Coronavirus: A timeline of the outbreak related to the deadly Sars - July 2020

As of 6.30 pm, 17,502,048 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 10,957,716 and 677,255 people have died. Only 13 countries and territories to have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Isle of Man, Macau, New Caledonia, San Marino, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

Hong Kong government decides to delay elections because of the pandemic.

Philippines records 4,063 new coronavirus cases, SE Asia's highest jump for 2nd day

Cuban study shows antibody drug itolizumab lowers risk of death in elderly patients

Hong Kong restaurants breathe a sigh of relief at allowed to resume dine-in services.

Chinese customs stalls vaccine shipment for trials in Canada

The global count of cases passes the 17 million mark.

As of 5 pm, 17,203,973 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 10,719,104 and 670,548 people have died. Only 13 countries and territories to have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Isle of Man, Macau, New Caledonia, San Marino, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

In the last 24 hours, the US reports 66,921 cases, Brazil 70,869, India 52,249, South Africa 11,362

Australia reports its deadliest day with 13 deaths and 723 new cases.

In isolated North Korea, which says it has had no domestic cases, the Rodong Sinmun newspaper warned against carelessness. “A moment of inattention could cause a fatal crisis,” it said.

Hong Kong records 150 new cases, the ninth day new cases have been in the triple digits. After public outcry, Hong Kong reverses its dine-in ban on restaurants and goes back to only serving take-aways after 6pm. The government is forced to open at least one community hall in each district to house out of office workers, like construction workers amid warnings of heat stroke due to the high.

China’s top respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan urges the Hong Kong government to carry out citywide Covid-19 testing to contain its infections, reminding it that the mainland is always willing to help.

The US economy suffers its sharpest downturn since at least the 1940s in the second quarter, highlighting how the pandemic has ravaged businesses across the country and left millions of Americans out of work. Gross domestic product shrank 9.5 per cent in the second quarter from the first, a drop that equals an annualised pace of 32.9 per cent, the Commerce Department’s initial estimate shows.

As of 5 pm, 16,672,720 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 10,263,499 and 657,270 people have died. Only 13 countries and territories to have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Isle of Man, Macau, New Caledonia, San Marino, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

US deaths spike at 1,461 for the last 24 hours.

Stringent new measures in Hong Kong sees out of office workers forced to sit by the side of the road to eat their lunch. All restaurants may only serve take-away food, a move that the F&B industry said would be fatal for numerous small restaurants.

As of 5 pm, 16,440,744 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 10,062,811 and 652,593 people have died. New Caledonia becomes one of 15 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Macau, San Marino, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

China reports 61 new cases - the highest daily figure since April

Hong Kong reports a record 145 cases after the weekend, and announces the mainland will help it to build a 2,000-bed "fangcang" or field hospital. Everyone in Hong Kong will have to wear masks in public from this week. “The epidemic situation in Hong Kong is remarkably severe,” Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung told reporters, as he announced new measures including a ban on more than two people gathering in public and restaurants only being allowed to serve takeaway meals.

The US still led the world new infection count with 56,130, India reported 50,525, Brazil reported 23,467, South Africa 11,233 with Colombia rounding out the top five with 8,181.

Officials in Seoul believe they may have identified the man suspected of crossing into the North, but said so far there is no sign he was infected. North Korean state media said the suspected COVID-19 patient “illegally crossed” the demarcation line on July 19, and leader Kim Jong Un called for an investigation into the military units at the border. The man is believed to have crossed from Gwanghwa, a South Korean island about 25km from Kaesong, the border city in North Korea where he was caught, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. He appears to have evaded troops on the South side of the border by passing through a drainpipe under barbed wire fences, and authorities found a bag believed to belong to him, the JCS said.

Australia’s Victoria state reports the country’s highest daily increase in infections at 532, prompting the authorities to warn a six-week lockdown may last longer if people continue to go to work while feeling unwell. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the high number of new cases in Victoria showed how transmission of the illness among younger people, who were considered lower risk, could spread to aged care facilities through family members. Five of the latest deaths were people in aged care facilities, the authorities said.

Global cases pass the 16 million mark, while recoveries pass the 10 million mark.

North Korea suggests it may have its "first" case of Covid-19, brought in by someone crossing the border illegally. 

