Coronavirus: A timeline of the outbreak related to the deadly Sars - November 2020
- Hope for vaccines
- A change of presidency in the US drags on, stalling decision making for virus teams
As the Covid-19 virus out of Wuhan, China, spreads around the world, nations scramble to respond with tighter checks on citizens and visitors. So far, we know that it spreads from human to human, and that symptoms include a fever, coughing and difficulty breathing.
Experts have identified the virus as a coronavirus, the same kind of pathogen as that which caused Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which killed more than 800 people in 2002/03 and also started in China.
As events are reported, we will insert them on the day they happened, so some new reports might be further down the timeline.
Here's the latest:
2019 - January February March April May June July August September October December January 2021
Nov 30
Cambodia in testing blitz as local coronavirus cluster spreads
Sri Lanka coronavirus prison riot leaves 8 dead, more than 50 wounded, authorities say as they tried to quell a protest over rising corornavirus infections in the country’s crowded jails.
Covid-19 infections have fallen by 30% during England’s month-long national lockdown and the virus is now in retreat, a large-scale study of more than 100,000 volunteers showed
Indonesia raises volcano alert after eruptions, thousands evacuated
After some two weeks in coronavirus quarantine in Italy, the rescuers from the Open Arms aid organization have left port in Sicily and plan to set sail on the open sea again.
As of 6 pm today, 63,135,973 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 43,612,353 and 1,466,289 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 13 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: British Virgin Islands, Greenland, Kiribati, Macau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, North Korea, Timor Lestse, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu
Nov 29
California sets pandemic record as coronavirus hammers hospitals. Both statewide and in L.A. County, average daily coronavirus cases have quadrupled in recent weeks and hospitalizations have tripled.
Pope calls for 'watchfulness' at start of Christmas season
The world crosses the 63 million infections mark.
UK appoints vaccines minister to oversee COVID inoculations
A Singaporean woman, who was infected with the novel coronavirus in March when she was pregnant, has given birth to a baby with antibodies against the virus, offering a new clue as to whether the infection can be transferred from mother to child, the Straits Times reports.
Shanghai marathon defies coronavirus with 9,000 runners
First foreign students arrive in Australia since virus closure
UK bird flu outbreak leads to mass turkey cull of more than 10,000 birds
People injured after demonstration against pandemic curfew in Liege, Belgium
North Korea has ramped up its virus control measures along the border with South Korea, Yonhap news agency reports
Nov 28
Belgium criticizes German plan for Christmas easing of virus rules
The world crosses the 62 million infections mark
South Korea reported more than 500 new coronavirus cases for the third straight day, the fastest spread of infections the country has seen since the early days of the pandemic.
Nov 27
Dutch cities close shops early during Black Friday over virus fears
WHO: At least 60 per cent immunisation rate needed to block Covid-19
Thailand secures Astrazeneca vaccines, raising hope of travel in 2021
Malaysia to buy almost 13 million doses of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine
400,000 Russian military workers to be vaccinated
Taiwan on alert after Indonesian migrant workers test positive
Japanese emperor's New Year's greeting cancelled due to pandemic
Nov 26
Six of Pakistan’s squad tested positive for Covid-19, hosts New Zealand Cricket say. New Zealand’s ministry of health said 53 team members passed a symptom check before leaving Lahore and were tested on arrival in Christchurch on November 24. Six of those results have come back positive.
Swedish Prince Carl Philip and his wife have gone into quarantine after testing positive for the coronavirus, the palace says
South Korea reports its highest daily number of coronavirus cases since March - 583
Russia on registers record numbers for daily infections at 25,487
Doctors Without Borders ends COVID care in Venezuela clinic, saying government restrictions made their work impossible
Cambodian villagers trust magic scarecrows to ward off coronavirus
As of 6 pm today,60,818,411 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 42,121,492 and 1,428,870 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 13 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: British Virgin Islands, Fiji, Greenland, Kiribati, Macau, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, North Korea, Timor Lestse, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu
Nov 25
Spain to provide vaccine for free, with priority for risk groups
South Africa's Western Cape officials warn of resurgence
US' Food and Drug Administration gives emergency authorization to most precise coronavirus-antibody test yet. It measures the number of neutralizing antibodies that the body’s immune system has produced after exposure, The new test measures the level of antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
The world hits 60 million infections.
