Covid19 timeline WHO China Aust

COVID-19 TIMELINE - WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) / AUSTRALIA / CHINA 

17 Nov 2019 

China timeline 

31 Dec 2019 


Identified first case of coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei, China 

China contacts the WHO and informs them of "cases of pneumonia of unknown etiology (unknown cause) detected in 

Wuhan. 

1 January 2019 





WHO timeline 









Officials close the Huanan seafood market, suspected to be the source of the mystery disease, as some of the patients 

presenting with the pneumonia-like illness were dealers or vendors at the market. 

China has been regularly informing the WHO, relevant countries and regions and China's Hong Kong, Macao and 

Taiwan about the pneumonia outbreak. China began to inform the United States of the pneumonia outbreak and 

response measures on a regular basis 

China reports a total of 44 suspected patients with the mystery disease. 

The United Nations agency activated its incident-management system at the country, regional and global level 

Head of the China CDC talked over phone with director of the U.S. CDC about the pneumonia outbreak. The two sides 

agreed to keep in close contact for information sharing and technological cooperation. 

China informed the WHO about the outbreak updates. 

The WHO released its first briefing on cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan. 

China identifies new coronavirus as cause of the outbreak. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause 

varying levels of disease, from common colds to severe fatal diseases. Usually found in animals, some can infect 

humans and transmit between humans. Both SARS and MERS are caused by a coronavirus. 

Heads of China and U.S. CDCs talked over phone to discuss technological exchanges and cooperation 

1




China informed the WHO about the epidemic, sharing with the WHO the initial progress in determining the cause of 

the viral pneumonia in Wuhan. The WHO released on its website a statement regarding a cluster of pneumonia cases 

in Wuhan, saying that preliminary identification of a novel coronavirus in a short period of time is a notable 

achievement. China reports first death linked to the new coronavirus, 2019-nCoV. A 61-year-old male admitted to 

hospital in Wuhan with several underlying medical conditions. Apart from respiratory failure and severe pneumonia, the 

patient also suffered from abdominal tumors and chronic liver disease. 







Head of the NHC Ma Xiaowei talked over phone with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus about the 

epidemic response. 

Head of China CDC exchanged information over phone with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

The China CDC shared with the WHO the specific primers and probes for detecting the novel coronavirus. 

The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission changed the name of "viral pneumonia of unknown cause" to "pneumonia 

caused by the novel coronavirus" for the first time in a briefing. 

The China CDC, the CAMS and the WIV under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), as designated agencies of the 

NHC, submitted to the WHO the genome sequence of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which was published by the 

Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) and shared globally. 

The NHC shared with the WHO about information on the genome sequence of the novel coronavirus. 

China shares the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus, helping countries in testing and tracing any potentially 

infected people. 

The NHC held a meeting to instruct Wuhan authorities to further strengthen social management measures and body 

temperature monitoring of people at ports and stations, as well as reduce crowd gathering. 

The WHO issued on its official website a statement on the discovery of the novel coronavirus cases in Thailand, 

pointing out that China's sharing of the genome sequence enabled more countries to quickly diagnose patients. 

2




The NHC unveiled the first version of guidelines on diagnosis and treatment for pneumonia caused by novel 

coronavirus, along with the guidelines on prevention and control measures. China reports second death linked to 2019- 

nCoV. The patient was a 69-year-old male with severe myocarditis, abnormal renal function, and severe damage to 

multiple organ functions. 





19 January 

2020 

Aust timeline 





Foreign journalists asked about the epidemic for the first time at a press conference held by the Chinese foreign 

ministry in Beijing. Foreign ministry spokesperson said that China has timely informed the WHO and other international 

organizations of the outbreak and kept close communication with them. 

The NHC released the second version of guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment for the pneumonia caused by the 

novel coronavirus. 

Chinese citizen who arrived in Australia from Guangzhou on 19 January diagnosed with virus 

The China CDC communicated with the U.S. CDC on epidemic prevention and control. 