Taiwan resumes an island-hopping ocean cruise on Sunday, joining a handful of places in the world to restart voyages after the coronavirus pandemic brought the industry to a virtual standstill.Taiwan’s northern Keelung port. The company now offers trips of up to five days from Taiwan to its scenic outlying islands of Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. The ship is carrying just a third of its maximum passenger limit, and is equipped with 22 COVID-19 wards to isolate passengers if any fall ill. All front line service staff are required to wear masks and gloves. Buffet service has been dropped, the onboard casino and spa are shut, and dining tables are set apart and divided by screens.

Canadians under the age of 39 make up a clear majority of new cases of there, health authorities say, warning young adults they are not “invincible” against the disease.

US reports 67, 413 new cases.

In the US, the Sinclair Broadcast Group says it is pulling from the air an edition of its “America This Week” program that discusses a conspiracy theory involving Dr Anthony Fauci and the virus. Sinclair spokesman Michael Padovano said Sinclair hopes to add context and other viewpoints and still air the controversial segment on the next week’s edition of “America This Week.“Meanwhile, Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, talked in detail in a new podcast about the “serious threats” and hate mail directed his way.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announces he has tested negative more than two weeks after being diagnosed on July 7, attributing his recovery to an unproven malaria drug. “RT-PCR for Sars-Cov 2: negative. Good morning everyone,” the 65-year-old tweeted, along with a photo of himself smiling and holding a packet of hydroxychloroquine. The drug, touted by US president Donald Trump, has not been shown to be effective in clinical trials. Later, local media reported that he took a motorcycle ride through Brasilia and visited some shops, with small crowds gathering around him. “I didn’t feel anything, not even in the beginning. If I hadn’t taken the test, I wouldn’t have known I had the virus,” he told them, according to videos played in the media.

As of 6 pm, 15,675,395 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 9,562,413 and 636,938 people have died. Cayman Islands became one of the 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Macau, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

Hong Kong reaches new record of daily cases at 123 bringing the total tally to 2,372 with 16 deaths. Health experts believe the spike in cases comes from the fact that air and sea crews were not required to undergo quarantine. A quarantine order is imposed on six different vessels anchored in the city’s waters after some of the crew members tested positive for the virus.

US sets a new record of cases, 77,978.

South Korea announces it will have live baseball on Sunday.

Russia's total number of infected passes 800,000.

South Africa says it will make inquiries into corruption regarding virus funding as 30,000 health workers test positive.

As of 6 pm, 15,398,550 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 9,373,516 and 630,750 people have died. Only 13 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Macau, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

US baseball reopens with immunologist Anthony Fauci throwing out the ball, and no crowds in the stands.

Hong Kong records 118 cases.

The small, neighbouring sheikhdoms of Bahrain and Qatar have the world’s highest per capita rates of infections. In the two Mideast countries, COVID-19 epidemics initially swept undetected through camps housing healthy and young foreign laborers, studies now show.

South Africa has recorded a jump of nearly 60 per cent in overall numbers of natural deaths in recent weeks, suggesting a much higher toll of virus-related fatalities than officially reported. South Africa is the worst-affected country in Africa and among the top five in the world in terms of confirmed cases, with 394,948 infections reported to date including 5,940 deaths. South Africa’s response is marred by corruption allegations around its historic US$26 billion economic relief package, as the country with the world’s fifth highest number of cases braces for more. President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced a wide-ranging investigation into claims that unscrupulous officials and private companies are looting efforts to protect the country’s 57 million people. “More so than at any other time, corruption puts our lives at risk,” he says in a national address. Food for the poor. Personal protective equipment for health workers. Grants for the newly laid off. All have been affected, he said. South Africa is seen as the best-prepared of any country in sub-Saharan Africa, but years of rampant corruption have weakened institutions, including the health system.

The United States records 76,570 new cases in the previous 24 hours, Johns Hopkins University reported, after the nation’s total number of infections topped 4 million earlier in the day.

The world crosses the 15 million infections barrier. More than 9 million have recovered. 

As of 5 pm, 15,116,495 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 9,134,209 and 620,032 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Macau, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

India cancels Amarnath Yatra, a Hindu pilgrimage to a sacred cave across glaciers in Kashmir. A study shows that almost a quarter of people living in Delhi have been infected.

