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A new SARS like coronavirus appears in the city of Wuhan
A mysterious new virus that was first reported in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December and has since spread to two other domestic cities and several countries in the Asian region is raising fears of an epidemic like the deadly SARS outbreak that hit the region nearly two decades ago. -
Japan confirms first case of coronavirus
A Chinese national in his 30s who lives in Kanagawa Prefecture (east coast city) tested positive for the virus, the ministry said. He returned from Wuhan on Jan. 6 and was hospitalized on Jan. 10, but has already recovered and was discharged from the hospital on Wednesday. -
Canada confirms its first case in Toronto
On January 20, A man in his 50s who arrived in Toronto from Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the outbreak, becomes the first "presumptive" case of the new coronavirus in Canada. The man called 911 as soon as he got sick with relatively minor symptoms and was placed in isolation in Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital. -
COVID-19 Arrives in the United States.
On January 19, 2020, a 35-year-old man presented to an urgent care clinic in Snohomish County, Washington, with a 4-day history of cough and subjective fever. On 20 January, the first known case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the Pacific Northwest state of Washington. -
Hubei Province: QUARANTINED
On Janurary 23, China imposed a lockdown in Wuhan and other cities in the Hubei province in an effort to control and quarantine the center of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. This is commonly referd to as the "Wuhan lockdown". -
COVID-19 lands on the land of Singapore
Singapore on Thursday (Jan 23) announced a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus. In a media briefing on Thursday evening, the Ministry of Health said the patient is a 66-year-old Chinese man. The Wuhan resident, who arrived in Singapore with his family on Jan 20, flew from Guangzhou via China Southern flight CZ351. -
France confirms its first coronavirus case
France has announced three cases of a deadly new virus from China, the first in Europe.The first two confirmed cases were announced on Friday by Agnes Buzyn, the French health minister, who said both people had travelled to China. -
Companies barred from returning work
On Jan.27, the Shanghai city government issued a labor notice regarding the 2019-Coronavirus, stating that no employers were allowed to resume work prior to Feb. 10. "Resume Work" was defined later by SH Municipal Bureau of Human Resources and Social Security, Mr. Yuqing Fei, clarifying that "resuming work" refers to when employees may report to work at a physical location. Mr. Fei, further explained that any employees who must work before Feb.10 should do so from home instead of office. -
Germany's first confirmed coronavirus case appeared in Munich, Bavaria
On 27 January 2020, the first case in Germany was confirmed and contained near Munich, Bavaria. COVID-19 has entered Germany on this date. -
Dr. Zhang predicts 2019 novel-coronavirus's fate
On Janurary 30, Shanghai infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong predicts the 2019 nCoV to end in one of the following time spans with specific circumstances:
1. If the current patients would all resolve within 2-4 weeks and under the best conditions China's nCoV epidemic would be under control within 2-3 month
2. Under the worst scenarios, the nCoV would infect the world
3. If the case are still growing under control, then it will take half to one year to fend off this nCoV epidemeic for China -
India confirms its first coronavirus case
On January 30, India has confirmed that at least one case of coronavirus has reached the country. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said the country’s first case was in a patient in Kerala, a southwestern coastal state. The ministry said in a statement that the patient is a student at Wuhan University in China and has been isolated in a hospital. The case was confirmed to the government by the National Institute of Virology, and that the person is “stable and being closely monitored.” -
Italy confirms its first two COVID-19 cases in Rome.
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic was first confirmed to reach Italy on 31 January 2020, when two Chinese tourists in Rome tested positive for the virus. One week later an Italian man repatriated back to Italy from the city of Wuhan, China, was hospitalised and confirmed as the third case in Italy. -
First case of coronavirus confirmed in Spain
A person in La Gomera, one of Spain's Canary Islands chain, has been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2, the country's national health ministry announced Friday.
