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

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

As of 6 pm today, 10,426,070 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 5,681,547 and 508,515 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 6 pm today, 10,249,741 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 5,557,974 and 504,490 people have died. 26 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, Aruba, 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.

The WHO announces it is sending a team to China next week to investigate the origins of the coronavirus.

Gilead Sciences Inc priced its antiviral remdesivir, used to fight the virus, at HK@,340 per patient for wealthier nations and agreed to send most of its supply to the US for the next three months. The US has argued that the price is too high, considering the drug was developed with funding help from the US. Gilead has linked with drugmakers in India and Pakistan to make and supply remdesivir to 127 developing nations. Their prices will be lower than US$100.

The number of people who have been infected with Covid-19 passes 10 million.

China imposes a strict lockdown on nearly half a million people near Beijing to contain a fresh virus outbreak there. Anxin county about 150 km from Beijing will be fully enclosed and controlled.

India reports nearly 20,000 cases in one day.

Californian Governor Gavin Newsom orders bars to close in seven LA counties.

India passes 500,000 infections.

Cuban health workers arrive in Guinea Bissau to help them fight the virus.

Disney once again delays the release of Mulan.

Australian supermarkets impose a limit on the amount of toilet paper shoppers can buy across the country following panic buying by people worried about the spread of the virus in Melbourne.

As of 4.30 pm today, 9,723,870 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 5,260,630 and 492,077 people have died. 27 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Greenland, Grenada, Isle of Man, Laos, Liechtenstein, Macao, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, Sint Maarten, St. Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City have no known active cases. 

Texas and Florida close bars and impose other curbs.

As of 1pm today, 9,360,950 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 4,688,981 and 479,919 people have died. Dominica and Liechtenstein join the countries and territories with no active cases.

Hong Kong records a 7th death, a 55-year-old man who was brought back from the Philippines after suffering a stroke last month. 

Zhang Zhan, 37, former lawyer and citizen journalist has been arrested for picking quarrels and provoking trouble in Shanghai. Three other citizen journalists are known to have disappeared in Wuhan. Li Zehua, also known as Kcriss Li, re-emerged on social media in late April after he had been missing for nearly two months. Chen Qiushi, a former human rights lawyer turned video journalist, travelled to Wuhan in late January to report on the worsening situation. His whereabouts remain unknown, along with another high-profile vlogger, Fang Bin.

The European Union has plans to reopen their shared borders by July 1, with further plans for opening up to countries outside Europe. But people from the US could remain barred from the area due to the severe situation there, as the number of new cases daily reaches a new peak.    

World leaders have called for vaccines to be a public good, but many countries have been making deals with medicine makers to be first in line. 

An Ethiopian Orthodox monk, Tilahun Woldemichael, whose family says he is 114 years old is discharged from hospital after surviving the virus.

As of 7pm today, 9,210,280 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 4,957,273 and 474,818 people have died. 23 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Greenland, Isle of Man, Laos, Macao, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, Sint Maarten, St. Barth, Timor-Leste, and Vatican City have no known active cases. 

Hong Kong records 6th death.

Migratory birds flock to the wetlands of Pakistan’s southern province of Sindh in greater numbers this year, and officials and observers link the increase to coronavirus lock down measures that have kept hunters and bird catchers away.

Saudi Arabia announces it will scale back on the hajj. Only 1,000 pilgrims living in Saudi will be able to attend. Last year some 2.5 million people attended from all over the world.

The world's top tennis player, Novan Djokovic, and his wife Jelena, test positive, becoming the fourth player to contract the virus after taking part in his exhibition tennis tournament. He is not showing any symptoms. 

Xinfadi wholesale market, which has been closed following cases of coronavirus infections, in Beijing. Photo: ReutersIn Beijing's worst outbreak since the virus started, 249 people in total have been infected from the cluster associated with the sprawling Xinfadi wholesale food centre.

As of noon today, 9,046,067 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 4,838,338 and 470,703 people have died. 27 countries and territories have no active cases. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Isle of Man, Laos, Macao, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, Sint Maarten, St. Barth, Timor-Leste, Turks and Caicos, Vatican City, Western Sahara have no known active cases. 

There has still been no word from Chinese citizen journalists Chen Qiushi, a lawyer last heard from on February 7, and Fang Bin, a Wuhan resident who became well known after he released a video clip of dead bodies in a van outside a major hospital. Fang was taken away by plain-clothes police on February 9. 

Thousands of people in France threw caution to the wind to party in Paris starting on Sunday for the annual Midsummer festival.

The WHO warns of a "accelerating" pandemic.