China plans to provide a US$1 billion loan to make its virus vaccine accessible for countries across Latin America and the Caribbean,

People in Melbourne have to wear masks when leaving home.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tells British MPs that the WHO's actions during the pandemic led to “dead Britons”, Pompeo says the WHO had become a “political” body, alleging that its decisions were influenced by a deal struck between chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and China that helped him become its head, according to quotes in the Times and Daily Telegraph.

As of 5 pm, 14,883,003 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 8,937,154 and 614,011 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Macau, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

The European Union’s 27 member states emerged from an intense four-day and four-night summit on Tuesday branding a huge virus recovery plan and a trillion-euro long-term budget.

Trump concedes that the pandemic will get worse before it gets better.

The US records 64,297 new cases with deaths at 144,909. Trump takes a more somber tone where he urges people to wear masks and social distance.

Hong Kong records 61 cases, to bring total infections to 2,020, and two more deaths, to bring the total to 14.

As of 5 pm, 14,667,249 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 8,750,582 and 609,508 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Macau, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

US President Donald Trump tweets a picture of himself wearing a mask, saying “We are United in our effort to defeat the Invisible China Virus, and many people say that it is Patriotic to wear a face mask when you can’t socially distance. There is nobody more Patriotic than me, your favorite President!”

US President Donald Trump decides to support wearing a mask. Photo: AFP

Russia’s ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, rejects allegations that hackers linked to the country’s intelligence services targeted British coronavirus vaccine research, and accuses Britain of cyber attacks against Russia. Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre had said on Thursday that vaccine and therapeutic sectors in multiple countries have been targeted by a group known as APT29, which it said is “almost certainly” part of Russian state intelligence. Security agencies in the US and Canada later backed the findings.

Hong Kong reports 108 cases in 24 hours. Civil servants are told to work from home from Monday. Masks are mandatory indoors. Chief executive Carrie Lam Yuet-ngor said more than 500 infections had been confirmed in the last fortnight alone, nearly a third since the outbreak began.

Beijing prepares to lower alert after 13 days with no local infections.

A study of thousands of cases in South Korea finds that teens and tweens are highly infectious while younger children are not.

South Africa becomes one of the top five worst-hit countries in the world. The country’s 350,879 cases make up roughly half of all confirmed infections on the African continent and its struggles are a sign of trouble to come for nations with fewer health care resources. South Africa now trails only the US, Brazil, India and Russia in the number of infections, surpassing Peru, after health authorities announced 13,285 new cases.

The world crosses the 14 million cases mark.

India crosses the 1 million infections barrier.

The WHO declares that Brazil’s outbreak - the world’s most severe after the US - has hit a “plateau” and cases were “no longer exponential”. The nation now has almost 2.1 million cases and a total of 78,772 deaths.

As of 5 pm, 13,967,833 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 8,297,653 and 593,100 people have died. Gibraltar joins the ranks of the 15 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Sint Maarten, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

China sees a flare-up of cases in Xinjian's capital, Urumqi, with 6 confirmed cases and 11 "asymptomatic" cases. The city is shut down with little warning to citizens.

Dutch say 25 mink farms now infected with coronavirus and more than 100,000 of the animals will have to be killed. Spain has killed around 90,000 minks due to the virus.

Hong Kong reports 58 more cases.

As of 5 pm today, 13,717,903 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 8,172,405 and 587,327 people have died. 15 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, New Caledonia, Sint Maarten, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

Hong Kong records 67 new cases confirmed, with 35 of unknown origin.

'Science should not stand in the way' of schools reopening, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany says, then going on to claim that science is on their side as the US pushes for schools to open.

Western governments accuse hackers believed to be part of Russian intelligence of trying to steal valuable private information about a coronavirus vaccine, calling out the Kremlin in an unusually detailed public warning to scientists and medical companies.

As many as 87 per cent of cases in Wuhan between January and March may have gone undetected, according to a study published in the British scientific journal Nature. The study, authored by a group of Chinese experts based in the city where the virus first emerged last year, found that between 53 and 87 per cent of the infections before March 8 were unascertained, potentially including asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic cases. Failure to account for these cases produced a reproduction rate of only 0.28, meaning that on average an infected person passed the disease on to fewer than one new person, indicating it would soon die out. In fact, the reproduction rate during the early outbreak was 3.54, according to the peer-reviewed paper - much higher than that of SARS and MERS. 