Concordia University in Southern California will discontinue its use of antigen testing for asymptomatic students and employees, after more than 50 false positives prompted unwarranted concern about a possible major coronavirus outbreak. As of Wednesday, officials at the Irvine university said there were six active cases — four students and two employees — on campus as opposed to the more than 60 infections reported two days ago.
Malaysia, the world’s largest producer of rubber gloves, sees no supply disruption due to factory closures
Russia sees record number of virus deaths for second straight day at 507.
Europe plans ahead to avoid another coronavirus resurgence. Germany suggests toucher curbs, France's restaurants to remain shut
As of 6 pm today, 60,187,347 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 41,644,788 and 1,416,840 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 12 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: British Virgin Islands, Greenland, Kiribati, Macau, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, North Korea, Timor Lestse, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu
Nov 24
1 in 3 US parents believe Thanksgiving traditions outweigh COVID-19 risks, poll says
Qantas says it will make virus vaccine compulsory for international travel
Having once had the highest COVID-19 rate in Southeast Asia, Singapore has all but eradicated the virus after reporting 14 days without any new local cases
Australia eyes making vaccination an entry requirement
Among 225,556 Canadians who were tested for the virus, the risk for a virus diagnosis was 12% lower and the risk for severe COVID-19 or death was 13% lower in people with blood group O versus those with A, AB, or B, researchers reported on Tuesday in Annals of Internal Medicine.
A large study adds to evidence that people with type O or Rh-negative blood may be at slightly lower risk from the new coronavirus. Among 225,556 Canadians who were tested for the virus, the risk for a COVID-19 diagnosis was 12 per cent lower and the risk for severe COVID-19 or death was 13% lower in people with blood group O versus those with A, AB, or B, researchers reported on Tuesday in Annals of Internal Medicine.
China’s claims coronavirus on frozen foods and bans shrimp from Ecuador, while virologist Timothy Newsome at the University of Sydney. says the tests might be too sensitive.
Japan and China agree to restart mutual business travel by the end of November amid the coronavirus pandemic, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.
Dow Jones surges past symbolic 30,000-point mark, an all-time record high, as Wall Street embraces vaccine news and Trump's nod to Biden's power.
Hundreds of flights cancelled as Shanghai tackles virus outbreak
In the last 24 hours, the US recorded 2,194 deaths and 175,168 new cases
US health officials and politicians plead with Americans to stay at home over the Thanksgiving holiday and abide by constraints placed on social and economic life
As recorded today, 60,088,559 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 41,542,642 and 1,413,799 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 16 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Fiji, Greenland, Kiribati, Macau, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, North Korea, Timor Lestse, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu
New evidence indicates most of the 24 inmates killed during a prison riot in Colombia’s capital earlier this year over fears that crowded, unhygienic conditions would fuel a virus outbreak were shot to death intentionally, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch. The organisation said post mortem reports it commissioned from independent forensic experts shed light on one of the deadliest prison uprisings in the nation’s recent history. The Independent Forensic Expert Group and the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims concluded that none of the dead were shot in a way that indicates whoever fired only wanted to injure them. “Most of the gunshot wounds described in the autopsy reports are consistent with having been produced with the objective of killing,” the experts found.
Nov 23
The border between Australia's two most populous states, Victoria and New South Wales, reopened after a 138-day closure at one minute after midnight
Singapore's economy rebounded better than expected during the July-September period, according to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, posting 9.2 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth, but virus impact still felt
Delhi crematorium adds furnaces, pyres as deaths soar
China tests millions after coronavirus flare-ups in 3 cities, Tianjin, Shanghai and Manzhouli
Toronto enters Canada's biggest lockdown
Spain's king self-isolating after virus contact: palace
Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford on Monday said that their Covid-19 vaccine - with pre-orders of over a billion doses worldwide - is on average about 70-per-cent effective. The news of a third promising vaccine gives ground for hope, UN health chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says/
US President Donald Trump finally authorises federal agencies to work with US President elect Joe Biden:s transition team after denying the results of the November 4 election.