Chinese authorities report a spike in 2019-nCoV cases, including first confirmed cases in Shenzhen (1 case) and Beijing 

(2 cases), bringing the total to 204 confirmed cases. They also report a third death linked to the new coronavirus. 

The NHC released a statement to classify the novel coronavirus pneumonia as a category B infectious disease under the 

law on prevention and control of infectious diseases, but take preventive and control measures of category A infectious 

diseases; the novel coronavirus pneumonia was put under quarantinable infectious disease management according to 

the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law. 

-- The NHC published the second version of guidelines on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus 

pneumonia. 

3




WHO confirms human-to-human transmission of the virus. The total number of cases is now 222, including infections 

among health-care workers. Chinese authorities have also reported a fourth death. 



The NHC started to update via its official website and its new media platform the epidemic information of the previous 

day on a daily basis. It had updated 71 times by March 31. Starting on Feb. 3, the English official website of the NHC 

started releasing epidemic information simultaneously, updating the data for 58 times by March 31. 

A foreign ministry spokesperson said China will, upon invitation from the WHO, send representatives to attend an 

International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee meeting. 

The WHO published a statement on its official website saying on Jan. 20-21, a WHO delegation conducted a field visit 

to Wuhan to learn about the response to 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and visited the Wuhan Tianhe Airport, 

Zhongnan hospital, Hubei provincial CDC. 

Chinese experts shared with Gauden Galea, the WHO Representative in China, Olowokure Babatunde and other 

members of the delegation a range of protocols that will be used in developing international guidelines, including case 

definitions, clinical management, and infection control among others. 

4




WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has convened an emergency committee on Jan. 22 to decide 

whether this constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. The emergency committee defers its 

decision on whether to advise WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to declare 2019-nCoV outbreak a 

public health emergency of international concern. The meeting takes place amid a significant rise in confirmed cases of 

individuals infected with 2019-nCoV, at 580, according to China’s National Health Commission. The death toll has now 

risen to 17, with all cases reported from Hubei province 



Xi said that since the outbreak, China has taken strict measures in prevention, control and treatment, and has been 

releasing relevant information to the public and keeping the World Health Organization as well as relevant countries 

and regions informed in a timely manner. 

At the invitation of the WHO, China attended an International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee meeting 

along with other countries affected by the epidemic. Participating countries, the WHO and experts shared information 

on the epidemic and conducted scientific research and assessment of the epidemic at the meeting. 

China's NHC received a notification from the United States saying the first confirmed case had been reported in 

the United States. 

Researchers from the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research and the Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 

posted their sequence analysis of the 2019-nCoV on a medical discussion forum Virological, suggesting the novel 

coronavirus may have originated in bats rather than snakes. 

The 2019 Novel Coronavirus Resource (2019nCoVR), a database develop by the 

China National Center for Bioinformation, was officially launched to release worldwide novel coronavirus genome and 

information on variation analysis. 

5




WHO’s director-general decides to not declare the 2019-nCoV outbreak a public health emergency of international 

concern yet, as per recommendations by the emergency committee. 

23 January 

2020 




Biosecurity officials began screening arrivals on the three weekly flights to Sydney from Wuhan 

Wuhan epidemic prevention and control headquarters issued a notice to shut down the city's outbound channels at 

airports and railway stations starting 10 a.m. on Jan. 23. 

In an emergency notice, the Ministry of Transport demanded other parts of the country suspend the passenger traffic 

into Wuhan by road or by waterway. 





Japan and U.S. each confirm second 2019-nCoV cases, while Nepal confirms the first case of 2019-nCoV in the country. 

Total confirmed cases in China rise to 830, with 177 in severe condition and 25 deaths. 

Later in the day, China’s National Health Commission reports 444 new confirmed cases and 16 new deaths in China, 

bringing total confirmed cases in the country to 1,287. This includes 237 cases in severe condition and a total of 41 

deaths. 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on social media thanked the Chinese government for its 

cooperation and transparency, saying that the Chinese government has been successful in isolating and sequencing the 

virus very quickly and has shared that genetic sequence with the WHO and the international community. 

