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

2019 - January February March April May June July September October November December January

As of 6 pm, 25,413,610 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 17,723,301 and 851,079 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.

Associated Press reports that people in China, particularly those in Xinjiang, are being forced to take Chinese Traditional Medicine.

India reported 78,512 new infections.

AstraZeneca announces its vaccine candidate has entered the final testing stage in the US. The Cambridge, England-based company says the study will involve up to 30,000 adults from various racial, ethnic and geographic groups. Two other vaccine candidates began final testing this summer in tens of thousands of people in the US. One was created by the National Institutes of Health and manufactured by Moderna Inc., and the other developed by Pfizer Inc. and Germany’s BioNTech. “To have just one vaccine enter the final stage of trials eight months after discovering a virus would be a remarkable achievement; to have three at that point with more on the way is extraordinary,” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says in a statement.

Thousands of people worldwide are reporting a wide range of ongoing symptoms many months after being diagnosed with Covid-19. Some call themselves Covid “long haulers”, while others have adopted the term “long Covid” to describe their condition. Breathlessness, memory loss, extreme fatigue, headaches, brain fog, muscle pain and swelling joints, are commonly described among multiple recurring symptoms in global online patient advocacy blogs and chatrooms. And for many, the anxiety, depression and dread around the unknown progression of the disease are at least as debilitating as the physical frailties.

The world passes the 25 million infections mark.

A Nevada man is the first in US to be infected with Covid-19 twice, according to study

The German government slams the “unacceptable” behaviour of protesters during a mass rally against restrictions in which hundreds were arrested and an attempt was made to storm the Reichstag parliament building. The Reichstag is the “symbolic centre of our democracy”, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told Sunday’s edition of the Bild newspaper.

India sets a record when it becomes the first country to report 78,761 new infections in 24 hours. The US passes 6 million infections. More than eight months into the pandemic, the United States continues to struggle with testing. The number of people tested has fallen in recent weeks.

Brazil surpasses 120,000 Covid deaths

Roughly 38,000 people rally against restrictions in Berlin despite police efforts to disperse the crowds due to the risk of contagion. Police said 300 people were arrested throughout the day as protesters from across Germany gathered at Berlin landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Victory Column and Reichstag. Of those detained, around two-thirds had been outside the Russian embassy, where thousands of far-right protesters and members of the extremist Reich Citizens’ Movement pelted police with stones, bottles and other objects. Not far away, a group of protesters broke into a restricted area near the Reichstag building, which houses the German parliament.

Indonesia reports finding a more infectious mutation of the virus, the Jakarta-based Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology says. The “infectious but milder” D614G mutation of the virus has been found in genome sequencing data from samples collected by the institute, deputy director Herawati Sudoyo says, adding that more study is required to determine whether that was behind the recent rise in cases. The strain, which the World Health Organization said was identified in February and has been circulating in Europe and the Americas, has also been found in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia.

Sinovac Biotech Ltd’s vaccine candidate CoronaVac is approved for emergency use as part of a programme in China to vaccinate high-risk groups such as medical staff. The company makes its announcement in WeChat.

As of 6 pm, 24,654,886 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 17,113,748 and 836,112 people have died. Only 10 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

17 million people around the world have recovered from the virus.Over the last 24 hours, 1,143 died in t he US, with 1,065 dying in Brazil.

Singapore battles record dengue outbreak with more mosquitoes

Thousands of people have been arrested for 'virus-related crimes' in China, the state prosecutor’s office said. One case involved a shopper who beat another customer to death for not wearing a mask in a supermarket. Other cases included a person who deliberately mowed down medical workers with a car, and another was arrested for stabbing a health inspector with a dagger when monitoring temperatures. Some have also been accused of embezzling money collected from fundraisers to help patients, selling defective medical equipment and lying about their travel history or health condition. (AFP)

Peru passes Belgium as world's deadliest COVID-19 hot spot

China’s foreign minister suggests on a European outreach trip suggests that the virus might not have emerged in China.