New Zealand leader Jacinda Ardern offers virus know-how to Joe Biden
Swedish PM sends COVID plea to nation after 'careless' response
Vaccines could reach first Americans by mid-December, top health official says
As recorded today, 59,060,168 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 40,824,218 and 1,394,833 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 16 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Fiji, Greenland, Kiribati, Macau, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, North Korea, Timor Lestse, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu
Nov 22
In more than 50 cities in Spain, thousands of people protested in motorcades on Sunday against a controversial educational reform by the left-wing government.
Avian flu is detected in Berlin
Hong Kong-Singapore travel bubble postponed for two weeks as new cases soar in Hong Kong
Thousands of mourners pay homage to Patriarch Irinej, leader of Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC), who died of Covid-19 during the country’s record surge in coronavirus cases.
As recorded today, 58,970,525 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 40,759,532 and 1,393,227 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 16 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Fiji, Greenland, Kiribati, Macau, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, North Korea, Timor Lestse, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu
Nov 21
New York recorded a seven-month statewide high of 5,972 new coronavirus cases as numbers continue to soar in hotspots and upstate, Governor Andrew Cuomo announces. More than 12 million people in the US have now been infected with coronavirus.
As recorded today, 58,481,513 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 40,460,015 and 1,385,818 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 18 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Fiji, Greenland, Kiribati, Macau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, North Korea, St Kitts and Nevis, Timor Lestse, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu
40 million people around the world have recovered from Covid-19
Regeneron's experimental treatment Remdisivir used to treat US President Donald Trump for coronavirus is granted emergency authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration. It means the cocktail of two antibodies - casirivimab and imdevimab - can be used to treat mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms in patients over 12 years of age who are at risk of developing into severe cases.
Nov 20
India’s coronavirus cases passed nine million.
The US records 2,066 deaths and a record 204,166 new cases in the previous 24 hours. Its daily deaths record was set at 2,744 on April 21.
The leader of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, has died after testing positive for the coronavirus, the church said Friday. He was 90.
Hong Kong announces primary school shutdown, saying a large number of infections are linked to students.
WHO advises doctors not to use Gilead's Remdesivir for COVID-19. There is currently no evidence that it improves survival or the need for ventilation,” a panel of WHO-convened experts developing COVID-19 treatment guidelines said in The BMJ medical journal.
As of 6 pm, 57,326,659 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 39,805,825 and 1,367,442 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 15 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Kiribati, Macau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, North Korea, St Kitts and Nevis, Timor Lestse, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu
Nov 19
African continent hits 2 million confirmed coronavirus cases
Japan reports a new daily infections record of 2,179 cases
A senior US defence official, Anthony Tata, tests positive for Covid-19 Thursday after meeting last week in Washington with Lithuanian Minister of Defence Raimundas Karoblis, who later also tested positive for the virus, the Pentagon said.
Philippines' Duterte approves advance payments for Covid-19 vaccine
Russia's coronavirus caseload surpasses 2 million amid surge
AstraZeneca and Oxford University’s potential COVID-19 vaccine has produced a strong result in older adults, data published in the Lancet today says.
The head of the Orthodox Church of Greece, Archbishop Ieronymos, is hospitalized after being diagnosed with COVID-19,
As of 6 pm, 56,648,418 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 39,439,164 and 1,356,547 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 15 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Kiribati, Macau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, New Caledonia, North Korea, St Kitts and Nevis, Timor Lestse,Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu.
Nov 18
US coronavirus deaths passed a quarter of a million people with states imposing a raft of new restrictions.
Sinopharm vaccine has been taken by about 1 million people under an emergency use scheme, the company says
Europe remains the hardest hit region, accounting for more than 46 per cent of global cases.
Samoa records its first case.
In Berlin, police fire water cannon to disperse thousands of unmasked protesters demonstrating against tightened restrictions. The protesters, who have equated the restrictions to Nazi-era rules, responded by chanting “Shame! Shame!”