India reports 15,000 new cases in 24 hours, with a death toll of 14,000. The concern is that the Indian health system will be overwhelmed. The German embassy sent messages to its citizens living in New Delhi warning them that there was little to no chance of being admitted to hospital for treatment of the virus or any other intensive care. The Delhi state government said there were more than 7,000 hospital beds open for virus patients, but patients seeking beds have questioned the data. Reuters

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases at Toennies slaughterhouse, in Guetersloh, in Germany rises by 300, to 1,331, as officials from the state of North Rhine Westphalia visited the site of the outbreak that has stirred fears of a second wave of infection.

The WHO records the biggest ever increase in daily cases with 183,020 being recorded, with Brazil recording the most at 54,771 cases and the US reporting 36,617 to take second place.

In an effort to contain the virus, Turkey shuts down the entire country for six hours.

US President Donald Trump holds an election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he calls the virus "kung flu". Six of the Republican Party advance crew for the rally tested positive. 

"When you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people, you're going to find more cases," Trump said to applause. "So I said to my people 'slow the testing down please.'"

A senior administration official said the president was "obviously kidding" when asked about the comment.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, 17, remains unruffled by the pandemic and its possible effects on the fight against climate change. "A crisis is a crisis - and in a crisis, everyone needs to take a few steps back and act in the best interest of society and our fellow human beings," she told a Swedish radio broadcaster.

China reports 27 new cases in Beijing outbreak. Meanwhile, its contentious dog meat festival opens in the southern city of Yulin, apparently with fewer customers. Even though the pandemic has seen a national ban on bushmeat, dog is still on the menu. Shenzhen and Zuhai have both banned dog meat.

China releases the genome of the Beijing cluster which now has 183 confirmed cases. The meat and seafood trading sections at the market are severely infected and scientists suspect the low temperatures and humidity might have contributed to the outbreak.

Governors in California and North Carolina and mayors from a string of cities across the US have made mask wearing in public mandatory.

Brazil totals 1 million cases.

The US Navy affirms its April removal of the Brett Crozier, commanding officer on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, after conducting an investigation into the ship's coronavirus outbreak.

Japanese shoppers queued for hours in the rain and Uniglo's website crashed as demand for the underwear company's Airism face masks. The masks, made out of the company's popular breathable underwear material, are washable.

As of 7pm today, 8,606,817 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 4,557,377 and 456,939 people have died. There are 3,592,501 active cases and 5,014,316 closed cases, bringing the number of deaths vs survival to 9 per cent. In total, 213 countries and territories, and two international transporters have been infected. Dominica joins the list of countries with no cases. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Isle of Man, Laos, Macao, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, Sint Maarten, St. Barth, Timor-Leste, Turks and Caicos, Vatican City, Western Sahara have no known active cases. 

Hong Kong records its 5th death.

As of 7pm today, 8,408,883 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 4,418,788 and 451,472 people have died. There are 3,538,623 active cases and 4,870,260 closed cases, bringing the number of deaths vs survival to 9 per cent. In total, 213 countries and territories, and two international transporters have been infected, and today, 28 have no active cases. Gibraltar and Grenada join the list of countries with no cases. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Caribbean Netherlands, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Isle of Man, Laos, Macao, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, Sint Maarten, St. Barth, Timor-Leste, Turks and Caicos, Vatican City, Western Sahara have no known active cases. 

German scientists believe a person's blood group might affect the severity of the virus, with A type being most at risk and O type being safest.

The US leads the world in deaths, crossing the 120,000 figure today. Brazil is in second place with 47,869, and Britain in third with 42,288. The US adds almost 28,000 new cases, Brazil adds 23,500, and India almost 14,000.

As of 7pm today, 8,283,912 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 4,339,588 and 446,543 people have died. There are 3,498,586 active cases and 4,784,669 closed cases, bringing the number of deaths vs survival to 9 per cent. In total, 213 countries and territories, and two international transporters have been infected, and today, 26 have no active cases. Brunei joins the list of countries with no cases. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Isle of Man, Laos, Macao, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, Sint Maarten, St. Barth, Timor-Leste, Turks and Caicos, Vatican City, Western Sahara have no known active cases. 

Norway says Salmon from Oslo is not the cause of Beijing's outbreak after many shops in China stopped selling it. Traces of the virus were found on a salmon chopping board at Xinfadi wholesale food market.

China cancels more than 1,000 flights, closes schools and urges residents not to leave Beijing as authorities race to contain a fresh outbreak. Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist with the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said the new outbreak pathogen resembles the virus strains found in Europe the most, but stressed that the origin of the new outbreak had not been identified.

Nepal has booted out five of the seven foreigners it detained on Saturday when hundreds of people defied lock down to protest about the government's handling of virus. Of the group, three Chinese and an American were additionally fined 10,000 rupees (US$81.79), while an Australian was slapped with a 20,000-rupee penalty for also taking photos.

New Zealand enters a recession.

Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez was hospitalized and diagnosed with pneumonia, a day after he said he tested positive for the coronavirus.