The patient was part of a group of five people who were in contact with a person infected with the novel virus while in Germany, the ministry said in a statement. -
Coronavirus landed on the land of Russia
On Friday, January 31, health authorities announced the first two confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Russia. The individuals infected are reportedly Chinese nationals. One of the cases was discovered in Tyumen region and the other in Zabaikalsky region. Both individuals have been placed under quarantine. -
Influences of COVID-19 weighs in on Fashion
How to remain safe and stylish in the midst of the rapidly widening coronavirus epidemic? London fashion magazines and influencers say they have you covered. -
Russia: Khabarovsk made wearing face mask compulsory in public places.
Khabarovsk has made the wearing of face masks obligatory to fight the spike in respiratory diseases and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. -
China makes wearing masks mandatory in public places
On February 8th, Shanghai government officials issued laws regarding with the new coronavirus pandemic, stating that all citizens should wear facial masks at all time and cooperate with body temperature checkups in public areas. -
Iran reports its first confirmed novel coronavirus case(s)
On February 19, Iranian authorities confirmed "two" cases of the new coronavirus, the first in the country, the other being uncertain saying also that there was an unspecified number of other suspected cases and that those individuals have been quarantined. -
First coronavirus case in Latin America is confirmed in Brazil
Brazil's government confirmed on Wednesday that a 61-year-old Brazilian man who traveled to Italy this month has Latin America's first confirmed case of the contagious new coronavirus.
“We will now see how this virus behaves in a tropical country in the middle of summer, how its behavior pattern will be,” Brazil's Health Minister Luiz Henrique Mandetta said in a press conference. -
Dr. Zhong nanshan
A leading epidemiologist on the mainland, Zhong Nanshan, said on Thursday that the new coronavirus outbreak will be “under control” by the end of April. -
China announced permanent ban on wildlife trade
The coronavirus pandemic has prompted China to permanently ban the wildlife trade after the evidence pointed to a wet market in Wuhan as the possible point where Covid-19 spilled over from animals to humans. -
Japan's Hokkaido declares state of emergency as case number erupts
On February 28, the upsurge in coronavirus infections forced local authorities to declare a state of emergency in Hokkaido, making Hokkaido the first Japanese state to initiate state of emergency for virus control. Residents on the island roughly the size of Maine have been told to refrain from leaving their houses this weekend, Governor Naomichi Suzuki said in a hastily scheduled press conference. The state of emergency will remain in place until March 19, he said. -
Coronavirus enters crowded city of New York
"There is no cause for surprise -- this was expected," Cuomo said. "As I said from the beginning, it was a matter of when, not if there would be a positive case of novel coronavirus in New York."
Disease detectives in New York have already identified close contacts of the patient, according to New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot.
"As we confront this emerging outbreak, we need to separate facts from fear, and guard against stigma and panic," Barbot said. -
Peru confirms its first coronavirus case
On March 6, president Martin Vizcarra announced that the first novel coronavirus case has been confirmed in Peru. "I must inform you that the first COVID-19 infection case was reported this night. The patient is a 25-year old man," he said in a televised address. -
Italy lockdown
On March 9, Italy became the first country of the European Union to impose a strict lockdown regarding to the coronavirus pandemic. -
Chinese companies back to work with stricter rules
Chinese companies are beta-testing the working schedule of companies as the 2019-novel-coronavirus cases in China dwindle Knowing that the workplace would be an important arena for epidemic prevention, the Chinese officials sets stricter rules for workers returning to their offices Employees returning offices will be checked for temperature multiple times a day and must keep their face mask on at all times Most companies are allowing only half or fewer of their employees into the office each day -
Turkey announces its first case of coronavirus
Turkey has announced its first confirmed case of Covid-19, ending weeks of speculation over whether the tourism and travel hub with a large refugee population would be able to avoid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The patient was a Turkish national who had recently returned from Europe, the health minister Fahrettin Koca said early on Wednesday. The patient and his close contact are now in quarantine.
Fahrettin Koca said: 'The coronavirus is not stronger than the measures we will take.’ -
Iran imposes a national-wide lockdown
On march 13, the Iranian government announced that the security forces will clear the streets nationwide within 24 hours so all citizens can be checked for coronavirus - its toughest measure yet to combat the outbreak.
