Coronavirus: A timeline of the outbreak related to the deadly Sars - September 2020
- The latest news and statistics about the Covid-19 pandemic
- The novel coronavirus has symptoms that include fever, tiredness, a sore throat and dry coughs
As the Covid-19 virus out of Wuhan, China, spreads around the world, nations scramble to respond with tighter checks on citizens and visitors. So far, we know that it spreads from human to human, and that symptoms include a fever, coughing and difficulty breathing.
Experts have identified the virus as a coronavirus, the same kind of pathogen as that which caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which killed more than 800 people in 2002/03 and also started in China.
As events are reported, we will insert them on the day they happened, so some new reports might be further down the timeline.
Here's the latest:
2019 - January February March April May June July August October November December January
Sep 30
World Bank wants $12 bn for virus vaccine in poor nations
Cases rising among US children as schools reopen, with children making up 10 per cent of all US cases
Trump travels to Minnesota for a fundraiser at a private home in suburban Minneapolis and an outdoor rally in Duluth. His aide, Hope Hicks is among the White House aides who accompany Trump on the trip. She feels unwell on the return trip and isolates herself aboard Air Force One.
N.Korea says 'faults' found in anti-epidemic work amid controversy over slain S.Korean
British health experts admit the virus is out of control as case numbers and hospital admissions rise despite a slew of new restrictions on social gatherings.
Cruise ship in Greece given coronavirus all-clear after a “false alarm” where crew members thought to have contracted the virus tested negative. The Maltese-flagged Mein Schiff 6, operated by Anglo-German travel giant TUI, is carrying 922 passengers and 666 crew -- the first cruise ship to sail in Greece after a lockdown imposed in March. It moored in Piraeus early Tuesday.
Singapore to allow Australian and Vietnamese visitors from next month
Indian study says more than 60 million may have caught virus
Britain hits 7,000 daily coronavirus infections amid lockdown debate
As of 6 pm, 33,879,038 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 25,175,272 and 1,013,241 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Lucia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City
Sep 29
Thailand to slowly restart tourism with flight from China
Moscow extends school holiday
Botswana extends emergency measures
The University of North Carolina system reports its first coronavirus-related student death since several campuses reopened with at least partial in-person learning last month.
US biotech firm Regeneron says its antibody cocktail against the coronavirus reduced viral load and recovery time in non-hospitalised patients during an early-stage clinical trial.
Trump travels to Cleveland for a 90-minute presidential debate against Democratic rival Joe Biden. The two men are both tested ahead of the debate and stand behind lecterns positioned a good distance from one another. They do not wear masks during the faceoff, but also do not shake hands under pre-arranged rules. White House aide Hope Hicks is part of a large entourage that travels to Ohio with Trump aboard Air Force One for the debate, including members of the Trump family. Trump’s adult children and senior staff do not wear masks during the debate, violating host rules.
A cruise ship with reported infections docks at Greek port Piraeus. Maltese-flagged Mein Schiff 6 operated by German travel giant TUI, is carrying 922 passengers and 666 crew. Twelve crew members have tested positive, so far.
Antigen tests: blunt but fast Covid weapon, says experts
Antigen test
As of 6 pm, 33,581,042 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 24,899,699 and 1,006,985 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 10: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City
Sep 28
Chinese Super League teams exit 70-day virus 'bubble'
European airports deploy rapid virus tests, sniffer dogs to unlock travel
Forbes reports that weeks after the motorbike rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, there has been an steady increase in Covid cases, with new records being set almost daily. Still, according to Governor Kristi Noem, only 8 per cent of the state's hospital beds occupied by Covid patients.
UK students expected to be able to go home for Christmas - junior skills minister Gillian Keegan told BBC Radio
Puzzled scientists seek reasons behind Africa's low fatality rates from pandemic. The new virus was already wreaking havoc in wealthy Asian and European nations, and a United Nations agency said in April that, even with social-distancing measures, the virus could kill 300,000 Africans this year. In May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that 190,000 people on the continent could die if containment measures failed. Yet as the world marks 1 million COVID-19 deaths, Africa is doing much better than expected, with a lower percentage of deaths than other continents. Zimbabwe begins gradual reopening of schools, Kenya reopens bars, eases virus measures as cases fall, South Africans say things are almost back to normal.
