Global DEVELOPMENTS

• Europe has largely reopened to American tourists. The UK is not far behind, with planned lifting of quarantine restrictions on 19 July for those vaccinated through the NHS arriving from "amber list" countries. Fully vaccinated American tourists will be allowed into the UK later in the summer. See below map for breakdown.
• New cases are surging in Spain, the UK, and the Netherlands; however, deaths remain relatively flat, highlighting the power of vaccines in reducing hospitalizations and deaths.
  
• Southeast Asia, which has for the most part managed the pandemic well, is in the midst of a spike in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines may experience shortages of hospital beds and oxygen in the coming weeks. Many countries in the region have imposed new restrictions.
  
• Latin America and southern Africa remain global hotspots for COVID-19 cases and deaths amid presence of variants and low vaccination rates.

UNITED STATES LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• Maryland-based Novavax recently announced promising Phase 3 trial results for its protein-based vaccine. The two-dose vaccine has an estimated efficacy of 90.4% based on a study of 30,000 volunteers in the U.S. and Mexico. It expects to seek emergency authorization use later this year. It does not require special refrigeration and could be the key to vaccinating the third world. 
  
• Only Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, and Michigan have not fully reopened. Michigan and Washington will be open by 1 July while New Mexico and Oregon are waiting for residents to hit key vaccine milestones. 
  
• The U.S. announced it will buy 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for distribution to 100 low-and middle-income countries.

For the latest United States case counts, click here.

The U.S. government has moved up its estimate for when every adult in  America would have access to a vaccine, up to 01 May from the end of May previously. 

SITUATION: On 1 February, the Myanmar military seized control of the government, declaring a year-long state of emergency, following a general election in which Ms. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won by a landslide.

Johnson & Johnson's single-dose vaccine received Emergency Authorization Approval (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In an effort to increase production, the Biden administration brokered a deal in which Merck would help manufacture J&J's vaccine.

EXECUTIVE PROTECTION & TRANSPORTATION CASE STUDY: MEMBERS OF CONGRESS THREATENED AFTER VIOLENT ATTACKS AT THE CAPITOL

INCIDENT: Members of Congress threatened due to January 6 violent attacks at the US Capitol Building

EMERGENCY RESPONSE CASE STUDY: SEVERE WINTER STORMS CAUSE POWER FAILURE IN TEXAS

INCIDENT: Amid record-low temperatures, millions of Texas residents lost power and access to water, prompting the need for emergency assistance for Global Guardian clients and their employee base throughout the state.