The COVID-19 epidemic in Iran - a nation of more than 80 million people - has now claimed over 500 lives and infected more than 11,000. -
The Cow therapy for SARS-CoV-2
The chief of the All India Hindu Union hosted a cow urine-drinking event on Saturday in New Delhi, hoping that the practice staves off the coronavirus Many Hindus consider the cow to be sacred Some leaders from Prime Minister Modi's Hindu nationalist party have advocated cow urine or cow dung for its medicinal" properties "We have been drinking cow urine for 21 years, we also take a bath in cow dung We have never felt the need to consume English medicine," said one of the party attendees -
Spain imposing an lockdown in response to the proliferating cases of SARS-CoV-2
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the nation on Saturday evening to announce the moves being taken in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus — there have been 6,271 confirmed cases and 189 people have died.
From Sunday on, the country's 46 million citizens can leave their homes only to buy groceries and pharmaceutical products, go to the bank or hospital, or to take care of dependents. -
'Everything will be all right': Words of encouragement spread amid COVID-19 pandemic
Quarantined Italians broke out in applause from windows and balconies, reportedly a show of support for health-care workers in a country. Italy has been on a country-wide lockdown for nearly a week. In video shared online, Italians filled apartment blocks and alleys with songs from their balconies, singing traditional patriotic folk songs and more popular fare. Others painted signs to hang alongside the country’s flag reading “Tutto andra bene” -- everything will be all right. -
Peru enters lockdown
On March 15, President Martin Vizcarra announced Peru will close its borders to curb the spread of coronavirus. Following on the next day, Peru deployed masked military personnel to block major roads in Lima, while police restricted the movement of people as the country rolled out a state of enforced "social isolation" to slow the spread of coronavirus. -
France goes into lockdown
French President Emmanuel Macron announced strict confinement measures on March 17, which have already been renewed once The French have been confined to their homes with only brief trips allowed outside for buying food and essential errands Police and the army are patrolling the streets to enforce the orders, with residents needing to justify why they're running "errands Every time a citizen leaves their home, they are required to download and fill in a form stating the reason for going outside -
Canada gradually goes into a "lockdown" as WHO officially declared COVID-19 as a pandemic
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the country would be closing its borders to all non-citizens except those from the US (with whom the nation is inextricably entwined)—media reports suggest that the US and Canada are working on an even more restrictive border.
On Tuesday, March 17 Premier Doug Ford declared an emergency, activating sweeping powers to order a wide range of closures and other restrictions aimed at limiting the spread of the virus. -
California state "shutdown"
On March 19, California state became the first state in the U.S to impose a shutdown regarding the coronavirus pandemic as Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all residents to stay at home and all non-essential businesses to close as Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all residents to stay at home and all non-essential businesses to close. -
SARS-CoV-2 cases begins to fall in Japan's Hokkaido, ceasing the state of emergency
SAPPORO--The governor of Hokkaido plans to lift the state of emergency on March 19, but he urged residents to remain indoors over the weekend to protect against novel coronavirus infection.
Naomichi Suzuki announced the decision at a March 18 meeting held to discuss measures against the virus at the Hokkaido government office building. -
Italy’s lockdown will be extended, as death toll spikes and hospitals struggle
The government is set to extend a national lockdown beyond April 3.
Medical facilities in Lombardy will “soon” be unable to help new coronavirus cases, regional Gov. Attilio Fontana said Wednesday, as he urged everyone to stay at home.