A second wave of the virus sweeps the globe sending previously safe countries in the Asia Pacific region back into lock down. Hong Kong records 19 positive cases, and has 36 pending. It adds two to its death toll bringing it to a total of 10.

Philippines police are deployed to ensure people who test positive for the virus and cannot self-isolate at home are taken to state-run quarantine centres.

Police in Chile are training dogs to sniff out the virus.

As of 5 pm today, 13,465,440 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 7,855,841 and 581,405 people have died. 16 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, New Caledonia, Sint Maarten, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

The US still has the highest reported infections, with 71,750 for the day. South Africa, the country with the highest recorded infections in Africa, overtakes Spain to reach 8th place of the top 10 infected countries.

India's IT hub Bangalore shuts down.

Singapore slips into recession.

South Africa passes the UK in the "most infections" count, taking 9th place.

Doctors in France have described what they said was the first confirmed case of a newborn infected in the womb with COVID-19 by the mother. The baby boy, born in March, suffered brain swelling and neurological symptoms linked to COVID-19 in adults, but has since recovered, they reported Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.

Thailand suspended all inbound flights after an Egyptian soldier skipped self-quarantine and went to a shopping mall before testing positive for COVID-19. The kingdom has not recorded a domestic case of the virus for 50 days, winning praise for its strict lockdown which has so far controlled infections.

France switches up Bastille Day to honour healthcare workers, supermarket cashiers and other front-line staff in the fight against the virus.

A study reveals that two US hair stylists who worked while infected, but wore masks, did not pass on the virus to their combined 140 customers.

WHO director Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the world can win the fight against the virus and praised several European and Asian countries for their response. He also suggested that the Americas were now the epicenter of the virus and their leaders needed to look to the east for guidance.

Belgium reports zero deaths in the last 24 hours, for the first time since March 10.

A fishing trawler that sailed out of Argentina's Ushuaia port in the province of Tierra del Fuego that has been at sea for 35 days says 57 out of its crew of 61 had suddenly tested positive. The ship picked up provisions only in Ushuaia and before boarding, its crew had completed a 14 day quarantine at a hotel. At the end of the quarantine, they tested negative.

As of 5 pm today, 13,259,356 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 7,726,395 and 576,027 people have died. 18 countries and territories have no active cases: Andorra, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Curacao, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, New Caledonia, Sint Maarten, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

Hong Kong records 48 new cases.

The US reports more than 63,262 cases in the last 24 hours.

The world passes the 13 million infected mark.

US biotech firm Moderna says it will enter the final stage of human trials for its COVID-19 vaccine on July 27, to test how well it protects people in the real world.

As of 5 pm today, 13,049,106 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 7,591,913 and 571,807 people have died. 18 countries and territories have no active cases: Andorra, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Curacao, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, New Caledonia, Sint Maarten, St Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

Hong Kong records 52 new cases, 41 of which were locally transmitted. The city bans restaurants from having customers indoors after 6 pm. It also records another death to bring its total to 8.

More than 80 millionaires urged governments around the world to tax the super-wealthy much more to help fund the global recovery from the virus outbreak. In an open letter, the group, calling themselves “Millionaires for Humanity”, said they should be taxed higher, “immediately, substantially, permanently”. Signatories, included Ben and Jerry’s ice cream co-founder Jerry Greenfield, the screenwriter Richard Curtis and filmmaker Abigail Disney. US entrepreneur Sidney Topol and New Zealand retailer Stephen Tindall also signed (AFP).

Two US Marine bases in Japan’s Okinawa have been put into lockdown after dozens of infections. The US has tens of thousands of troops in Okinawa (AFP)

Residents in Sydney Australia are warned to put the brakes on partying as a new cluster emerges at a city pub on the heels of a major outbreak in Melbourne (AFP).

A two-member advance team of World Health Organisation (WHO) experts is in China to help pinpoint the origins of the virus. The specialists in animal health and epidemiology will work with Chinese scientists to determine the scope and itinerary of the investigation, said WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris, Reuters.