6


25 January 

2020 


Chinese New Year 

4 patients test positive to COVID-19 in Australia 











The 2019-nCoV reaches more countries. Australia confirms the first case of 2019-nCoV in the continent, with health 

authorities announcing three more cases later in the day. 

The NHC unveiled six guidelines on public prevention for general use, tourism, households, public places, public 

transport and self observation at home. 

The NHC replied in a letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, welcoming the WHO to send a 

group of international experts to cooperate with China to strengthen epidemic prevention and control. 

China reports 769 new confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV, significantly raising the total number of cases globally to 2,801. 

This includes 461 severe cases and 80 deaths. 

The NHC and relevant departments jointly provided detailed information to the WHO Western Pacific Region on 

measures taken in Wuhan may restrict international travel, including the suspended operation of city buses, subways 

and ferries, as well as public health reasons for the above measures. 

WHO chief Tedros travels to Beijing to meet with government and health experts on 2019-nCoV outbreak response. 

7




WHO’s Tedros meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing to discuss the latest developments in the 2019-nCoV 

outbreak. China agrees for WHO to send in international experts to help increase global understanding of the outbreak 

and guide response efforts. 





29 January 

2020 




Chinese President Xi Jinping met with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Beijing. 

"The epidemic is a devil. We will not let it hide," Xi said, stressing the Chinese government has released information 

about the epidemic in a timely, open, transparent and responsible manner, actively responded to concerns of all sides, 

and enhanced cooperation with the international community. 

Xi noted that China is ready to work with the WHO as well as the international community to safeguard regional and 

global public health security. 

The NHC released the third-edition guidelines on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pneumonia. 

Tedros decides to reconvene the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Thursday for advice on 

whether to declare the 2019-nCoV outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The announcement 

comes just a week after Tedros initially refrained from declaring the outbreak an emergency. As 2019-nCoV cases grow 

in number and spread to more countries. 

Australian scientists announce they have successfully grown 2019-nCoV in the laboratory, which can be helpful in 

improving diagnosis of the virus 

7 cases 

Morrison: Australians should have confidence we are ready ready and well prepared to deal with this 

Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also head of the Office of the Foreign 

Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, spoke over phone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. 

Pompeo expressed appreciation for China's timely response to U.S. concerns after the epidemic. 

The China CDC published an epidemiological feature analysis of the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak in the New 

England Journal of Medicine. 

8




WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declares the 2019-nCoV outbreak a public health emergency of 

international concern 

30 January 

2020 






1 February 2020 








9 cases – 

Coronavirus Is Declared a Global Health Emergency as Threat Rises Outside China 

– ban on travellers from China 

China's NHC notified the U.S. side that American experts are welcomed to join the China-WHO joint mission. The U.S. 

side responded the same day and expressed their appreciation. 

More countries are applying border control measures against foreign nationals with recent travel history from China, 

just as confirmed cases in China reach 11,791, with 259 deaths. The U.S. declares the 2019-nCoV outbreak a public 

health emergency domestically. 

In China, confirmed cases now total 14,380 and the death toll rises above 300. 

US and Australia said they would deny entry to all foreign visitors who had recently been in China, where the 

virus first emerged in December 

Total global confirmed cases to 17,386, with 362 deaths. 

Head of China's NHC Ma Xiaowei sent a letter to the U.S. secretary of health and human services Alex Azar, further 

exchanging views on bilateral cooperation in health as well as epidemic prevention and control. 

9




WHO launches its own dashboard of 2019-nCoV confirmed cases in China and globally. 



3 February 



JAPAN 





Christmas Island: Government announced that foreign nationals returning from China were required to spend a 

fortnight in a third country before being allowed into Australia 

The WHO Executive Board convened its 146th session meeting in Geneva, during which China's deputy permanent 

representative to the UN Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland called for concerted 

efforts from the international community to combat the epidemic. 