Mexico ups its “estimated” COVID-19 deaths to 89,612, and boosts estimates of its total number of cases to 870,699, almost 137,000 more than it previously recognised
Dutch advise masks in shops as virus surges.
Trump surveys a truck produced by Lordstown Motors on the White House South Lawn at an event attended by two members of Congress and three representatives from the Lordstown, Ohio, manufacturer. Trump holds a Rose Garden event to announce an administration effort to distribute millions of coronavirus test kits to states. The event is attended by administration officials including Vice President Mike Pence, members of Congress and state officials.
Saudi Arabia announces G-20 gathering of world leaders will be virtual. The meeting is slated for Nov. 21-22
India’s confirmed cases tally reaches 6 million
Chile lifts restrictions and its capital, Santiago is flooded with millions of people.
The US deploys tens of millions of new, rapid tests that don’t require laboratory equipment to analyse. The Abbott test has been lauded as a breakthrough by public health officials. A single-use device about the size of a credit card, the test provides results within just 15 minutes without using any laboratory equipment, so it can be administered almost anywhere. It still requires nose-swabbing.
As of 6 pm, 33,342,491 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 24,655,268 and 1,002,974 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 10: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City
Sep 27
The world crosses the 1 million deaths mark
A 61-year-old father-of-two from Afghanistan becomes the first death in a Greek migrant camp.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera launches plan for US$2 billion in subsidies aimed at creating new jobs or recovering those lost during months of lockdown
Hundreds protest in Madrid against partial lockdown
Israelis mark Yom Kippur under 'painful' virus lockdown
US President Trump visits his golf course in Sterling Va, and holds a late afternoon news conference in the White House briefing room. The president and his wife hold an early evening reception for Gold Star Families on the White House State floor.
Sep 26
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledges at the UN to help the world produce and deliver potential coronavirus vaccines
WHO warns 2 million virus deaths possible
Australia urges vaccine-sharing
Trump announces the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. Multiple people who attended the Rose Garden ceremony, including Trump, later test positive for the virus.
Trump holds a campaign rally in Harrisburg, Pa., attended by thousands of supporters, many not wearing masks.
Sep 25
'Enough is enough': China attacks US at Security Council. “The US has nearly seven million confirmed cases and over 200,000 deaths by now. With the most advanced medical technologies and system in the world, why has the US turned out to have the most confirmed cases and fatalities?” Zhang Jun asks
Sep 24
Young adults now the largest group of Americans getting COVID-19, CDC says
Sep 23
As of 6 pm, 31,825,033 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 23,428,124 and 976,157 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City
North Korean soldiers shot dead a suspected South Korean defector at sea and burned his body as a coronavirus precaution after he was interrogated in the water over several hours, Seoul military officials said. “We assess it was carried out under the North’s anti-coronavirus measur.”
Sep 22
The coronavirus pandemic appears to be accelerating worldwide, with new cases soaring last week to a new seven-day high of almost two million, even as new deaths decreased, WHO statistics show.
As of 6 pm, 31,505,212 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 23,132,398 and 969,771 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor Leste and Vatican City.
Sep 21
As of 6 pm, 31,259,780 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 22,843,618 and 965,328 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has risen to 11: Anguilla, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent Grenadines and Vatican City.
Nigerian health workers suspend strike over hazard pay
Indonesian gravediggers are under strain as burials surge in Jakarta
Schools in Seoul and nearby areas resumed in-person classes for the first time in almost a month after daily cases dropped to the lowest levels since mid-August.
Australia’s coronavirus hotspot of Victoria reports its lowest daily rise in infections in three months, although state Premier Daniel Andrews said there were no plans yet to ease restrictions sooner than expected.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern lifts all coronavirus restrictions across the country, except in second-wave hotspot Auckland, as the number of new infections slowed to a trickle.
India’s famed Taj Mahal and some schools reopen as authorities pressed ahead with kickstarting the nation’s coronavirus-battered economy despite soaring infection numbers.