As of 6 pm, 24,359,548 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 16,893,457 and 830,197 people have died. Only 10 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

A Chinese government offer to test all Hong Kong residents is meeting scepticism from the city’s medical community and public and is emerging as a politically charged issue ahead of the launch of the plan next week. A 60-person mainland Chinese team will carry out tests and build temporary hospitals in the first direct help from Chinese health officials for the semi-autonomous city in its battle with the epidemic. Some medical experts have cast doubt on the effectiveness and need for the tests, with some branding the exercise more of a political effort by Beijing to burnish its image rather than a medical necessity. (Reuters)

The UK and U.S. governments are in talks to introduce an “air bridge” between London and New York to enable travellers to sidestep quarantine.

South Korea’s parliament shuts down and a group of lawmakers are in self-quarantine as the country recorded more than 400 new  infections.

The virus is damaging kidneys and doctors worry that some survivors will need dialysis forever

Virus hits Great Andamanese tribe in remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dr Avijit Ray an Indian health official says.

US President Donald pledges to “crush” the pandemic with a vaccine by the end of the year, as he accepts the Republican nomination for a second term.

The United States passed the grim milestone of 180,000 deaths, the highest in the world.

The US CDC head Dr Robert Redfield “clarifies” the revision to its testing guidelines. He said that maybe people who come into contact should get tested, you know, if they want one or if their doctor or state officials recommend one. Meanwhile, the new and unhelpful guidelines remain on the agency’s website.

Treating critically ill patients with corticosteroid drugs reduces the risk of death by 20% regardless of which steroid is used, according to an analysis of seven international trials published on the Journal of the American Medical Association. It confirms dexamethasone works and that another steroid, hydrocortisone, is equally effective.

As of 6 pm, 24,064,202 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 16,613,687 and 823,569 people have died. Only 10 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

The world passes the 24 million infections mark.

Japanese researchers from Fujita Health University say low concentrations of ozone can neutralise coronavirus particles, potentially providing a way for hospitals to disinfect examination rooms and waiting areas.

South Korea orders doctors in the Seoul area to return to work as they begin a three-day strike in protest against several government proposals, including one to boost the number of doctors to deal with crises like the coronavirus. They say this will flood the market with doctors.

India's government lauds the early pandemic response in Bengaluru, dubbed India’s Silicon Valley for its tech firms and startups, as a model, for its use of health surveys combined with efforts to tap tech expertise and cutting-edge software to analyse the spread of the disease. But,  after India eased a nationwide lockdown in early June, officials say tens of thousands of travellers streamed in from Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, many unwittingly bringing the virus.

German authorities ban protests due to take place this weekend in Berlin. The protests are against the country's lockdown measures.

Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) says it has ended its partnership for a coronavirus vaccine with CanSino Biologics, saying the Chinese company lacks the authority to ship the vaccine at this time.

it is revealed that the USCDC recommendation to do less testing came from the White House’s task force, not the experts at CDC. Trump has been vocal about wanting to slow down testing because he illogically concludes that the right way to fight the infection is to pretend it isn’t there. The new guidelines appeared to be in keeping with his wishes.

As of 6 pm, 23,836,514 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 16,379,525 and 817,601 people have died. Only 10 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Vatican City.

Health authorities declare the African continent free of the wild poliovirus after decades of effort, though cases of vaccine-derived polio are still sparking outbreaks of the paralyzing disease in more than a dozen countries.

South Korea ordered most schools in Seoul and surrounding areas to close and move classes back online until September 11.

Sweden said about 3,700 people received false positive results due to a fault in China’s BGI Genomics test

The head of the US Food and Drug Administration, Dr Stephen Hahn, apologises for claims he made about plasma therapy being able to save 35 out of 100 ill patients.

Hong Kong records nine new cases.

A 33-year-old Hong Kong man who recovered from, and was cleared of, COVID-19 in April tested positive again after returning from Spain via Britain on in the first documented instance of human re-infection, researchers at the University of Hong Kong say. Belgium and the Netherlands also report single cases.