Currently, Italy is the worse-affected country outside China, where the COVID-19 outbreak started. -
‘We’re Going to Close the Valve’: Cuomo announces as New York enters lockdown
“When I talk about the most drastic action we can take, this is the most drastic action we can take,” Cuomo said during a press conference. He urged residents to “remain indoors to protect” their health. “We’re going to take it to the ultimate step, which is we’re going to close the valve,” Cuomo stated. On Thursday, he ordered 75 percent of workers in “nonessential” businesses to work from home. -
Germany introduces first lockdown as Bavaria imposes two-week ban on going outside
Bavaria will become the first German state to implement a lockdown in an attempt to tackle the coronavirus outbreak, its state premier has announced. Markus Soeder, Bavaria’s chief minister, said in a TV address: “It’s not easy to take these decisions. We take these decisions according to the best of our knowledge and conscience. There will be a Bavaria after corona, but it will be a stronger one if we don’t look away.” -
Germany slides into lockdown as cases proliferates
On 22 March, the government and the federal states agreed for at least two weeks to forbid gatherings of more than two people and require a minimum distance of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) between people in public except for families, partners or people living in the same household. Restaurants and services like hairdressers were to be closed. Individual states and districts were allowed to impose stricter measures than these. -
WHO launches global megatrials of the four most promising SARS-CoV-2 treatment
An experimental antiviral compound called remdesivir; the malaria medications chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine; a combination of two HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir; and that same combination plus interferon-beta, an immune system messenger that can help cripple viruses. Some data on their use in COVID-19 patients have already emerged—the HIV combo failed in a small study in China—but WHO believes a large trial with a greater variety of patients is warranted. -
UK announces national-wide lockdown over SARS-CoV-2
On March 23, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that he would place Britain under a virtual lockdown, closing all nonessential shops, banning meetings of more than two people, and requiring people to stay in their homes, except for trips for food or medicine. -
Brazil's São Paulo goes into lockdown
SAO PAULO - The capital of tropical Maranhão state ground largely to a halt Tuesday, becoming the first major Brazilian city to enter a lockdown in the hopes of preventing the coronavirus pandemic from overwhelming the health care system of one of the country's poorest states. -
Brazilian police fly a helicopter to create a sandstorm and chase people off a beach to enforce coronavirus lockdown - as GANGS vow to enforce curfew in Rio's favelas
Brazilian police flew a helicopter across a beach to create a sandstorm and chase away renegade sunbathers who were flouting coronavirus rules. Police steered the aircraft over Galheta beach in the city of Florianopolis, flinging sand towards people who were sitting by the seaside. Brazil's government has yet to impose a national lockdown, but the state of Santa Catarina which includes Florianopolis has enacted its own ban on gathering in public spaces such as beaches. -
President Putin refuses to impose lockdown in Russia but offers an "week off work"
On March 25, Vladimir Putin declared a holiday but refused to impose lockdown in Russia as he gave his first address over the coronavirus crisis. The president surprised his observers as he avoided using strong language in describing the coronavirus pandemic and strayed Russia away from launching into an emergency state. With "quarantine" and "self-isolation" conspicuously absent from the speech, he suggested: “The safest thing right now is to stay home.” and Russia so far is doing a great job. -
SARS-CoV-2 pandemic lockdown in India begins
On 25 March, the first day of the lockdown, nearly all services and factories were suspended. People were hurrying to stock essentials in some parts. Arrests across the states were made for violating norms of lockdown such as venturing out for no emergency, opening businesses and home quarantine violations. Several states announced relief funds for the poor and affected people while the central government was finalising a stimulus package. -
Hubei Province: RELEASED
On march 28, the Chinese city of Wuhan began to lift its two month lockdwon by restarting some metro services and reopening borders, allowing many families to reunite. -
Moscow goes into lockdown; Russia follows
On March 30, the Russian capital, Moscow, woke up to a lockdown obliging over 13 million residents into 'isolation'. Many other regions of the vast country quickly followed suit to stem the spread of the new coronavirus.The stern-looking President Vladimir Putin also warned his envoys in Russian's far-flung regions that they will take personal responsibility in taking care the citizens basic needs. With cameras spreading all over the street--Russia hopes to gain full control over the next week. -
Germany obligates its citizens to wear mask in public area
On 31 March, Jena was the first major German city to announce an obligation to wear masks, or makeshift masks including scarves, in supermarkets, public transport, and buildings with public traffic. -
Japan to give two masks each to 50 million households to fight virus
On April 2, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the government will distribute reusable cloth face masks to roughly 50 million households as stocks of disposable masks have run out at drugstores and other shops amid the coronavirus outbreak in order to help fend off the growing case. -
Singapore announces a one month lockdown
Most workplaces, except for essential services and key economic sectors, will close starting on Tuesday, while the city-state will move to full home-based learning in its schools starting Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in an address to the nation Friday afternoon. -