Britain is at "tipping point" according to health minister Matt Hancock
Sep 20
'Virtual' Emmys open with cardboard cutouts, remote video calls
Thousands march in Berlin in support of refugees in Greece
Italy defies virus for vote as far-right plots seismic change
Sweden spared surge of virus cases but many questions remain
Street life slowly returns to Mexico, even as the toll climbs
Sep 19
Romanian families protest mandatory use of masks in school
Street life slowly returns to Mexico, even as the coronavirus toll climbs
World passes the 31 million mark of infections
Sep 18
Qantas' seven-hour non-stop flight around Australia launched for travellers missing the experience of flying sold out in 10 minutes, the airline says - the fastest sale on record.
Satellite images show North Korea preparing for military parade.
South Africa should know its true pandemic toll within a few weeks, Salim Abdool Karim, the government’s chief medical adviser, says, warning that it would likely double.
As of 6 pm, 30,375,397 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 22,060,016 and 950,988 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 10: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent Grenadines and Vatican City.
Over the last 24 hours, India records 96,793 new cases and 1,174 deaths.
US CDC backtracks on controversial virus testing guideline change, saying that people who have been in close contact with someone found to have the virus, should get tested.
Sep 17
As of 3 pm, 30,042,478 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 21,808,419 and 945,164 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 9: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.
Jordan warns it will jail people who organise large events.
The world crosses the 30 million infections mark, the US crosses the 200,000 deaths mark. India reports 97,859 cases in the last 24 hours to surge past the 5 million mark.
US presidential contender Joe Biden rails against Trump's "almost criminal" virus response, claiming the president was only worried about the stock market, and not people's best interests.
Quantas, Australia's flagship airlines launches 7-hour Australia scenic flight to nowhere for people who miss travelling during the pandemic.
As India's virus cases rise, so do questions over its relatively low death toll.
Chinese vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech plans to start a clinical trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine with children and adolescents later this month, widening its test on a shot that’s already in the final stage of study with adults.
Wuhan next-of-kin accuse China of blocking Covid lawsuits. They have wanted to sue the government, but claim they have had their lawsuits abruptly rejected, dozens of others face pressure from authorities not to file, and lawyers are being warned against helping them, according to people involved in the effort. The families accuse the Wuhan and Hubei provincial governments of concealing the outbreak when it first emerged there late last year, failing to alert the public, and bungling the response, allowing Covid-19 to explode out of control.
Rich nations representing a fraction of the global population have already bought up over half the promised Covid-19 vaccine stocks, a study showed, as US President Donald Trump pledged to begin inoculating Americans within weeks.
Olivia Troye, a former advisor to US Vice President Mike Pence, releases a video claiming President Trump said “Maybe this Covid thing is a good thing. I don’t like shaking hands with people. I don’t have to shake hands with these disgusting people.”
Sep 16
As of 6 pm, 29,762,686 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 21,563,829 and 939,935 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 9: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.
Trump administration unveils its vaccine distribution plan. The 11-page overview and 57-page playbook developed by the departments of Health and Human Services and Defense are intended to assist state, tribal, territorial and other local public health programs. HHS broke down the process into first communicating with local officials to promote the vaccine, distributing it, ensuring the reliability of the supply chain, and monitoring the vaccine's administration.
Vietnam resumes flights to six Asian territories: Laos, Cambodia, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan
Russia will sell 100 million doses of its vaccine to India
Masks may do more than a vaccine to protect against COVID-19, CDC director Robert Redfield says.
Sep 15
Cemeteries in the Philippine capital Manila will be closed on All Saints’ Day for the first time, preventing millions in the Catholic-majority country from visiting their dead loved ones as the virus rages. Filipinos usually pour into graveyards on November 1, blending expressions of faith and grief with a party-like atmosphere and impromptu family reunions.
Camel racing storms back in Sinai after virus hiatus
Michael Caputo, assistant secretary for public affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says, without evidence, that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was harboring a “resistance unit” determined to undermine President Donald Trump. The top communications official at the U.S. cabinet department in charge of combating the virus told his followers in a Facebook Live session that government scientists were engaging in “sedition” in their handling of the pandemic, the New York Times reports
China locks down the city of Ruili in western Yunnan province on Myanmar's border
As of 6 pm, 29,466,633 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 21,292,330 and 933,150 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 8: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.
