March of coronavirus across the world
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11. Globally there are more than 1 million confirmed cases and more than 69 000 deaths.
According to a paper published on January 24 in The Lancet medical journal, the first known coronavirus patient was in Wuhan, China, and began showing symptoms on December 1 last year.
December 31: China alerts WHO on several cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan, the virus is still unknown.
January 7: WHO officials announce that they have identified a new virus.
January 11: China announces the first death due to the virus.
January 13: Thailand confirms its first case.
January 16: Japan confirms its first case of the virus.
January 31: Russia, Spain, Sweden and the UK confirm their first cases of the virus.
February 1: Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the US, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam confirm first cases of the virus.
February 4: Belgium confirms first case of the virus, found in a person who was repatriated from Wuhan, China.
February 14: France records its first coronavirus death.
February 14: Egypt becomes the first country in Africa to report a case of the deadly virus. Once it arrived on the continent, the virus spread to more than 30 countries in less than a month.
February 19: The virus emerges in Iran.
February 21: Israel reports its first confirmed case of the coronavirus after a woman who returned from a cruise ship tests positive.
February 24: Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Afghanistan and Oman all report their first cases of the virus.
February 26: The virus emerges in Norway, Romania, Greece, Georgia, Pakistan, North Macedonia and Brazil.
February 27: Estonia, Denmark, Northern Ireland and the Netherlands report their first coronavirus cases.
February 28: Lithuania and Wales confirm first cases of the virus.
February 29: Qatar confirms its first case of the virus.
March 2: The virus emerges in Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
March 6: South Africa announces its first coronavirus case.
March 10: Lebanon, Morocco and the Democratic Republic of Congo confirm their first cases of the virus.
March 11: Turkey, Ivory Coast, Honduras and Bolivia confirm their first cases of the virus.
March 16: Somalia confirms its first case of the virus.
March 18: Italy records the highest one-day death toll of any nation: 475.
March 21: Europe remains the epicentre of the coronavirus.
March 26: South Africa imposes a 21-day lockdown and the total number of coronavirus cases globally surpasses 500 000.
March 31: The number of deaths in the US from coronavirus surpasses those reported by China.
April 2: The global total of confirmed Covid-19 cases surpasses 1 million.
April 5: South African government announces the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases as being 1 655 with 11 deaths.
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