As of Feb. 3, China has given the United States briefings on the epidemic information and control measures in China for 

30 times, including sharing with U.S. CDC project manager in China information about China's diagnosis and treatment 

guidelines, prevention and control guidelines, and the linkage of the novel coronavirus database that China shares with 

the world in real time. 

Officials of the China CDC welcomed a U.S. expert from the Columbia University. 

Diamond Princess arrived in Yokohama 

5 February, in Yokohama, Japan, cruise ship hosting 3,711 people underwent a 2-week quarantine after a former 

passenger was found with COVID-19 post-disembarking. As at 20 February, 634 persons on board tested positive for 

the causative virus. 

27 February Princess Cruises confirms disembarkation of all guests aboard Diamond Princess is complete 

The total number of deaths from 2019-nCoV stands at 492, and confirmed cases globally over 24,000. 

WHO estimates resources required from February to April 2020 to amount to $675 million, as per its newly launched 

Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan. Ten passengers from a cruise ship currently docked in Yokohama, Japan, 

test positive for 2019-nCoV 

10




WHO unveils plans to host a global research and innovation forum from Feb. 11-12 in Geneva to bring together leading 

scientists, public health agencies, ministries of health, and research funders. The forum is aimed at setting the research 

agenda for 2019-nCoV. 







10 February 

2020 


The number of infected rises to 61 inside a cruise ship docked in Yokohama. Patients include non-Japanese citizens. 

local doctor in Wuhan, Li Wenliang, who tried to raise the alarm on the 2019-nCoV in December, dies. WHO tells 

reporters on a press call that there is a “severe global disruption” in the market for personal protective equipment, 

impacting access for front-line health workers. Demand is up to 100 times higher than normal and prices are 20 times 

higher, resulting in “depleted stockpiles and backlogs of four to six months.” 

The United States pledges $100 million to the 2019-nCoV response. 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says WHO is engaging with Facebook, Google, Tencent, Baidu, 

Twitter, TikTok, Weibo, Pinterest, and others to promote accurate information about 2019-nCoV. 

The death toll of victims of the 2019-nCoV is now over 800, surpassing the death toll of the SARS epidemic in 2002 and 

2003, which killed 773 people. 

An advance team for the WHO-led 2019-nCoV international mission leaves for China. 

WHO chief Tedros says instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China are concerning, 

and that “the detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire." 

The U.K.'s health department declares 2019-nCoV an “imminent threat” to public health, allowing the government to 

forcibly quarantine individuals. 

168 labs around the world now have the capacity to diagnose the virus. 

The death count — at 909 — surpasses that associated with Middle East respiratory syndrome, which has claimed the 

lives of 858 people. 

11


11 February 

2020 


WHO assigns the novel coronavirus its official name: COVID-19. 

A United Nations Crisis Management Team is activated, led by Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director at WHO’s Health 

Emergencies Programme. 

A global research and innovation forum starts in Geneva, aimed at creating a roadmap for identifying research priorities 

on COVID-19. 

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus calls the outbreak a “very grave threat for the rest of the world.” 

WHO says a vaccine could be available in an estimated 18 months. 

Death toll from the outbreak reaches over 1,000. 

12 February 

2020 


13 February 

2020 


15 February 

2020 


16 February 

2020 


A total of 175 people test positive for COVID-19 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is quarantined in Japan. 

Cambodia agrees to accept a cruise ship that had been turned away from five ports, over fears that passengers might 

have COVID-19. 

A global research and innovation forum on COVID-19 concludes. Top research priorities identified include finding 

simpler diagnostic tools, best approaches for infection prevention, optimal treatment for patients, and acceleration of 

the development of vaccines and therapeutics. 

WHO is still only reporting laboratory-confirmed cases. The rest of the world is also only reporting laboratoryconfirmed 

cases. 

In a speech at the Munich Security Conference, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for an 

increase in funding to the response. “We’re concerned by the lack of urgency in funding the response from the 

international community,” he said. 