As Tropical Storm Marco makes landfall, the Gulf of Mexico Coast turns its attention Laura, another system following just behind that could grow into a supercharged Category 3 hurricane with winds topping 110 mph (177 kph) and a storm surge that could swamp entire towns. 

Trump touts 'breakthrough' plasma treatment as some experts express skepticism

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urges parents to let their kids go back to school after Britain’s top public health officials issued a joint statement saying that children were more likely be harmed by staying away from school than from being exposed to it.

Thirteen people die in a stampede at a disco in Peru after a police raid to enforce the country’s lockdown.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is to visit a Tokyo hospital today, Yomiuri daily said, amid mounting concerns about his ability to continue as premier due to health issues and fatigue from handling the coronavirus crisis.

India's cases pass 3,00,000.

The head of the US Food and Drug Administration, Dr Stephen Hahn, grossly overstates the benefits of giving Covid-19 patients blood plasma from people who’d recovered from the virus. To support President Donald Trump’s announcement that the therapy was some sort of amazing breakthrough (it isn’t) and that the FDA would be giving it emergency approval, Hahn had said the treatment would save an additional 35 lives out of 100 patients treated. Other medical experts quickly pointed out, however, that the data showed no such thing,

The world passes the 23 million infections barrier and the 800,000 deaths.

Researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia suggest barcodes be used to keep track of virus mutations.

The US CDC quietly updates its testing guidelines to discourage people who have been exposed to the virus from getting tested, a move roundly criticized by scientists, doctors and virtually every U.S. public health expert in the country.

As of 6 pm, 22,888,382 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 15,536,926 and 797,599 people have died. Only 11 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla,Dominica, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Timor Leste and Vatican City.

It's masks off in Beijing as Health authorities ease restrictions

Cases in Brazil rise over the 3.5 million mark

France reports over 4,000 new virus cases in 24 hours, but sticks to school opening.

Hong Kong declines to lift social distancing bans as it records 27 cases for the 19th day of being under 100. 

As of 6 pm, 22,610,862 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 15,326,490 and 791,676 people have died. Only 11 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Dominica Falkland Islands, Grenada, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Timor Leste and Vatican City.

Chinese workers due to arrive in Papua New Guinea are barred from entering the islands after state-backed firm China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) warned local authorities that 48 staff who returned from China this month may test positive for the virus because they had received a vaccine.

Germany and France record their worst daily infection rates in months with concerns growing that virus cases could spike in Europe just as holidaymakers return home and children go back to school.

Ukraine reports a record daily increase in coronavirus infections, exceeding 2,000 new cases for the first time.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un acknowledges that the country's development goals have been severely hampered..

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warns the virus is not over in his daily briefing with reporters.

Mexico targets junk food as obesity takes toll amid pandemic

US President Donald Trump touts the use of convalescent plasma as a treatment for COVID-19 and suggested a reported decision by regulators to put on hold an emergency authorization for its use could be politically motivated. “I’ve heard fantastic things about convalescent plasma,” Trump told a briefing.

A University of Illinois test that uses saliva to detect the virus is showing promise and could help the state curb the pandemic as cases spike to the highest since May, Governor J.B. Pritzker says.

Indonesia shows no signs of containing the virus. It now has the fastest infection spread in East Asia, Government officials tout unscientific remedies, ranging from mangosteen juice, to prayer, rice wrapped in banana-leaf and eucalyptus necklaces

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti orders the power cut at a swanky Hollywood Hills residence that police say held parties in violation of public health orders aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus and is the home of several TikTok stars, including Bryce Hall.

Millions of women and girls globally have lost access to contraceptives and abortion services because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now the first widespread measure of the toll says India with its abrupt, months-long lockdown has been hit especially hard.

As of 6 pm, 22,073,618 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 14,810,233 and 777,812 people have died. Only 13 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, San Marino and Vatican City.