Sinovac Biotech’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac triggered a quick immune response but the level of antibodies produced was lower than in people who had recovered from the disease, preliminary trial results showed. The Sinovac findings, published in a peer-reviewed paper in medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, came from results in Phase I and Phase II clinical trials in China involving more than 700 participants.
DR Congo announces the end of its latest Ebola epidemic
As of 6 pm, 56,013,327 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 39,026,013 and 1,345,039 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 16 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Kiribati, Macau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, North Korea, Samoa, St Kitts and Nevis, Timor Lestse,Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu.
In the US state of South Dakota, which has shunned masks and other Covid rules, some people die in denial, says nurse Jodi Doering.
Certain mouthwash formulas might kill coronavirus in saliva, a new UK study suggests. Researchers from Cardiff University posted the findings on the preprint bioRxiv server used by the scientific community to solicit peer review ahead of possible publication in a journal.
SeaDream announces it is cancelling the rest of its 2020 cruises after the November 7 outbreak on SeaDream 1
Malaysia signs an agreement with China to be given priority access to vaccines developed by China,
New York City schools to close again as virus rate rises
The United Nations humanitarian office is releasing $100 million in emergency funding to seven countries at risk of famine in Africa and the Middle East amid conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic, while the humanitarian chief says returning to a world where famines are common would be “obscene.“
German police in Berlin use water cannon on protesters against the covid rules.
Bitcoin breaks $18,000 with all-time high in sight
Nov 17
The world passes the 55 million infection rate
Top Republican senator Chuck Grassley tests positive for coronavirus
As of 6 pm, 55,395,722 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 38,529,776 and 1,333,133 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 16 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Kiribati, Macau, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Montserrat, North Korea, Samoa, St Kitts and Nevis, Timor Lestse,Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna.
Nov 16
US pharmaceutical firm MODERNA says it has developed a vaccine that shows 94.5% effectiveness against the virus. Global stocks hit a record high. The United States’ top infectious disease scientist Anthony Fauci hails it as "stunningly impressive". The victory is hailed as a win for US President Donald Trump's Operation Warp Speed project to fast-track a vaccine. The Government granted Moderna nearly US$1 billion to develop the vaccine and committed to paying a further US$1.5 billion to buy, make and distribute the first 100 million doses.
International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach says he is now “very, very confident” that spectators will be able to attend next year’s pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympic Games
The Australian state of South Australia reported 14 new coronavirus cases on Monday, a dramatic increase from the previous day, prompting the country’s other states to tighten internal borders and amid concerns of a new virus hot spot..
Amnesty International said Belgium authorities “abandoned” thousands of elderly people who died in nursing homes during the coronavirus pandemic following an investigation published today that described the situation as “human rights violations.“
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says in tweeted video “It doesn’t matter that I’m fit as a butcher’s dog, feel great...that I’ve had the disease and I’m bursting with antibodies,” he said in a video released on Twitter.
Kenyan Doctors Threaten Strike as Virus Infections, Deaths Surge
Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez has tested positive for coronavirus and will miss this Saturday's meeting with his former club Barcelona in La Liga.
WHO Approves First Ever Vaccine for Emergency Use Against Polio
US President Elect Joe Biden says that President Donald Trump's administration's refusal to work on the transition to the next administration will hurt efforts to combat the virus.
Passengers on the Caribbean cruise SeaDream Yacht Club’s SeaDream I that ended its voyage early after multiple passengers tested positive, were allowed to disembark in Barbados over the weekend. The sailing that was cut short marked the first time SeaDream had resumed its West Indies voyages since the pandemic. It was one of the first cruise ships to sail in Caribbean waters since the pandemic began. The cruise line said in a press release that it “operated successfully earlier this year in Norway, completing 21 voyages during the summer season.” Passengers were required to have two negative COVID-19 tests prior to boarding and had their temperatures checked daily.
Nov 15
IOC's Thomas Bach set to visit Japan to reassure everyone that next years' Games are on.