An American woman who had been on a cruise ship that docked in Cambodia, tests positive for COVID-19 after flying 

to Malaysia. The ship originally set sail from Hong Kong on Feb.1, with 1,455 passengers and 802 members of its crew. 

12


17 February 

2020 


China publishes a paper with detailed information on more than 44,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. The data 

appears to show that COVID-19 is not as deadly as other types of coronaviruses, including severe acute respiratory 

syndrome and Middle East respiratory syndrome. The data shows that more than 80% of patients have mild disease; 

about 14% of cases lead to severe diseases, including pneumonia; about 5% of cases lead to critical diseases including 

respiratory failure, septic shock and multiorgan failure; and about 2% of reported cases lead to death. Mortality rates 

increase in older patients, with few cases among children. 

"This new data addresses some of the gaps in our understanding, but others remain," WHO Director-General Tedros 

Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference. 

WHO switches methods for reporting confirmed COVID-19 cases, now aligning with how the Chinese government has 

reported cases since Feb. 13. WHO previously reported only laboratory-confirmed cases but now includes cases that 

are clinically confirmed via chest imaging. 

18 February 

2020 


19 February 

2020 


20 February 

2020 


Countries work to evacuate their citizens from the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is quarantined in Japan, as the 

number of COVID-19 cases on the ship surpasses 450. “Clearly there has been more transmission than expected on the 

ship, and I think the authorities in Japan are adjusting to that reality now and taking the necessary public health 

measures with other countries to evacuate people and deal with their follow up in a different way,” says Ryan, during a 

press conference. 

The death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 2,000. 

"This virus is very dangerous, and it’s public enemy No. 1. But it’s not being treated as such, and one important 

indicator is the response, especially to financing the response," says WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom 

Ghebreyesus during a press conference. 

13


21 February 

2020 


WHO appoints six special envoys on COVID-19 to "provide strategic advice and high-level political advocacy and 

engagement in different parts of the world. 

Israel confirms its first case of COVID-19: A person who had been quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise 

ship off Japan’s coast. 

“We are concerned about the number of cases with no clear epidemiological link, such as travel history to China or 

contact with a confirmed case,” says WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a press conference. 

He says that the window of opportunity to contain the outbreak is “narrowing.” 

23 February 

2020 


24 February 

2020 


Cases of COVID-19 in Italy continue to rise in what has become the largest outbreak outside of Asia. 

"We must focus on containment, while doing everything we can to prepare for a potential pandemic," 

says WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a press conference. 

The European Commission announces a new aid package of €232 million ($252 million) for global preparedness and 

response to COVID-19. The bulk of the money is for WHO’s work and for a public-private partnership supporting the 

pharmaceutical industry’s search for a vaccine against the disease. A small percentage — €3 million — is for the 

repatriation of EU citizens from Wuhan, China. 

The host of COVID-19 remains unclear, says Liang Wannian, leader of the National Health Commission Expert Team for 

the epidemic response in China. But according to currently available data, bats may be the host and pangolins 

intermediate hosts of the virus. Some evidence also points to virus transmission through oral-fecal route and aerosol 

transmission, but this needs further confirmation. It’s also still unclear whether asymptomatic carriers of the virus can 

spread the disease. 

US biotech firm Moderna sends an experimental COVID-19 vaccine to the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and 

Infectious Diseases for a planned phase one study in the U.S. 

14


25 February 

2020 


The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns about the likely spread of COVID-19 in the United States, 

urging the population to “prepare for the expectation that this might be bad.” Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director at the 

National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, cautioned during a press briefing: “It’s not so much of a 

question of if this will happen anymore but rather more of a question of exactly when this will happen.” 

26 February 

2020 


27 February 

2020 


27 February 

2020 


The European Commission requests member states to review pandemic preparedness plans, and inform the 

commission of how they plan to implement them. Cases of the virus have now been confirmed on every continent 

except Antarctica. 