World infections pass the 22 million mark. In the last 24 hours, India reported the most cases, with 54,288, the US was second with 40,612. 

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delays New Zealand’s looming election by four weeks to October 17 after a renewed outbreak hampers campaigning.

As of 5 pm, 21,842,738 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 114,570,297 and 773,279 people have died. Only 12 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, San Marino and Vatican City.

Thousands of people crammed into Wuhan Maya Beach at the weekend for an electronic music festival in Wuhan, China. Pictures of the event go viral, earning critical comments on social media.

As roughly 1,000 US people die from the virus each day, and the nation suffers through its worst economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s, no one from Congress or the White House tried to formally negotiate an economic relief plan last week, and nothing is planned. Instead, before leaving town, Democrats and Republicans blamed the other side for the impasse.

People in the Democratic Republic of Congo  gather for public prayer in the Democratic Republic of Congo for the first time in five months

MSC Grandiosa becomes the first major cruise ship to set sail in the Mediterranean. It departed from Genoa.

US President Donald Trump has a new virus doctor. Dr. Scott Atlas, a frequent guest on Fox News Channel, has joined the White House as a pandemic adviser. He has no expertise in public health or infectious diseases.

Major tourist sites in Rio de Janeiro, including the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking the Brazilian city are reopened after a 5-month lockdown.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says the nation will lift almost all restrictions, including a ban on the sale of cigarettes and alcohol next week.

The Trump administration’s vaccine project is recruiting scientists in South Africa and Latin America to help test possible vaccines in US- backed clinical trials, pledging to ease their countries’ access to any successful products

New Zealand's virus outbreak spreads beyond Auckland.

British doctor Tom Lawton runs just more than 36 km while wearing a face mask -- to prove they're safe

Dr Anthony Fauci tells US school districts developing their plans for reopening for the new academic year should find ways to offer as many outdoor activities as possible, from classes to recess and lunchtime,

US presidential hopeful Joe Biden calls for a nationwide mask-wearing mandate for the next three months. Declaring that “every single American should be wearing a mask” while outside their home, Biden called on governors of all 50 states to institute a national mask mandate “starting immediately” as a way to halt the virus’s spread and save tens of thousands of lives. “Look, this is America. Be a patriot,” Biden, with his newly named running mate Kamala Harris standing nearby and wearing a face covering,

For the first time in living memory, South Africa has puts its Ukwaluko circumcision ritual on hold. Each June and December, thousands of Xhosa initiates between 15 and 17 years old spend at least three weeks secluded in the bush, where they are circumcised and taught to be responsible men. Each year, dozens die from botched circumcisions or dehydration. The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa suspended June initiations in April, around one month after the country went into lockdown. Now they have cancelled the December round.

A sample of frozen chicken wings transported from Brazil to China test positive Chinese officials announce, although there is no record of anyone catching the virus through eating.

As of 7 pm, 20,837,172 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 13,729,659 and 747,883 people have died. Only 13 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Mauritius, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, San Marino and Vatican City.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte says while his country is due to take part in the Russian vaccine trials in October, he will not be getting a shot.

Rwanda is hailed as the brains behind a new system of testing that conserves resources.The method developed by Wilfred Ndifon, a mathematical epidemiologist and director of research at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences Global Network in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, is now being turned into software that will guide lab technicians, minimizing human error. The new algorithm can quickly pinpoint which sample, out of a group of 100 samples tested together, is positive.

An Africa-wide study of antibodies to the virus begins, while evidence from a smaller study indicates that many more people have been infected than official numbers show, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Britain begins testing a new app to fight virus spread. 

Britain puts France on the quarantine list starting from Saturday. The decision triggers tens of thousands of British tourists to cut their holidays short and head home.

More than 5,000 wiped off UK virus toll following review

Russian President Vladimir Putin declares his country is the first vaccine offering “sustainable immunity” against the coronavirus

As of 6 pm, 20,273,629 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 13,201,194 and 739,490 people have died. Only 13 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Mauritius, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, San Marino and Vatican City.