"We will meet again"
In her speech on Sunday, the Queen said UK "will succeed" in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic. She thanked people for following government rules to stay inside and paid tribute to key workers for their efforts. Speaking from Windsor Castle, the Queen said the pandemic was a "different" challenge compared to what the nation had faced before. The warm message ended with the words "we will meet again" - referencing Dame Vera Lynn's bolstering war anthem We'll Meet Again. -
Wearing mask in Peru becomes compulsory in public areas
From 7 April, the Peruvian government started distributing free masks after decreeing their mandatory use in the streets to chase away the new coronavirus said the president of Peru. -
India: State of Odisha makes wearing facial mask compulsory in public places
From 9 April, masking is compulsory in the state of Odisha. When leaving their home, people must cover their mouth and nose with masks or multilayered cloth (like handkerchief, dupatta, towel, etc.) -
Iran's COVID-19 Lockdown fuels domestic violence against women
Iran's Islamist rulers shut down much of the economy in March and urged people to stay home to curb the nation's coronavirus outbreak, which has been the largest and deadliest in the region. Declaring the worst of the pandemic to be behind them last month, Iranian officials began allowing economic activities to resume nationwide, while urging citizens to maintain social distancing and other health precautions. -
Iran's COVID-19 Lockdown fuels domestic violence against women (III)
Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs Masoumeh Ebtekar brought more attention to the issue by tweeting that if you faced any domestic violence ask for our help. Two days later, another Iranian official told IRNA that the number of domestic violence-related calls to the hotlines surged again. Mahmoud Aligoo, head of the State Welfare Organization’s department of social harms, said there had been a doubling of such calls since authorities transmitted the text message. -
Iran begins to lift restrictions and releasing the nation from lockdown
Iran began reopening of offices after a brief nationwide lockdown to help contain the worst coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East. Authorities had ordered all nonessential businesses to remain closed for a week after the Nowruz holiday ended on April 4. President Rouhani urged Iranian to respect health protocols to guard against the virus. “Easing restrictions does not mean ignoring health protocols ... social distancing and other health protocols should be respected seriously by people,” -
Singapore makes wearing mask compulsory in public places
Starting from April 14, It is now mandatory to wear a mask when stepping out of the house, with some exceptions, announced by the Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong.
The mask-wearing requirement takes effect immediately, said Mr Wong who was speaking at a press conference by the multi-ministry task force tackling COVID-19. -
'Beautiful' view emerges as polluted sky clears in India amid lockdown
Amid the world's largest countrywide COVID-19 lockdown, India residents are able to see a magnificent sight that has been shrouded in pollution for decades. As COVID-19 quiets the pollution down and Clears the sky, the tallest mountain range in the world, the Himalayas, is now visible to those in northern India, up to 200 km away.
(Satellite image: significant reduction in haze caused by pollution across northern India and Pakistan from the middle of November 2019 compared to April 12, 2020.) -
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York made wearing of facial mask mandatory in public arena
On April 15, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said all New Yorkers must wear face coverings when social distancing is not possible, including on public transport, in stores and on crowded sidewalks. This "order" will start on this Friday and will apply to people that fails to keep up to 6 feet of social distancing. -
Japan declares national wide of emergency for virus control
A nationwide state of emergency has been declared in Japan due to the country’s worsening coronavirus outbreak. The move allows regional governments to urge people to stay inside, but without punitive measures or legal force. -
Japan continues to distribute "Abenomask" despite defects of some of the mask being distributed
The government plans to continue its delivery of free cloth masks nationwide as part of its plans to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, despite the discovery of bugs, hair and mold in some masks during inspections. -
Turkey imposes a partial lockdowns
In an attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus, Turkey orders partial lockdown on some provinces and says new infections tapering off. Turkey has imposed a four-day lockdown in 31 provinces to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus as the country prepares for the Ramadan fast. -
Dolphins take advantage of Turkey's lockdown to explore Istanbul's Bosphorus
People in Istanbul have been delighted by the sight of rarely-encountered visitors to the Turkish city: dolphins. Much of the country is in lockdown with people confined to their homes for a four-day curfew, but for the mammals there have been new and exciting worlds to explore. The marine pollution and noise usually keep them well away from the Bosphorus's busiest areas, but people in Turkey have been sharing footage of the friendly mammals approaching them on the shoreline. Celebrating peace. -
Turkey ends partial lockdown while announcing another planning to occur on May 1-3
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Monday evening a new weekend lockdown for Turkey's 31 provinces, covering May 1 to 3, and expressed hope for normalisation by late May. -
Iran's COVID-19 Lockdown fuels domestic violence against women (II)
In a interview with VOA Persian from northern Iran, Shahla Entesari said the pandemic has had major adverse impacts on vulnerable Iranian families and poor households.