The numbers of cases attributed to the motorbike rally in Sturgis may not hold up. The study, published by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, suggested that 250,000 cases had arisen from the event. Other scientific heavyweights have urged caution, suggesting the numbers were delivered too quickly, when riders had barely had time to return home and spread the infection. Others said the number was the absolute worst case scenario. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, said no such spikes had been noted.
Germany finds more cases of African swine fever among wild boars
Sep 14
WHO delivers Europe death warning as infections hit new high.“It’s going to get tougher. In October, November, we are going to see more mortality,” WHO Europe director Hans Kluge told AFP in an interview. “COVID-19 has brought to light the weaknesses and strengths of European society. It has bluntly revealed the reality of our health systems.”
Nearly 40 countries across five continents have received Cuban medics during the pandemic, as the island nation - home to just over 11 million inhabitants - has once more punched far above its weight in medical diplomacy. Togo’s government has praised the brigades as an example of south-south cooperation, calling it a “turning point” in their relations. Even wealthy, western nations like Andorra and Italy have welcomed Cuban medics to help fight the pandemic, as have countries that are not politically aligned with Cuba, such as Peru. Some of the countries are paying for the medics.
Women grieve stillborn babies as virus hits maternity care in rural India
Sep 13
India records 93,215 cases in the past 24 hours
Austria experiencing second virus wave says chancellor
Cuban government moves to silence independent journalists
Preparing for the worst, US health agencies mount unprecedented flu shot drives
Marseille soccer fans pour on to the city's streets after victory over PSG
Sep 12
The world passes 29 million infections.
Antarctica is still free of COVID-19. Can it stay that way?
Ivanka Trump accepted a flippant challenge by “The View” host Joy Behar to take the first COVID-19 vaccine that legally hits the market.
The United States is supported only by Israel in a vote against a United Nations resolution for a “comprehensive and coordinated response” to the pandemic, a text that includes recognition of the World Health Organization’s leadership role.
Angola doctors march against virus-linked police violence
Sep 11
Latin America and Caribbean pass eight million virus infections.
Results of India’s first nationwide study of prevailing coronavirus infections found that for every confirmed case detected in May, authorities were missing between 82 and 130 others.
South Africans are stunned to learn at the amount of graft and plain theft that has taken place from funds earmarked for fighting the virus, leading to a new word "covidpreneur".
Ethiopians welcome the beginning of a new year: 2013. Following a calendar seven years behind the Gregorian one used by much of the world, Ethiopians marked the beginning of 2013. “The 2012 Ethiopian calendar is a year where we went through a lot. There was a big punishment as a result of (God’s) wrath,” said Emkulu Yiheyis, an Ethiopian Orthodox priest. “But it was not as big as we thought it would be, because of God’s will it was easier, and we are here now. “We were largely protected from going through the horror we saw elsewhere.”
Thousands of supporters of Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr gathered at a mosque in east Baghdad for the first weekly prayers since the onset of the pandemic.
One of Pope Francis’ top collaborators and a future papal contender, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Vatican says
Thousands protest after Greek refugee camp burns down on Lesbos.
Sep 10
Sturgis Motorcyle Rally linked to more than 265,000 cases of Covid-19. A new study that analysed cell phone pings for rally attendees and the Covid-19 case numbers in the communities they returned to estimates that more than 265,000 infections confirmed between August 2 and September 2 trace back to the massive gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts in South Dakota. DPA
Jordan brings back mandatory military service as unemployment rises.
Outbreak hits 19 at sumo stable in Japan. One wrestler and 18 trainees at the Tamanoi stable have tested positive for the virus, with 12 of those infected sent to hospital.Sep 8.
The world crosses the 28 million mark of confirmed cases and the number of recoveries crosses the 20 million mark..
As of 6 pm, 28,050,208 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 20,117,592 and 908,434 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases has fallen to 8: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.
China National Biotec Group says none of the recipients of its two coronavirus shots has reported an obvious adverse reaction or infection, as the Chinese vaccine front-runner presses ahead with testing after AstraZeneca Plc suspended its trial. Hundreds of thousands of people have received the Covid-19 shots so far, the vaccine developer, a subsidiary of state-owned drugmaker Sinopharm said on its official WeChat account. The vaccine is being administered under an emergency-use program that allows experimental shots to be used for frontline workers before they complete final testing.