South Africa's poor scramble for anti-HIV drugs amid virus

Indonesia starts human trials of China-made virus vaccine candidate, produced by Sinovac Biotech. CoronaVac is among just a few candidates in the world to enter Phase 3 clinical trials, or large-scale testing on humans - the last step before regulatory approval. CoronaVac, is already being tested on 9,000 health workers in Brazil, the second-hardest-hit country  after the United States.

Hong Kong reports 69 new infections.

The world passes the 20 million mark of infections.

The global deaths - to - discharge rate drops to five per cent.

As of 7 pm, 20,040,924 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 12,911,386 and 734,247 people have died. Only 12 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Mauritius, Montserrat, San Marino and Vatican City.

In the last 24 hours, India reported the most new cases, with 62,117, and also the highest number of deaths, at 1,013.

The United States reaches the milestone of five million coronavirus cases

Energy giant Saudi Aramco says its second-quarter profits plunged a massive 73 percent due to sharply lower oil prices as the coronavirus crisis undercuts global demand.

Malawi shuts bars and churches in new restrictions to limit the “alarming” spread of coronavirus, three months after a court blocked the government from imposing a full lockdown.

North Korea’s ruling party delivers special aid packages of food and medical equipment to residents of Kaesong, near the border with the South, after imposing a lockdown there due to COVID-19 concerns

New Zealand marked 100 days without a domestic transmission

Brazil marks 3 million confirmed cases with 3,012,412, and the 100,000 death mark with 100,477 fatalities.

Over the last 24 hours, India reports the most cases, at 65,156. The US reports the most deaths with 989. Brazil crosses the 100,000 deaths mark.

Trump weirds everyone else by summoning reporters to a conference at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, where he is spending the weekend. The room is packed with maskless members of Trump’s club, and supporters cheered the president and jeered at reporters. Only when pictures of the small group began circulating online did the audience get masks from Trump officials.

Trump signs new relief measures in by executive order, with the federal government paying US$300 a week and state governments expected to make up the extra US$100 for people struggling to make ends meet. Opposition leader Nancy Pelosi calls the move “absurdly unconstitutional".

The scene at the 80th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was familiar to veterans of the event, with throngs of maskless bikers packing the streets.

South Africa's virus deaths top 10,000.

As of 9 pm, 19,294,348 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 12,386,769 and 718,339 people have died. Only 12 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Mauritius, New Caledonia, San Marino and Vatican City.

The world records 19 million cases of Covid-19. The US records 5 million. Africa crosses the 1 million mark. India passes 2 million mark.

Hong Kong offers universal virus testing, with Beijing's help

Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison rejects demands from within his own conservative party to publicly attack the centre-left Victoria state government over its flawed handling of the nation’s worst coronavirus outbreak and an economically damaging lockdown.

Russia boasts that it’s about to become the first country to approve a vaccine, with mass vaccinations planned as early as October using shots that are yet to complete clinical trials -- and scientists worldwide are sounding the alarm that the headlong rush could backfire.

US kids, parents perform DIY tests for coronavirus science

Once in crisis, Ecuador's biggest city Guayaquil now helps others battle virus

One of the world's biggest motorbike rallies opens in Sturgis, South Dakota, and is expected to draw a crowd of around 250,000. Some tribes close their land to bikers.

Not a care in the world, bikers congregate for the annual bike rally in Sturgis, in South Dakota, US.

As of 7 pm, 18,999,988 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 12,187,188 and 711,623 people have died. Only 12 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Mauritius, New Caledonia, San Marino and Vatican City.

Vietnam turns Danang stadium into field hospital

South Africa's funeral parlours turn to makeshift mortuaries as virus deaths rise

North Korea is quarantining thousands of people and shipping food and other aid to a southern city locked down over coronavirus worries, officials said, as the country’s response to a suspected case reinforces doubt about its longstanding claim to be virus-free.

