Brazil (Security threat level – 3): On 1 December 2020, an unidentified armed group targeted several banks in Cametá, a town located approximately 230 km (140 mi) southwest of Belém, the capital of Pará state. Concurrently, armed men attacked a local military police station, which prevented some police units from responding to the scene of the bank robberies. Reports indicate that the bandits used hostages as shields while making their escape, during which one person was killed and another was shot in the leg and later hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities have requested that residents remain in their homes as the investigation and search for the assailants continues.
Analyst Comment: In a similar event that occurred overnight on 30 November-1 December, an unidentified armed group robbed four banks in Criciúma, Santa Catarina, a city located on the opposite end of the country. The two events appear similar in scope and strategy.
United States (Security threat level – 2): On 1 December 2020, the city council of Tucson, Arizona, voted to impose a citywide nightly curfew from 2200 to 0500 local time (0500-1200 UTC) as of 4 December in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. The nightly curfew, which runs until 23 December, provides exemptions for individuals traveling to work or for other essential activities. Emergency personnel and those designated as essential workers are also exempt from the curfew.
India / Sri Lanka (Security threat levels – 3 / 4): As of 1500 UTC on 2 December 2020, Tropical Cyclone Burevi was located approximately 680 km (420 mi) east of the city of Cochin, India, and was moving west-northwest at 22 kph (14 mph), according to the U.S. Joint Typhoon Warning Center. At that time, Burevi was generating maximum sustained winds of 75 kph, with gusts of up to 93 kph. On its current forecast path, the storm is expected to strengthen before making landfall near the district of Trincomalee in northern Sri Lanka on the evening of 2 December. Burevi is then expected to travel into the Gulf of Mannar before affecting the southern Indian coast on 3 December, making landfall near the towns of Kanniyakumari and Pamban in Tamil Nadu state during the early hours of 4 December.
In Sri Lanka, approximately 75,000 people have evacuated from the east coast, where Burevi is expected to cause flash flooding and damage coastal infrastructure as it makes landfall near the Trincomalee district, where the government has erected 237 shelters. Indian authorities have issued a red alert in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu and deployed 26 emergency response teams in preparation for the storm’s arrival.
Austria (Security threat level – 2): On 2 December 2020, authorities announced that Austria will return to a nightly curfew after the current nationwide total lockdown expires on the evening of 6 December. The curfew will be in effect as of 7 December from 2000 to 0600 local time (1900 to 0500 UTC) until further notice. Gatherings during daylight hours are permitted with a maximum of six adults and six children from no more than two households. Hotels, cafés, bars and clubs will remain closed until at least 7 January, and Christmas markets remain banned. Additional restrictions are in place during the holidays to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer people.
Argentina (Security threat level – 3): On 1 December 2020, the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) issued updated travel advice for Argentina, which reads in part as follows: “In Argentina, measures to control the spread of COVID-19 have been extended until at least midnight on 20 December. With the exception of the metropolitan area of Bariloche and Dina Huapi (Rio Negro province), and Puerto Deseado (Santa Cruz), which remain under mandatary social isolation (ie. lockdown), the rest of the country is now in a phase of mandatory social distancing. The restrictions imposed may vary between jurisdictions. Under mandatory social distancing, free movement is allowed within each jurisdiction provided that social distancing rules are adhered to. The use of public transport within jurisdictions remains restricted to essential workers and those in need of medical treatment.”
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