“Since the people have no relief from the increased stress, it is directed toward other family members, especially women and children,” -
Iran makes wearing of facial masks mandatory in public arenas
As part of the social distancing plan in Iran and the measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the government has made it mandatory for subway passengers to use face masksDeputy Health Minister Iraj Harirchi said that based on a decision made by the National Headquarters to Combat Coronavirus, people are required to wear a mask on the subway“Given that there is no other choice but to reopen public transportation, we announced it to be compulsory to put on face masks in the metro trains -
In Peru, Food markets has become epicenters for COVID-19
Food markets have become one of the main sources of contagion, as many shoppers do not wear masks and keep their distance from others. On Wednesday in the Caquetá market, in the San Martín de Porres district, 163 merchants tested positive for the virus, after 842 rapid tests. -
Russia sees record rise with 10,633 coronavirus cases in 24 hours
On May 3, Russia reported a new record daily rise in coronavirus infections as the number of confirmed cases surged past 130,000. As some European countries were looking to gradually lift restrictions, officials in Moscow -- the epicentre of the contagion in Russia -- urged residents to stay home despite glorious weather. With the number of cases rising by several thousand each day, Russia is now the top European country registering the most new infections. -
Italy makes wearing mask mandatory in public places
Italian authorities are making the use of face masks mandatory on public transport and in stores as they gradually loosen lockdown measures, starting on May 4th. Face masks should be worn on the street in cases when it is hard to maintain a safe
distance from others, ISS public health institute director Silvio Brusaferro said. But masks "must not give a false sense of security," Brusaferro told reporters. "It is an additional element, but personal hygiene and distancing are more important." -
Brazil's São Paulo governor makes masks mandatory as COVID-19 spreads
Brazil’s Sao Paulo state will make wearing masks mandatory on public transportation starting on May 4, Governor João Doria said on Wednesday, the latest in a series of measures to control the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country’s epicenter of the virus. -
California begins to relax its lockdown measures progressively
On May 12, California released new guidelines to lay the groundwork for reopening dine-in restaurants, shopping malls and office buildings as part of Phase 2 of reopening the economy. But not all counties are allowed to charge full speed ahead.
"This is a moment where we need some straight talk and we need to tell people the truth," Newsom said. "We need to bend the curve in the state of California and in order to do that -- we need to recognize reality." -
China is promoting coronavirus treatments based on traditional medicines
The Chinese government is heavily promoting traditional medicines as treatments for COVID-19. The remedies, a major part of China’s health-care system, are even being sent to countries including Iran and Italy as international aid. But scientists outside China say it is dangerous to support therapies that have yet to be proved safe and effective.