Zindzi Mandela, the youngest grand daughter of South Africa's first black president, Nelson Mandela, dies from the virus, age 59.

Budesonide, a common drug used to treat asthma, is being studied to see if it has any effect on stopping Covid patients developing worse symptoms. First flagged by Texan family doctor Richard Bartlett who claims to have had success with it, Budesonide is inexpensive and delivered via an inhaler. Experts say it is too soon to know if it had any effect, as most people who get Covid recover.

The US records 58,349 new cases for a total of 3,413,995. Florida reports 15,300 new cases, shattering state and US records for single-day cases. New York records its first day with no virus deaths.

US President Donald Trump is seen wearing a face mask.

The Washington Post report that Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, has been increasingly sidelined within the administration.

South Africa reimposes a curfew and a ban on alcohol as cases spike to almost 500 new cases an hour.

Xinhua, China's news agency reports that a 15-year-old boy has died of what is thought to be bubonic plague in Mongolia's Western Govi-Altai province. Two cases were recorded in the neighbouring Khovd province. The teen was found to have eaten marmot before his death. Fleas carried by marmots also carry the bubonic plague. According to the WHO, if left untreated, bubonic plague can kill an adult in 24 hours.

Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, his son and two other family members test positive for in Mumbai.

The US records 61,719 new cases for a total of 3,355,646.

Andorra briefly joins the list of nations with no live cases, bringing the total countries with no live cases to 19.

As of 7 pm today, 12,397,927 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 7,227,108 and 557,569 people have died. 19 countries and territories have no active cases. Curacao rejoins the group of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Sint Maarten, St Barth, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City have no known active cases.

Sierra Leone says it will re-open mosques and churches from Monday.

Australia says it will halve the number of nationals allowed to return home each week, as the state of Victoria reports 288 new cases.

Kazakhstan dismisses a report from the Chinese embassy that it is facing an outbreak of pneumonia.

China announces it will suspend imports of shrimp from Ecuador after it finds the virus in a shipment.

South Africa is running low on oxygen as hospitals are flooded with virus patients. Goldmine city Johannesburg and capital Pretoria are the country's new hot spots. Some hospitals in those cities have to put patients outside in heated tents and thick blankets as temperatures are expected to dip below freezing. A nurse at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital — the third largest hospital in the world with more than 3,000 beds — told reporters that the Covid wards were full and infected patients were being placed in other wards.

Hong Kong announces school closures as third wave hits.

Singapore goes to the polls wearing masks and gloves to vote in a general election.

India reports cases are doubling every three weeks as it tests more than 250,000 samples a day. Doctors there say that the idea of a peak is nonsense as the country expects to have several peaks.

As of 5 pm today, 12,180,154 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 7,080,746 and 552,380 people have died. 20 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, San Marino, Sint Maarten, St Barth, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City have no known active cases.

China executes Ma Jianguo, 24, the man who stabbed to death two people at a coronavirus checkpoint.

China's embassy in Kazakhstan says there is a significant increase in pneumonia in the country.

The US reports 65,000 new cases in the last 24 hours.

As of 7 pm today, 11,980,389 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 6,924,452 and 547,321 people have died. 20 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, San Marino, Sint Maarten, St Barth, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City have no known active cases.

Hong Kong records 24 cases in the last 24 hours.

British-based doctors warn that delirium, inflammation, psychosis, nerve damage and stokes can affect the brains of even mildly infected people.

Dozens of police and demonstrators are injured in protests in Belgrade after Serbia announced a new lockdown due to rising cases.

US President Donald Trump warns US schools that if they do  not open in autumn, they may lose federal funding.

Africa's combined cases rise to more than half a million.

Russia begins testing rodents near the Mongolian border for plague.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, 65, who has just tested positive, becomes the poster boy for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, swallowing the tablets live on social media.

Australia locks down Melbourne's more than 5 million residents, ordering them to stay at home.

The US records 55,442 cases in 24 hours, to take the US to more than 3 million confirmed cases.

Beijing reports zero new cases over the last 24 hours.

As of 3 pm today, 11,747,386 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 6,741,764 and 540,836 people have died. 24 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, San Marino, Sint Maarten, St Barth, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City have no known active cases.

Bermuda joins the list of counties with no active cases.

Dubai opens for tourists.