The US Food and Drug Administration has granted NeuroRx Inc Investigational New Drug (IND) permission to test RLF-100 (aviptadil) for inhaled use in patients with moderate and severe COVID-19 to prevent progression to respiratory failure

In Papua New Guinea, Ok Tedi Mining, a major copper and gold mine says it has to shut operations for at least two weeks as cases are detected there.

Australia’s premier football league is on alert after a fan who attended a game tested positive, with thousands of spectators urged to monitor for symptoms.

Philippine economy plunges into recession

Offering sunny beaches, cheap living and low infection rates, countries are competing for a new generation of remote workers in a bid to ride out the pandemic and make up for lost visitors. From Estonia to Barbados, nations have launched visa regimes aimed at wooing “digital nomads” to bolster their economy, chasing the sort of people who mix work with travel and can set up shop any place with an internet connection.

New York's infection rate drops below 1% as deaths plummet, Governor Andrew Cuomo says

Twitter says Trump campaign posts blocked over virus claim

Actress Alyssa Milano details debilitating coronavirus symptoms: 'I thought I was dying'

More than 700,000 people have died of Covid-19 worldwide.

Hong Kong records 85 new cases and one death. In the last 24 hours Brazil has the highest number of new cases, at 56,411 along with the highest number of deaths, 1,394.

File photo taken on August 14, 2005 Brazilian Kamayura indigenous chief Aritana Xingu Brazil’s Supreme Court rules that President Jair Bolsonaro’s government must adopt measures to stop the spread of the virus to the country’s vulnerable indigenous communities. It is too late for one of Brazil’s leading indigenous chiefs, Aritana Yawalapiti, who dies of respiratory complications caused by COVID-19, his family said. Aritana, 71, a chief of the Yawalapiti people in the Amazon, was known for fighting to protect the world’s biggest rain forest and the rights of the indigenous peoples who live there.

Choctaw Indians bear brunt of virus outbreak in Mississippi. Almost 10 per cent of the tribe’s roughly 11,000 members have tested positive for the virus. More than 75 have died. The once-flourishing Choctaw economy is stagnant, as the tribal government put in place tighter restrictions than those imposed by the state.

North Korea’s test results for a man suspected of being the country’s first coronavirus case were inconclusive, though authorities have quarantined over 3,635 primary and secondary contacts, a World Health Organisation official

As of 7 pm, 18,731,900 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 11,944,244 and 705,023 people have died. Only 11 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Isle of Man, Macau, Mauritius, New Caledonia, San Marino and Vatican City.

A cruise ship, Sea Dream, with 123 passengers on board and a crew of 85 docked Wednesday in the Norwegian harbor of Bodoe but no one could disembark after a former passenger from Denmark tested positive upon returning home.

Virus lockdown shuts Kashmir year after autonomy is stripped

As of 6 pm, 18,471,207 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 11,698,016 and 697,954 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Isle of Man, Macau, Mauritius, New Caledonia, San Marino, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

Hong Kong reported 80 new infections and three more deaths.

'It is what it is,' US President Donald Trump says of rising coronavirus deaths as he insists outbreak is 'under control'

As of 7.30 pm, 18,260,729 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 11,461,652 and 693,406 people have died. Only 14 countries and territories have no active cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Isle of Man, Macau, Mauritius, New Caledonia, San Marino, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City.

Melbourne in Australia starts its curfew.

Millions of people in Manila, capital of the Philippines are ordered back into lock down.

Tokyo 2020 organisers on Monday unveiled the new schedule for the coronavirus-postponed Paralympics next year, with only minor modifications to the original calendar for the event. The historic decision to delay the 2020 Games over the pandemic means the Paralympics are now scheduled to run from August 24 to September 5, 2021.The programme will feature 539 events across 22 sports, with modifications made only to start and finish times for some events, Tokyo 2020 said at a press conference.

World infection numbers pass the 18 million mark. South Africa passes the 500,000 infections mark. India records 52,783 cases in 24 hours.