Hongkongers are told to test or face punishment. Compulsory Covid-19 testing begins for the city's high risk groups, with threats of six months jail or hefty fines and penalties in place for those who refuse
US surpassed 11 million coronavirus cases Sunday, adding one million new cases in less than a week..
Algeria enforces fresh virus restrictions
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is self-isolating after someone he was in contact with tested positive for the coronavirus, a spokesman says.
Anthony Fauci, the US government's top infectious disease expert, says President Donald Trump last attended a coronavirus task force meeting "months ago," even as US coronavirus cases soared
Nov 14
Mexico surpasses 1 million Covid cases
Yes, you can get the flu and Covid-19 at the same time. But scientists don't know what that would look like, yet.
Nov 13
Mystery Covid-19 case in New Zealand linked to border, health officials say.
Britain’s Prison Service says that serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, who was widely known as the “Yorkshire Ripper,“ has died of Covid-19
There are signs of hope in Germany, France but virus strains hospitals
Elon Musk says he probably has Covid-19. The Billionaire entrepreneur tweeted that he was getting different results from different tests. "Something extremely bogus must be going on," he said. He added that he was experiencing symptoms of what would normally be a mild cold.
California hits million cases. North Dakota governor finally issues mask mandate
Belgium exempts gift-bearing St Nicholas from virus measures
The US state of North Dakota decides to allow Covid positive nurses to remain at work.
Serbia’s capital Belgrade has run out of hospital beds for Covid patients.
106-year-old woman in Germany survives
The world passes the 53 million infection mark. The USA recorded 161,000 new cases in the last 24 hours.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Thursday sounded an alarm about restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying they shouldn’t become a “recurring feature after the pandemic has passed.”
As of 6 pm, 53,144,185 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 37,260,869 and 1,300,296 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 15 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Kiribati, Macau, Micronesia, Montserrat, North Korea, Samoa, St Kitts and Nevis, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna.
Nov 12
The British government announces that From December 3 to 9,, university students will be allowed to head home for Christmas. Universities will set staggered departure dates. Universities are also to move their teaching online by December 9.
Mystery case in New Zealand raises fears of community transmission
Norway to waive virus quarantine for Nobel Peace Prize delegation
Turkey bans smoking in public places to curb virus spread
Texas has hit 1 million infections.
AirBNB rats out the French saying thousands had wanted to rent places to hold secret parties at the end of summer.
Senegalese children resume classes
The Landmine Monitor 2020 says the virus has disrupted clearing of landmines around the world.
US President Donald Trump's adviser Corey Lewandowski has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Brazil allows trials of China's CoronaVac vaccine to resume
As of 6 pm, 52,513,315 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 36,723,609 and1,290,944 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is 16 with the addition of several Pacific islands and countries which have not declared any cases: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Greenland, Kiribati, Macau, Micronesia, Montserrat, North Korea, Samoa, St Kitts and Nevis, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Wallis and Futuna.
Nov 11
Pacific's Vanuatu records first Covid-19 case
Speaking at the week-long WHO meeting, Garrett Grisby of the US Department of Health and Human Services said the organisation was not sharing enough information about its planned mission to China to investigate the animal origins of the virus.
Mongolia reports first domestic coronavirus transmissions - from a truck driver who had been in quarantine for three weeks
Hong Kong and Singapore to launch 'travel bubble' on Nov 22
The West Indies cricket squad is rebuked for repeatedly breaking isolation rules inside their team hotel in New Zealand, prompting health authorities to revoke their training privileges.
US surpasses 1 million virus cases in the first 10 days of November. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now says masks, even cloth ones, protect wearers from catching, as well as spreading, the coronavirus.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine says temperature and symptom checks like the ones used at schools and doctor’s offices have again proved inadequate for spotting coronavirus infections and preventing outbreaks. A study of US Marine recruits found that despite these measures and strict quarantines before they started training, the recruits spread the virus to others even though hardly any of them had symptoms. None of the infections were caught through symptom screening.
Cyprus announces local lockdowns
Stockholm rushes to stem nursing home surge with visit ban, quick tests
Virus makes for one of Europe's loneliest WWI remembrances
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa says his country is open to foreign travellers, but warns his country of a second wave.