The number of infections globally continues to grow. There are 3,474 cases of COVID-19 — including 54 deaths — 

outside of China in 44 countries. 

“We are at a decisive point,” says Tedros during a press conference. “My message to each of these countries is: This is 

your window of opportunity. If you act aggressively now, you can contain this virus. You can prevent people 

getting sick. You can save lives. So my advice to these countries is to move swiftly.” 

21 cases 

Morrison: we’ve got ahead, we intend to stay ahead 

Morrison declares a PANDEMIC 

15


28 February 

2020 


WHO raises the global risk of spread of COVID-19 from “high” to “very high.” 

“This is a reality check for every government on the planet. Wake up. Get ready. This virus may be on its way, and you 

need to be ready,” says Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, during a 

press conference. 

WHO officials say it is not yet time to declare a pandemic, adding that once one is declared, efforts will move away 

from containment to mitigation. 

“To declare a pandemic — it’s unhelpful to do that when you are still trying to contain a disease,” Ryan says 

“What containment is also doing is slowing down the virus. We’ve already seen in countries and quite sophisticated 

countries — who’ve had a rapid rise in cases in the last week — are having trouble coping with the clinical caseloads. 

And we need to keep this virus slowed down. Health systems around the world — and I mean North and South — are 

just not ready,” Ryan says. 

Research has shown that some people have recovered from COVID-19, tested negative for the virus, and then tested 

positive again. Further study is needed on whether there is a viable virus present in these individuals and whether these 

people are actually shedding live virus, says Kerkhove, during a press conference. 

There are 36,117 people in China that have recovered from the disease, according to WHO. 

Thirty-eight countries reported to WHO they’ve instituted travel restrictions, including travel bans of visitors from China 

or other countries reporting transmission of COVID-19, quarantine of foreigners, self-isolation of returning citizens and 

visa restrictions. There have been no trade restrictions. 

29 February 

2020 


29 February 

2020 


WHO updates its guidance on travel restrictions. It says that countries can only justify significant travel restrictions at 

the beginning of an outbreak to give a country time to implement preparedness measures for an outbreak. 

The WHO-China Joint Mission published a report about its field study trip on COVID-19 in China. According to the 

report, in the face of a previously unknown virus, China has rolled out perhaps the most ambitious, agile and aggressive 

disease containment effort in history 

16


1 March 2020 


1 March 2020 


Countries should work to increase the availability of pulse oximeters and medical oxygen systems, according to WHO. 

28 cases- 1st death in Australia 

2 March 2020 


3 March 2020 


3 March 2020 


Influenza is different than COVID-19 because there are treatments, vaccines, and there is an understanding of its 

transmission and patterns, says Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director at the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, 

during a press conference. "Here we have a disease in which we have no vaccine, no treatment, we don't fully 

understand transmission, we don't really understand case fatality. What we have been genuinely heartened by is that 

unlike influenza, where countries have fought back, where they've put in place strong measures, we've remarkably seen 

that the virus is suppressed.” 

To meet global demand for personal protective equipment, WHO estimates that industry needs to 

increase manufacturing by 40%. An estimated 89 million medical masks, 76 million examination gloves, and 1.6 million 

goggles are required each month for the COVID-19 response. 

41 cases – morrison: we’ve got ahead of the virus, we’ll stay ahead 

17


4 March 2020 


The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization says COVID-19 has disrupted the education of 

290.5 million students globally, which is an “unprecedented” figure. This includes school closures in 13 countries. 

4 March 2020 


4 March 2020 


5 March 2020 


5 March 2020 


5 March 2020 


51 cases – 2 deaths in Australia 

Experts from China CDC participated in a COVID-19 response teleconference by the WHO's Global Preparedness 

Monitoring Board. 

China has also carried out timely technical exchanges with international and regional organizations, such as the WHO, 

ASEAN and APEC, as well as Japan, Russia, Germany, the United States and other countries through expert discussions 

and teleconferences to share China's epidemic prevention and control experience and guidelines, said the official. 