The WHO hails a breakthrough steroid treatment that is effective in lowering the death rate of seriously affected patients. The drug, dexamethasone, was tested by researchers at Oxford University in Britain. It reduced deaths of those who could only breathe with the help of a ventilator by 35 per cent. “Dexamethasone is inexpensive, on the shelf, and can be used immediately to save lives worldwide,” said Peter Horby, professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at Oxford.

Dexamethasone brings hope for a victory against Covid-19. Photo: AFPNew Zealand reports its first case in 25 days, just as the nation was celebrating being virus free.

India, already overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases, is about to face its deadly monsoon season, which brings dengue fever and malaria.

China reports 40 more infections, 27 of them in Beijing, bringing the city’s total to 106 since Friday. At least one patient was in critical condition and two were in serious condition. City officials warn the situation is "extremely severe".

The director-general of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, is give an online commencement speech to students at the elite Tsinghua University in Beijing, on June 21.

As of 4pm today, 8,120,087 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 4,232,356 and 439,228 people have died. There are 3,448,503 active cases and 4,671,584 closed cases, bringing the number of deaths vs survival to 10 per cent. In total, 213 countries and territories, and two international transporters have been infected, and today, 25 have no active cases. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands, Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Isle of Man, Laos, Macao, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, Sint Maarten, St. Barth, Timor-Leste, Turks and Caicos, Vatican City, Western Sahara. no known active cases. 25

As of 7pm today, 8,017,847 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 4,140,718 and 436,125 people have died. There are 3,441,004 active cases and 4,576,843 closed cases, bringing the number of deaths vs survival to 10 per cent.

Hong Kong Disneyland announces it will open on Thursday. The government has also recorded three imported infections but no local cases.

China finds 49 new virus cases. Beijing officials say the virus has also been found in the Yuquandong food market.

The United States, the country most severely affected by the virus has topped 2,000,000 cases and 100,000 deaths. 

Europe is planning to open internal travel next month, but tourists from other continents including Asia are excluded for now.

The UK has begun easing social distancing measures, allowing shops to open with safety measures including plastic screens and markings on the floors to remind people to stay to metres away from each other.

China reports 57 new cases, with 36 being linked to the Xinfadi wholesale food market.

New polio cases are detected in Afghanistan as the pandemic slows immunisation efforts.

Beijing reports 36 new virus cases traced to the Xinfadi wholesale food market. The market in north western Haidian district has been closed, schools in the area would be closed, and residents in 10 housing estates near the market are placed in lock down.

Two new outbreaks are recorded in Rome, with 109 infections, including five deaths, at a hospital and 15 more cases in a building inhabited by squatters. Ranieri Guerra of the WHO warns Italian journalists that the virus is not weakening.

Peru says that when it re-opens Machu Picchu it will limit the number of visitors allowed at the ancient Inca citadel to only 675. More than 6,500 have died of the virus in Peru, which has recorded at least 222,000 cases.

As of 8pm today, 7,623,415 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 3,861,573 and 424,333 people have died. There are 3,337,509 active cases and 4,285,906 closed cases, bringing the number of deaths vs survival to 10 per cent. In total, 213 countries and territories, and two international transporters have been infected. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands, Eritrea, The Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montenegro, Montserrat, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, St Barth, Timore Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and  Vatican City have no known active cases.

US President Donald Trump asks supporters to sign a waiver if they are going to attend his upcoming election rally - to promise not to sue him if they get the virus. The rally is slated to be held in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 19.

As of 7pm today, 7,476,188 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 3,790,780 and 419,361 people have died. There are 3,266,047 active cases and 4,210,141 closed cases, bringing the number of deaths vs survival to 10 per cent. In total, 213 countries and territories, and two international transporters have been infected. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands, Eritrea, The Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montenegro, Montserrat, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, St Barth, Timore Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and  Vatican City have no known active cases.

Latin America logs 70,000 deaths.

Local governments in China, particularly Wuhan, Hainan Province and Shanghai are providing "life education" classes to help citizens deal with stress and grief. Also the central government is concerned by a spate of student suicides since schools reopened.

Paediatricians and health officials in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, say the nation's high number of child deaths from the virus highlighted other ills, such as malnutrition, anaemia and inadequate childcare facilities.

Doctors in India fear the virus  has yet to peak there as Dellhi hospitals struggle to find beds for patients.

Russian cases top 500,000.

Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals in the US are cancelled.

China's capital Beijing reports a case linked to a wholesale food market.

The WHO says the pandemic is accelerating in Africa, with South Africa accounting for a quarter of all the continent's cases. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO’s Africa regional director, told a Geneva briefing that she believed many cases were being missed due to a lack of test kits and supplies.