Argentina president Alberto Fernandez self-isolating over possible virus exposure
Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park announces more furloughs, blames coronavirus rules. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo orders a curfew on New York restaurants, gyms, with parties capped at 10
Cambodia bans state-organized events in capital over virus
Cuba reopens Havana airport after 8-month virus closure
As of 8 pm, 51,357,865 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 36,147,305 and 1,271,370 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is nine: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Macau, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.
Nov 10
Suicides rise in Malawi as virus debts compound misery
Paris hospital director Julien Lenglet says traditional Christmas and New Year celebrations should be cancelled.
China's Sinovac says 'confident' of vaccine safety after Brazil trial halted
Russian President Vladimir Putin says all Russian COVID-19 vaccines are effective
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro draws criticism for telling Brazilians not to deal with Covid-19 like “a country of fags,”.
As virus spikes, Europe runs low on ICU beds, hospital staff
Thai health authorities say a Hungarian diplomat has tested positive in the wake of a visit by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto
Palestinian peace negotiator Saeb Erekat, a veteran peace negotiator and prominent international spokesman for the Palestinians for more than three decades, dies, weeks after being infected by the coronavirus. He was 65.
The US recorded 200,000 new cases in the last 24 hours. The US remains the hardest-hit nation at more than 10 million cases and nearly 240,000 deaths, with shocking new data now including a record 60,000 current hospitalizations.
The world passes the 51 million infections mark
As of 6 pm, 51,897,456 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 36,449,304 and 1,281,129 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is nine: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Macau, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.
Nov 9
US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, one of the teams racing to develop a coronavirus vaccine announces its drug had shown 90 per cent effectiveness against the illness, sending stock markets soaring and raising hopes of an end to draconian restrictions on movement. The company said tests involving more than 40,000 people had provided results that were a “critical milestone” in the search for a vaccine
Taiwan notes its regret at not receiving an invite to a key World Health Organization (WHO) meeting this week expected to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic due to “obstruction” from China, the island’s foreign ministry said, expressing its displeasure.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tests positive
US Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson tests positive
Brazil’s health regulator halted clinical trials of the potential coronavirus vaccine CoronaVac, citing an “adverse, serious event,” according to a statement it posted to its website. Indonesia's Bio Farma says trials of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine “going smoothly”
Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co Ltd plans to start a mid-stage clinical trial this month of a nasal spray coronavirus vaccine in China, clinical trial registry data shows. An alternative to the common injection in the arm, the spray vaccine can trigger specific immune responses in airways by mimicking the natural infection of a respiratory virus, its researchers have said.
US Food and Drug Administration grants emergency approval to Bamlanivimab, a synthetic antibody treatment against Covid-19 developed by Eli Lilly.
Hungary’s ambassador to Cambodia and Vietnam had tested positive in the wake of a one-day visit to Cambodia by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto
As of 6 pm, 50,809,921 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 35,829,817 and 1,263,048 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is eight: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Macau, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.
Nov 8
World passes 50 million infections barrier.
The United States became the first nation worldwide since the pandemic began to surpass 10 million coronavirus infections.
US President-elect Joe Biden’s health care advisers have held talks with pharmaceutical-industry executives in which they discussed Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. development programme for coronavirus vaccines and treatments, according to people familiar with the matter.
Singapore's Agency of Science, Technology and Research finds in a simulation that coughing can spread droplets further than the recommended 6 ft social distancing. the peer-reviewed journal the peer-reviewed journal Physics of Fluids found that although the droplets might not be inhaled at this distance, they could alight on skin and clothing and be transferred by touching.
Portugal will introduce a curfew across most of the country from Monday in an effort to combat surging case numbers, Prime Minister Antonio Costa announces.
An employee at a cold storage company in Tianjin, China tests positive after handling a package of frozen meat imported from Germany, according to local health authorities.
More than 200 army reservists -- who have undertaken four months’ training -- are deployed in Switzerland to help hospitals as new admissions soar.