So far, only one — the antiviral remdesivir — has been shown, in randomized control trials, to have some potential to speed up recovery. -
Germany to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced more steps to ease the country's coronavirus lockdown. Speaking in Berlin, Merkel said regional leaders and not the federal government would now be largely responsible for lifting restrictions on public life. -
São Paulo epicenter of Brazil's SARS-CoV-2 outbreak begins easing lockdown in May
Starting May 11, Brazil's southeast state of Sao Paulo, the epicenter of the country's COVID-19 outbreak, will gradually ease lockdown measures that began on March 24, Governor Joao Doria said on Wednesday. Social distancing measures will be relaxed by regions, depending on the local conditions, Doria said at a press conference. -
Iran locks down southwestern countries after see sharp rises of COVID-19 cases
A county in southwestern Iran has been placed under lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The provincial governor says there had been a sharp rise in new cases across the province. Gholamreza Shariati, governor of Khuzestan province, which borders Iraq and includes the county of Abadan, says people had not been observing social distancing rules. “Because of this the number of corona patients in the province has tripled and the hospitalization of patients has risen by 60 percent,” -
Boris Johnson unveils plan for reopening U.K. after coronavirus lockdown
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday the coronavirus lockdown will not end yet, urging people to "stay alert" to the risks as he outlined plans to begin slowly easing measures that have closed down much of the economy for nearly seven weeks. "This is not the time simply to end the lockdown this week," Johnson said in a televised address. "Instead we are taking the first careful steps to modify our measures." -
Germany infection rate rises as lockdown eases
Coronavirus infections are rising in Germany, official data shows, just days after the country eased its lockdown restrictions. As the official data from RKI shows that Germany now has a reproduction--the estimated number of people a confirmed patient infects--is now above 1. Implicating the infection of COVID-19 in Germany will rise. -
Turkey will impose a short-term partial lockdown once more starting from May 16
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on May 11 that a lockdown would be imposed starting on May 16 and ending after May 19, which is a national holiday. Erdoğan also announced that COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted in nine more cities, as part of the normalization process as the number of fatalities and cases continue to decrease in the country. Though for safety measures, the restrictions on the three largest cities, Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir, remain in place. -
U.K. urges public to use face masks
LONDON — The British government performed an about-face on masks Monday, telling people to cover their mouth and nose in shops, buses and subway trains. The change came as part of what Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the ”first careful measures” to lift a nationwide lockdown imposed seven weeks ago to slow the spread of the new coronavirus. -
France eases lockdown after eight weeks of confinment
France has cautiously begun to lift its lockdown, with millions back in work after eight weeks of restrictions. Shops are reopening, many pupils are returning to primary schools, and people will not need travel certificates when they leave home. But some parts of the country - including the capital Paris - remain under tighter controls, with the country split into green and red zones. -
Putin eases Russian lockdown as cases rise
Russian President Vladimir Putin says that from Tuesday the nationwide coronavirus lockdown will be eased and businesses will go back to work. He said the country's "non-working period" imposed to curb the virus had lasted six weeks. The easing of restrictions will affect all sectors of the economy, and hopefully restores some of the damaged economy. He continues on saying that some regions may keep tighter controls if necessary. -
Face mask are now mandatory for individuals to wear in France
The easing of the coronavirus lockdown of France has made the authorities to mandate the public to wear masks in order to prevent further spread of COVID-19 starting on Monday.
Under these new rules, people can now travel 60 miles from home, and some businesses and schools can reopen. However, bars and restaurants — which have been closed on March 17 — remain shuttered. -
Brazillian cities and states are moving toward lockdown as COVID-19 intensifies
Faced with overwhelmed hospitals and surging coronavirus deaths, Brazilian state and city governments are proceeding with mandatory lockdowns against the will of President Jair Bolsonaro, who says job losses are more damaging than COVID-19. The movements of Brazilians have been completely restricted in fewer than two dozen cities scattered across this nation of 211 million people, even though Brazil's death toll stands at more than 12,000, Latin America's highest. -
India's prime minister announces huge virus relief package
NEW DELHI -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Tuesday that the government will spend more than US$260 billion, the equivalent of nearly 10% of the country's GDP, on a coronavirus economic relief package designed to make the world's second most populous nation more self-reliant. As India entered its sixth week of a stringent nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, pushing an economy already enfeebled before the pandemic to the brink of collapse. -
Some return to work as lockdown eases slightly in England