Trump revels in packed Michigan crowd amid Bob Woodward's book fallout
Sept 9
Revelations from a book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward emerge just as US President Donald Trump’s campaign was beginning to feel that the virus was receding. Among many shocking details were the dire warnings from top Trump national security officials to the president in late January that the virus that causes COVID-19 could be as bad as the devastating influenza pandemic of 1918. On Feb. 25, just weeks before much of the country was forced to shut down because of the pandemic, Trump declared the virus “very well under control in our country.”
AstraZeneca pauses vaccine trial after unexplained Illness
Fires at a refugee camp for two consecutive nights leave thousands of people homeless on the Greek islands of Lesbos
Sep 8
As of 6 pm, 27,510,544 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 19,605,017 and 897,231 people have died. Only 11 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Vatican City.
Morocco lockd down Cassablanca.
India announces it will open the Taj Mahal on September 21, even as cases rage and it becomes second on the list of most cases found.
Sep 7
As of 6 pm, 27,301,144 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 19,373,230 and 893,136 people have died. Only 11 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Vatican City.
Hong Kong’s plan to test every resident is being hobbled by limited take-up as a wary public steer clear of the China-backed health scheme.The free voluntary tests are part of an attempt to stamp out a third wave of infections that began in late June and saw the densely populated city reimpose economically painful social distancing measures. But the involvement of mainland Chinese testing firms has deterred many in a politically divided city convulsing with resentment towards Beijing’s rule.
The Tokyo Olympics will go ahead next year regardless of the virus situation says John Coates, the International Olympic Committee’s Vice President.
India reports global daily record of 90,632 new cases, India passes Brazil for world's second most virus cases.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited typhoon-stricken areas in the northeast, fired a top official there and promised to send 12,000 workers from Pyongyang for recovery efforts, state media report.
Sep 6
The world crosses the 27 million infections mark.
Lockdown rules forced Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini to host a scaled down version of the annual reed dance celebration.The king invited only 30 maidens to his eNyokeni Royal Palace for the annual highlight which usually attracts thousands of virgins.
Governor Andrew Cuomo hails 29th straight day of under 1% positivity rate for NY.
About 90% of Sinovac Biotech employees and their families have taken an experimental coronavirus vaccine developed by the Chinese firm under the country’s emergency use programme, its chief executive says. The extent of inoculations under the emergency programme, which China launched in July but has released few details about, points to how actively it is using experimental vaccines in the hopes of protecting essential workers against a potential COVID-19 resurgence, even as trials are still underway.
Sep 5
As of 6 pm, 26,489,708 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 18,677,060 and 873,554 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Vatican City.
India's cases cross the 4 million mark.
Nigerian doctors go on strike over pay.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warns that there is a risk of famine and widespread food insecurity in four countries affected by conflict — Congo, Yemen, northeast Nigeria and South Sudan — and the lives of millions of people are in danger.
Sep 4
As of 6 pm, 25,930,194 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 18,213,429 and 861,746 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.
New Zealand records first Covid-19 death in more than three months.
Mice have become a vital source of protein in Malawi since the outbreak aggravated food shortages and economic hardship.
India reports daily jump of 83,341 infections. Thailand reports its first local case in 100 days
Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg holds a children only press conference, where only kids are allowed to ask questions.
The independent panel appointed by the World Health Organisation to review its coordination of the response to the pandemic begins its probe. It will have full access to any internal UN agency documents, materials and emails necessary. The panel’s co-chairs are former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who announce the 11 other members during a media briefing. They include Canadian pediatrician Dr Joanne Liu, who was an outspoken WHO critic while leading Medecins Sans Frontieres during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa; Dr. Zhong Nanshan, a renowned Chinese doctor who was the first to publicly confirm human-to-human transmission of the coronavirus; Mark Dybul, who led the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and David Miliband, a former British foreign secretary who is CEO of the International Rescue Committee.
In June, the Associated Press found that China delayed releasing critical information to WHO, including the virus’ genetic sequence, for weeks in January. Internal recordings of WHO meetings revealed officials were frustrated at the lack of data-sharing while Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus publicly praised China for its speed and transparency.