Britain reports 20,572 new cases of COVID-19, 156 deaths
Bangladesh Twenty20 skipper Mahmudullah Riyad is ruled out of the Pakistan Super League playoffs after testing positive for the coronavirus,
Schools in Cambodia’s capital and the surrounding area will be shut for two weeks as a precaution after Hungary’s foreign minister tested positive for the coronavirus after visiting Cambodia last week, the Education Ministry says
Gymnasts from four countries take part in a friendly meet in Tokyo in a closely watched event aimed at showing the world Japan can safely put on the postponed 2020 Olympics in the era of the coronavirus. Tested daily for the virus, they wore masks as they marched into the gymnasium behind national flags, and there were fist bumps of congratulations instead of hugs or high fives.
Coronavirus transmission from minks to humans does not necessarily mean the disease will become more dangerous, but scientists are on their guard in the wake of an astounding announcement from Denmark. Specialists are not convinced however that the danger is much greater and are waiting for more evidence. “I really wish that the trend of science by press release would stop,” commented Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University in New York. “There’s no reason why the genomic data couldn’t be shared, which would allow the scientific community to evaluate these claims,” she added on Twitter.
Nov 7
Denmark is only one of six countries which have reported virus outbreaks on mink farms, the WHO reveals. The other are the US, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden. Scientists say virus mutations are common and often harmless, and this one doesn’t cause a more severe illness in humans.
Britain bans entry to all non-resident foreigners coming from Denmark
Nov 6
The World Health Organization is facing renewed pleas to allow Taiwan to participate in a key international meeting amid fears its exclusion could jeopardize efforts to rein in the pandemic. The WHO is due to resume its annual meeting on Monday, the previous meeting was cut short in May. Taiwan has been excluded from the WHO and a number of other international organisations amid pressure from China, which regards the self-ruled democratic island of 23 million people as its own territory.
UN says needs $665 million to avert new measles and polio epidemics
Liverpool begins UK's first city-wide coronavirus testing
Trump chief of staff Meadows tests positive
Overseas travelers should be quarantined in hotels guarded by police, an inquiry into an Melbourne city’s bungled quarantine program report
As of 6 pm, 49,122,480 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 35,039,245 and 1,241,143 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is eight: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Greenland, Macau, Montserrat, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.
US daily case count tops 118,319
Lufthansa to trial free rapid coronavirus tests before boarding
Sri Lanka delays Twenty20 cricket league over virus
Seven people are arrested for selling false certificates of negative coronavirus tests to travelers at Paris’s largest airport, Charles de Gaulle
An Associated Press analysis reveals that in 376 US counties with the highest number of new cases per capita, the overwhelming majority — 93% of those counties — voted for Trump, a rate above other less severely hit areas.
Head of Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej, tests positive, admitted to hospital days after leading prayers at a large public funeral for the head of the church in Montenegro, who died after contracting the virus
Nov 5
Cambodia launches coronavirus test blitz after Hungarian FM's visit. Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto tested positive on Thai visit. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen says he has tested negative
Japan will cull 330,000 chickens after bird flu detected
Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko bans return of citizens abroad - with the exception of those in Russia.
Beijing bars arrivals from UK, France, Belgium due to second wave
Loss of smell is an earlier Covid-19 symptom than fever, according to a new study at Monell Chemical Senses Center
Bulgaria reorganizes hospitals as coronavirus cases break new record.
Leicester football club lock down ahead of new season
Johnson appeals for unity as England enters new lockdown
Denmark orders cull of all of the nation's 17 million minks after a mutated version of the virus is found in humans. Denmark is Europe’s biggest producer and exporter of mink pelts.
S.Korea tells people who attended a memorial for Samsung Group patriarch Lee Kun-hee last week to get tested after coronavirus case emerges
As of 6 pm, 48,522,891 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 34,765,588 and 1,232,322 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is eight: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.
US daily case count tops 108,389
Nov 4
A study of the lungs of people who have died from COVID-19 has found persistent and extensive lung damage in most cases. Mauro Giacca, a professor at King’s College London who co-led the work, said that while his research team found no overt signs of viral infection or prolonged inflammation in other organs, they discovered “really vast destruction of the architecture of the lungs”, with healthy tissue “almost completely substituted by scar tissue”.