Some people in England who cannot work from home are returning to their workplaces today, as the government begins easing some lockdown measures. -
Turkey made wearing facial mask mandatory in over 10 countries
At a news conference on Wednesday, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said the pandemic was “under control” in Turkey. “We have been in a steady recovery since week five of the outbreak. Under current conditions, the pandemic is under control,” he also said. Authorities still imposes restrictions to help maintain the situation. In the period of “controlled social life”, wearing masks will be particularly important in bazaars, markets, shopping malls, public transport, taxis, and hairdressers. -
Lockdown of New York: Extended
New York City shows no sign of easing a two-month coronavirus lockdown. For the vast majority of all New York state residents, a stay-at-home order that had been set to expire Friday will now remain in place until June 13, unless individual regions can meet specific criteria. While many European cities begin the process of reviving their economies, America's epicenter remains shut as authorities fear sparking another wave of COVID-19 infections. -
India extends its lockdown after seen a surge of cases
on May 17, India extended its nearly 2-month-old lockdown by two weeks after reporting nearly 5,000 new coronavirus cases, but said restrictions could be eased in low-risk areas to boost economic activity. Surpassing cases of China, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and some other key regions are still battling to control the rising curve of coronavirus infections. But the Home Ministry said low-risk areas will be allowed to restore economic activity. -
India's pandemic lockdown may finally come to an end on May 31
On 17 May, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the lockdown for a period for two weeks beyond 18 May, with additional relaxations Unlike the previous lockdowns, states were given the power to decide how the lockdown would fare in their state 2 new zones, containment and buffer zones, were added along with the existing red, green and orange zones The containment zones would not not be given any relaxations apart from essential services -
Brazil's president pushes for end to lockdown while the cases of COVID-19 are still increasing across the country, as thousands have died of COVID-19 so far.
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro is rallying his supporters to back his call to end the lockdown. He has attacked governors who have introduced restrictions in an effort to stop the spread of the virus, fearing that it will damage the economy insisting that strict containment are just an overreaction. The president's push to reopen comes despite more than 15,000 deaths in Brazil, with no signs of slowing. -
Italy lifits its lockdown and begins to ease up
In early May, some restrictions were relaxed and people are now able to travel for longer distances, as well as visit their relatives in small numbers. Travel between regions and to and from the country will be allowed from 3 June .
Additionally, with Bars, restaurants, hairdressers, Catholic Church, Schools, gyms and swimming pools re-opened with strict social distancing measures. -
Singapore will lift its border starting on June 2
Singapore will lift the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown in three phases starting on June 2. The Singapore's health ministry said the country is preparing for the resumption of critical and low-risk economic activities. -
Wearing mask in Spain has become compulsory in public places.
Spain’s government has announced that the use of face masks will be mandatory from today for all people over six years old in public places, including streets and closed areas where social distancing of more than two metres is impossible. The order from the government of Pedro Sánchez advises that children between two and five years old wear masks. People with respiratory illnesses that may be aggravated by wearing masks are exempted. -
China records no new coronavirus cases for first time since outbreak began
China recorded no new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland for May 22, the first time it had seen no daily rise in the number of cases since the pandemic began in the central city of Wuhan late last year. Expect for the two new suspected cases: an imported one in Shanghai and locally transmitted case in the northeastern province of Jilin. -
Peru extends its national-wide lockdown until end of June
Peru has extended its state of emergency and a nationwide lockdown until the end of June, marking one of the world's longest periods of mandatory isolation aimed at containing the coronavirus outbreak as cases continues to show spike like pattern. -
Japan cautiously lifts last of virus emergency controls
The first phase of Japan’s battle against the novel coronavirus ended Monday as the government rescinded the state of emergency in Hokkaido and the Tokyo metropolitan area, tiptoeing its way into a new reality still riddled with uncertainty. Overall, the country has managed to keep the death toll relatively low compared to other countries and bring down the number of new coronavirus patients to government-set thresholds for reopening. -
Prime minister of Spain prepares to lift lockdown in Spain in four phases
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced his government’s ‘Plan for the Transition towards a new normality’ Each region of Spain needs to meet specific epidemiological criteria and the lifting of restrictions depends on the ability to maintain sufficient capacity in intensive care unit facilities. Each region also needs to have the ability to carry out PCR tests on all suspected cases, as well as being able to isolate them and test all their contacts.