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi says it will start human trials of the potential vaccine it is developing with British peer GSK, following promising preliminary tests.
Sep 3
As of 6 pm, 26,209,390 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 18,468,775 and 868,034 people have died. Only 15 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Vatican City.
Arrest of Australian anti-lockdown activist Zoe Buhler sparks outcry as footage of the incident went viral and triggered a civil liberties debate. A livestreamed video of Buhler's arrest shows officers handcuffing the pregnant woman in front of her two children and has racked up millions of views online.The footage has prompted a civil liberties debate in Australia, with critics from across the political spectrum voicing concerns about the balance between rights and obligations.
The world has passed the 26 million infections mark. Brazil surpasses 4 million cases.
Britain announces it is investing in a test that gives results in as little as 20 minutes, touting it as the latest milestone in efforts to take the UK to the front of the global pack in testing.
Filming in Britain for the latest Batman movie has been halted after its star Robert Pattinson reportedly tested positive, just days after shooting had resumed.
Trump and top aides ditch masks after saying patriots wear them. He twice attended large Republican National Convention events last week without wearing a mask. Almost no one else wore one, either. He has since traveled to New Hampshire, Louisiana, Texas, Wisconsin and, on Wednesday, North Carolina, in each case meeting with local officials and residents without wearing a mask. His top aides also generally don’t wear face coverings.
Sep 2
Hungary infections hit daily record as school year starts
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is getting heat over a solo hair salon visit in San Francisco at a time when California businesses are limited by the pandemic
Pakistan puzzles health experts as virus cases drop.
Volunteers in Bahrain sign up for vaccine trial.
75th anniversary of end of WWII is mostly virtual amid virus
Scientists in Iceland reveal that a large antibody study done on 30,000 people in Iceland offers hope for virus vaccine efforts. Antibodies that people make to fight the virus last for at least four months after diagnosis and do not fade quickly as some earlier believed. The study was carried out by by Reykjavik-based deCODE Genetics.
Swiss group Roche announces it will soon launch a 15-minute coronavirus test
As of 6 pm, 25,930,194 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 18,213,429 and 861,746 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Cayman Islands, Djibouti, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.
The Scottish city of Glasgow goes into lockdown, banning household visits.
Hong Kong relaxes social-distancing rules as city confirms eight new cases, the lowest number of new cases in almost 2 months. Two new deaths bring the total to 92.
Venice opens "miraculous" film festival
Sep 1
Russia passes the 1 million infection mark.
A person on a poorly ventilated Chinese bus infected nearly two dozen other passengers even though many weren’t sitting close by, according to research published today in JAMA Internal Medicine that offers fresh evidence the disease can spread in the air.
Hong Kong begins mass testing campaign with the aim of testing everyone for free.
Wuhan, Ground Zero for the epidemic, re-opens all schools
Israel calls in the army to bring one of the developed world’s worst outbreaks under control. Its main responsibility is taking the lead in contact tracing and breaking chains of infection.
Some projections show that by the end of the year, Covid-19 will cause more people to die each day from hunger than from virus infections. The pandemic is upending food supply chains, crippling economies and eroding consumer purchasing power.
Nepal is making a royal exception to its ban on foreign arrivals, with a mountaineering team including a Bahrain prince set to tackle two major peaks. The Himalayan country shut its borders in March including grounding international flights just ahead of the busy spring season, devastating the local tourism sector. The 18-member party were given special permission to enter Nepal to climb the 8,163-metre Mount Manaslu and the 6,119-metre Lobuche.
As of 6 pm, 25,662,091 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 17,962,425 and 855,352 people have died. Only 12 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Luxembourg, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.
US extends eviction moratorium until end of year.
Online bartering soars in Philippines as Filipinos flock to Facebook groups to exchange their possessions, including kitchen appliances, children’s toys and designer handbags -- mostly for food.
The US says that it will not work with an international cooperative effort to develop and distribute a vaccine because it does not want to be constrained by multilateral groups like the World Health Organization.
India reports 78,169 news cases and 1,025. The US reports 41,979 and 1,164 deaths. Brazil reports 41,889 new cases and 1,025 new deaths.