As of 7pm today, 7,344,220 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 3,621,446 and 414,140 people have died. There are 3,308,634 active cases and 4,035,586 closed cases. In total, 213 countries and territories, and two international transporters have been infected. Anguilla, Aruba, British Virgin Islands, Eritrea, The Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montenegro, Montserrat, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, St Barth, Timore Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and  Vatican City have no known active cases.

The Russian maker of the Aventa-M ventilators recalls its product which have been linked to two hospital fires. Five people died when one caught fire in a hospital in St Petersburg that killed five people on May 12. Three days before that one person dies in a fire at a hospital in Moscow.

An EU Commission report blames China and Russia for spewing false and misleading online information about Covid-19. The two nations are among “foreign actors” that sought to “undermine democratic debate” and enhance their own image through “targeted influence operations and disinformation campaigns around Covid-19 in the EU,” the European Union’s executive authority said in the report.

Sweden's top health authority decides to drop its daily press briefings providing updates on virus infection rate and death toll. State epidemiologist Anders Tegnell admits that his approach was flawed. Sweden's softer lockdown led to it having one of the world's highest death rates, relative to population.

As of 7pm today, 7,219,186 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 3,554,837 and 409,107 people have died. There are 3,255,242 active cases and 3,963,944 closed cases. In total, 213 countries and territories, and two international transporters have been infected. Laos joins the club of places with no active cases. Anguilla, Aruba, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Eritrea, The Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, Fiji, French Polynesia, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, Montenegro, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, Seychelles, St Barth, Timore Leste, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, and  Vatican City have no known active cases.

As of 7pm today, 7,112,349 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 3,471,021 and 406,544 people have died. There are 3,234,784 active cases and 3,877,565 closed cases. In total, 213 countries and territories, and two international transporters have been infected. New Zealand joins the club of places with no active cases. Anguilla, Aruba, Belize, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands, Dominica, Eritrea, The Faeroe Islands, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Fiji, Greenland, Isle of Man, Macau, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Pierre Miquelon, St Barth, St Lucia, Seychelles,  Timore Leste, Turks and Caicos, and  Vatican City have no known active cases.

People from 50 countries around the world join protests against police brutality in the United States.

There has still been no word from Chinese citizen journalists Chen Qiushi, a lawyer last heard from on February 7, and Fang Bin, a Wuhan resident who became well known after he released a video clip of dead bodies in a van outside a major hospital. Fang was taken away by plain-clothes police on February 9. 

HAITI - On paper, Haiti so far has everything it needs to battle the coronavirus crisis -- unoccupied hospital beds, medical staff and supplies. But in reality, the population’s skepticism about whether the contagion even exists has led to a quickly mounting death toll. “The illness is real. Many of our citizens are experiencing respiratory symptoms and other tell-tale signs,” said Erneau Mondesir, a doctor who works in impoverished Cite Soleil. “It’s really important for them to believe this disease exists.” And yet, despite the hundreds of thousands of deaths around the world, medical personnel are baffled by the unwillingness of many Haitians to take the pandemic seriously. The first cases were detected in Haiti two months ago. In recent days, an increasing number of people are reporting symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. They insist they have a “bit of a fever” or a “mild illness” - but people are dying in and around the capital Port-au-Prince. (AFP)

Brazil's death toll surpasses Italy to become the third-highest in the world. 

France says it has the pandemic under control.

Indonesia reopens mosques.

A study from Wuhan, China- where the first COVID-19 cases were detected - found 36 per cent of patients had neurological symptoms, including headaches, changes in consciousness, strokes and lack of muscle coordination.

US President Donald Trump announces an unexpected gain of 2.5 million jobs.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro threatens to take his country out of the WHO after it warns that countries are opening too fast.

After a shutdown of 78 days, gambling resumed at one minute past midnight in Las Vegas.

USS Theodore Roosevelt, one of the US Navy's signature warships returns to sea and conducts military operations in the Pacific region.

Neymar, the world's most expensive footballer is approved for a welfare payment of US$120, in an apparent case of identity theft, the government says.

There has still been no word from Chinese citizen journalists Chen Qiushi, a lawyer last heard from on February 7, and Fang Bin, a Wuhan resident who became well known after he released a video clip of dead bodies in a van outside a major hospital. Fang was taken away by plain-clothes police on February 9.  

There has still been no word from Chinese citizen journalists Chen Qiushi, a lawyer last heard from on February 7, and Fang Bin, a Wuhan resident who became well known after he released a video clip of dead bodies in a van outside a major hospital. Fang was taken away by plain-clothes police on February 9. 

There has still been no word from Chinese citizen journalists Chen Qiushi, a lawyer last heard from on February 7, and Fang Bin, a Wuhan resident who became well known after he released a video clip of dead bodies in a van outside a major hospital. Fang was taken away by plain-clothes police on February 9.