New Zealand begins to restrict its own nationals from returning home. National carrier Air New Zealand puts a three-week freeze on new bookings and the government is in talks with other airlines to limit capacity.

Hong Kong records 14 cases over the last 24 hours, for a total of 1,300.

Australia prepares to seal off Victoria from the rest of the country tomorrow night in a drastic move to quell the virus. The border between Victoria and New South Wales will be closed. Victoria announces a record 127 new cases. Hundreds of police officers and military personnel are being deployed to seal the border.

India announces it has logged almost 700,000 cases to overtake Russia and take third spot  of the world's hardest hit nations behind the US and Brazil.

The US records 50,584 new cases in 24 hours. Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who gained nationwide recognition for her handling of turbulent anti-racism protests, tests positive.

Organisers of the sci-fi, fantasy and gaming convention Dragon Con cancels its physical event.

The first ever online Paris fashion week kicks off.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro tests positive.  Since the beginning of the outbreak, Bolsonaro has tried to minimise the effects of the virus, seeing Brazil with the second highest number of cases and second highest number of deaths in the world.

The US formally withdraws from the World Health Organisation.

US President Donald Trump says schools must open in autumn.

Hong Kong records 17 cases in the last 24 hours, for a total of 1,286.

The New York Times reports that hundreds of scientists say the virus is airborne.

South Africa deploys military medics to the East Cape, the nation's third worst-hit province.

A herdsman in China’s northern Inner Mongolia region is confirmed to have the bubonic plague, authorities in China issue a warning.

South Africa reports more than 10,000 new infections in 24 hours.

England's pubs reopen.

Barcelona’s iconic La Sagrada Familia basilica opens.

F1 gets the green light when organisers announce that everyone involved at the weekend's season-opening Austrian Grand Prix has tested negative.

As of 5 pm today, 11,005,961 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 6,166,419 and 524,481 people have died. 24 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, San Marino, Sint Maarten, St Barth, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City have no known active cases.

The US records 57,683 new cases in 24 hours.

Kimberly Guilfoyle, Donald Trump Jr.'s girlfriend and campaign official, tests positive.

Britain agrees to exempt travelers from quarantine, extending air bridges to 59 countries, excluding the US and China.

The strain of COVID-19 that has infected more than 300 people in Beijing since early June could have originated in South or Southeast Asia, according to a study by Harvard University researchers.

US President plans a huge fireworks display for Independence Day on July 4th. Up to 300,000 masks will be given away to those who need them, but no one needs to actually wear them.

The US records a record number of new infections with 52,000 in 24 hours.

In South Africa, confirmed cases are rising rapidly, but Africa's most developed economy is suffering, and now restaurants, cinemas and even casinos are set to reopen. And allowing people to purchase alcohol again has led to an increase in drunken brawls and traffic accidents, putting added strain on hospitals as they deal with the virus. Yet it’s still illegal to buy a pack of cigarettes. South Africa is the only country in the world to have a ban on tobacco sales in place after India and Botswana lifted theirs. Removed from all mainstream outlets, cigarettes have become the most sought after illicit drug in South Africa, more profitable than cocaine and heroin, some analysts say.

New Zealand’s health minister, David Clark, resigns following a series of personal blunders during the coronavirus pandemic. New Zealand’s health response has been praised around the world after the country managed to eliminate community transmission of the virus. But Clark himself has been widely ridiculed for breaking lockdown.

Kazakhstan does lock down 2.0 from July 5.

As of 4 pm today, 10,811,206 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 6,033,527 and 519,095 people have died. 25 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Liechtenstein, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, San Marino, Sint Maarten, St Barth, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City have no known active cases.

As of 5 pm today, 10,599,619 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 5,812,010 and 514,298 people have died. 25 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Liechtenstein, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, San Marino, Sint Maarten, St Barth, St Vincent Grenadines, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City have no known active cases.

Greece opens islands to tourism.

Burundi's new president Evariste Ndayishimiye, has done a 180 on the virus, declaring Covid-19 the nation's biggest enemy. Former president Pierre Nkurunziza died suddenly last month. Both men had played down the virus saying Burundi had been spared by God. Now he has told the nation of 11 million that tests are available and free, and if people have symptoms and do not get tested they will be treated as sorcerers who deliberate wish to infect people.