to be an irritant in generally improved relations with the new Biden administration German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that she isn't abandoning a German-Russian gas pipeline project that faces US sanctions, although it's…

Hong Kong issue: China targets US over ‘blatant interference’India BloomsBeijing: China has condemned the US stance of blatant interfering in Hong Kong affairs, a region which is continuously in conflict with Beijing. "China firmly rejects and strongly condemns the U.S. practice as it is blatant interference in Hong Kong…

India miles ahead of China in vaccine diplomacyOneindiaIndia is clearly gaining the edge over China when it comes to vaccine diplomacy. Free shipments containing the first batch of Covishield which is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India have already reached many nations. 2 million doses were…

Indian Iron Ore Exports To China Surged In 2020, But India’s Own Needs Keep It From Being A Key SupplierTheStreet.comIndia is not poised to become a major new supplier of iron ore to China, despite an increase in iron ore trade between the two countries in 2020, according to analysts. China's imports of Indian iron ore rose 88 per cent last year to 44.8 million…

Trump’s outgoing UN ambassador infuriates China with ‘Taiwan bear’ tweet in final swipe at BeijingThe IndependentKelly Craft emphasised that the US’s support to Taiwan enjoys bipartisan support Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile Donald Trump ’s outgoing UN ambassador Kelly Craft , in one final swipe at Beijing, said the time…

Vaccines Turn Into Geopolitics in Europe’s Most Volatile RegionBloomberg LawThe coronavirus exposed lingering divisions in the Balkans, and now Europe’s most volatile region is once again cleaving along geopolitical and ethnic lines over efforts to get people vaccinated.

Will Biden ease the sky-high tension between the U.S. and China?CBS NewsBy Ramy Inocencio January 21, 2021 / 11:52 AM / CBS News Beijing — When it comes to U.S.-China relations, the Biden administration has inherited a relationship under enormous strain. The two powers have clashed over issues ranging from trade, the…

Cybersecurity Impact

Analysis: How Will Biden Address Cybersecurity Challenges?BankInfoSecurityThe latest edition of the ISMG Security Report features an analysis of the cybersecurity challenges the Biden administration must address. Also featured: payments security advice from Verizon; the outlook for the lifting of restrictions tied to the…

Biden’s COVID strategy includes Intel review of cyber risks to vaccine rolloutThe HillPresident Biden is tapping his new head of national intelligence to assess cyber and foreign interference risks to the vaccine process as part of the administration's plan to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. The national strategy, which Biden…

Business interruption, pandemic, cyber incidents top global business risksBernamaKUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — COVID-19-related issues, namely business interruptions, pandemic outbreak and cyber incidents are the top three business risks this year, according to the Allianz Risk Barometer 2021. The annual survey on global business risks…

CyberScoopNews – The poses a major #cybersecurity threat for #healthcare organizations. According to @proofpoint’s R… https://t.co/HYcO0Uc8EnCyberScoopNews – TwitterThe COVID-19 crisis poses a major #cybersecurity threat for #healthcare organizations. According to @proofpoint's Ryan Witt, an uptick in social engineering techniques gaining momentum with threat actors requires security strategies that focus on…

How COVID-19 Has Changed Cybersecurity for Government DepartmentsSecurity Bloggers Network…

InfoSecHotSpot – Cyberattackers breaking in through COVID-19 vaccination data Cybercriminals infiltrate through the roll-out of the… https://t.co/7y0BqmN7sNInfoSecHotSpot – TwitterCyberattackers breaking in through COVID-19 vaccination data Cybercriminals infiltrate through the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine! The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the United States’… The post Cyberattackers breaking in through COVID-19…

PH has command-and-control war room for COVID-19 operations — GalvezManila BulletinNews / National / Share it! [mashshare] PH has command-and-control war room for COVID-19 operations — Galvez The Philippine government has a command and control war room at the military general headquarters to rein in the deadly coronavirus disease…

Russia-linked spyware found on school laptops given to children by governmentThe Independent"Upon unboxing and preparing them, it was discovered that a number of the laptops were infected with a self-propagating network worm," one teacher reportedly wrote Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile Laptops…

opexxx – The pandemic has changed everything – even cybersecurity. Read this unlocked ISACA Journal article. Join now to exp… https://t.co/Y9yJg2P1nyopexxx – TwitterThe pandemic has changed everything – even cybersecurity. Read this unlocked ISACA Journal article. Join now to explore the archives! https://bit.ly/35YPP7C https://twitter.com/opexxx/status/1352509078359207936/photo/1

threatinsight – RT @EdScoop_news: The poses a major #cybersecurity threat for #healthcare organizations. According to @proofpoint’s Ryan Wi…threatinsight – TwitterRT @EdScoop_news: The COVID-19 crisis poses a major #cybersecurity threat for #healthcare organizations. According to @proofpoint's Ryan Witt, an uptick in social engineering techniques gaining momentum with threat actors requires security strategies…

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.

22 January 2021

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