World infections pass 48 million.
As the pandemic has pushed many companies to allow telecommuting, it has also caused population to flow out of Tokyo - the first time that has happened in years, the latest Japanese government data shows September was the third straight month that those moving out outnumbered those moving in, the longest run on record, led by people in their 20s and 30s.
Hackers target new remote workers with poor data security at home
Poland shuts cinemas, many shops to fight virus spread
US daily Covid-19 cases hit new record, topping 99,000 according to Johns Hopkins
Iceland's president Gudni Johannesson is to self-isolate after contact with virus case
Hungary's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto tests positive for virus during visit to Thailand. Hungary reintroduces state of emergency as virus surges
Nov 3
The world passes the 47 million infections mark, The United States saw 91,530 new cases
38,000 in quarantine after bulk of Slovakia gets tested for virus
Bulgaria's police to cover ambulance shortage in Sofia
Germany's testing capacity is at breaking point as cases surge
Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven warns of 'very serious' virus situation, as noe curbs are set
A small but key British study has found that “cellular immunity” to the virus is present after six months in people who had mild or asymptomatic infections. Scientists presenting the findings, from 100 non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients in Britain, said they were “reassuring” but did not mean people cannot in rare cases be infected twice with the disease.
As of 8 pm, 47,428,861 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 34,105,512 and 1,213,224 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is eight: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.
UK sees Covid 'light ahead' as Liverpool gets city-wide tests. The ambitious pilot scheme in the northwestern city, one of the areas worst-hit by the pandemic in Britain, will start on Friday
Algerian president Abdelmadjid Tebboune tests positive in German hospital
Nov 2
More than 1.2 million people have died of coronavirus around the globe,
The number of confirmed cases in Ukraine exceeds 400,000, says the security council
China’s strict formula of immediate lockdowns and mass testing even at the first signs of infection has been vital to its success in controlling the disease, allowing its economy to quickly recover from the crisis, officials say. The highly orchestrated strategy - described as “overkill” even by its own proponents - is unique among major economies at a time when Europe and the United States are facing a massive surge of new cases and often chaotic policies. Key to the programme are factors unique to China, including the Communist Party’s tight grip on all aspects of society. Authorities have unimpeded access to personal information as part of an expansive surveillance network, regions are required to share resources, the mass testing system is highly structured around specific targets and testing is mandatory.
UK's 'Mr Brexit' Nigel Farage launches anti-lockdown party
A global aviation manual is now under review by the UN, suggesting guidelines for testing and screening.
Europe imposes new virus curbs as exasperation, anger grows
Braving the virus and long waits, US citizens cross the Mexican border to vote. As Americans head to the polls there is a surge in hospitalisations.
As of 7 pm, 46,887,033 people have been infected by Covid-19. The number of recoveries stands at 33,790 and 1,206,103 people have died. The number of countries and territories with no active cases is eight: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Macau, Montserrat, New Caledonia, St Kitts and Nevis, Wallis and Futuna.
Nov1
World passes 46 million cases
Small groups of protesters gather in Sao Paulo in Brazil to protest against the governor's mandatory vaccination call. The CoronaVac, as it is being called, has been a prime target for skepticism from Bolsonaro and others, with the president saying Brazilians will not be guinea pigs to the Chinese.
Anti-government protests triggered by the tightening of Poland’s strict abortion law took place for an 11th day in the predominantly Catholic nation. Many cities disregard virus-control
The head of the World Health Organization says he will self-quarantine after being identified as a contact of a person who tested positive for COVID-19
Trump threatens to fire Fauci. Speaking at a campaign rally in Opa-locka, Florida, Trump expressed frustration that the surging cases of the virus that has killed more than 230,000 Americans so far this year remains prominent in the news, sparking chants of “Fire Fauci” from his supporters.
Huge crowds attended the funeral for Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Irinej in Montenegro in violation of virus restrictions.
The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, the crown jewel of Peru’s tourist sites, reopens.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweets that he is self-quarantining after coming into contact with a person who is infected.
White House coronavirus adviser Atlas apologizes for Russian TV interview