Australia’s support to the Indo-Pacific region to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak is being partly paid for from existing 

official development assistance funding, but its impact on other existing or planned projects is unknown. 

U.S. Congress approves an emergency spending package to fund efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to 

COVID-19. 

59 cases 

Morrison: we’ve got ahead of the virus, we’re working hard to stay ahead 

– ban travellers from Iran 

China began reporting on a daily basis the newly imported COVID-19 cases on the previous day and the total imported 

cases from overseas. 

18


6 March 2020 

WHO timetable 

The U.K. announces a £46 million ($59.9 million) package for the COVID-19 response, funded by the country's 

international development budget. It includes funding for the development of a vaccine and a rapid diagnostic test. 

6 March 2020 


7 March 2020 


7 March 2020 


8 March 2020 


Sunday 8 March 

2020 


"We made public the information of epidemic prevention and control timely to let the society see the truth," said Ding 

Xiangyang, deputy secretary-general of the State Council 

The number of COVID-19 cases surpasses 100,000. 

China announced a donation of 20 million U.S. dollars to the WHO to support its international cooperation in the fight 

against COVID-19. 

Over 100 countries report cases of COVID-19. 

80 cases – 3 deaths in Australia - morrison encourages Aussies to attend womens cricket 

The Ruby Princess arrived in Sydney on 8 March, having sailed from Port Chalmers in New Zealand on a 

previous tour. 

According to the ship’s internal logs, 158 passengers on board were sick, with 13 registering high 

temperatures. Nine were tested upon arrival, according to the Australian newspaper. However, all passengers 

were allowed to disembark, including a Northern Territory couple who flew to Darwin, and later tested positive 

for Covid-19. 

The ship was rated “medium risk” by NSW Health as a result of the 158 cases of illness. 

Hours later, 2,700 new passengers boarded the ship in Sydney, and it set sail that night for another return trip 

to New Zealand. 

19


9 March 2020 


WHO moves closer to declaring the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. 

“Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real,” Tedros says 

during a press conference. 

WHO experts say they are concerned about how the world will respond to that declaration — potentially causing an 

abandonment of efforts to control the spread of the virus. 

“Will the reaction to the word [pandemic] be: Let’s fight? Let’s push this disease back? Or will the reaction to the word 

be: Let’s give up,” asks Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme. 

9 March 2020 


10 March 2020 


10 March 2020 


A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a routine press conference in Beijing that while overcoming 

its own difficulties, China is willing to provide masks and other medical protection materials to relevant countries to 

support them in fighting the COVID-19 epidemic and jointly deal with and eventually win the battle. 

The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, or CEPI, is investing a further $4.4 million for vaccine 

development efforts against COVID-19, bringing the organization’s total investments to $23.7 million. The money will 

be used to help Novavax and the University of Oxford in their vaccine development work. 

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and Mastercard commit up to $125 million to speed up the response 

to the COVID-19 epidemic by developing and scaling up treatments, with a focus on making products broadly available 

and affordable. 

UK health minister Nadine Dorries tests positive for COVID-19. 

The NHC recommended experts to participate in the formulation of the WHO gene sequencing guidelines. 

20


11 March 2020 


WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declares the global COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. “We are 

deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction,” he says, 

adding that “we have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action.” The decision has been made 

based on input from experts both internally and externally. 

11 March 2020 


11 March 2020 


127 cases - ban on travellers from Italy 

The NHC coordinated experts to attend the WHO's conference in America to introduce China's experience in the 

COVID-19 prevention and control. 

Experts from the China CDC were invited to attend 2020 online Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic 

Infections organized by the International Antiviral Society–USA. 

21


12 March 2020 


WHO officially calls Covid-19 a PANDEMIC 

12 March 2020 


12 March 2020 


161 cases 

Tom Hanks and wife diagnosed with Covid-19 

Dutton diagnosed with Covid-19 

Xi said China supports the UN and the WHO in mobilizing the international community to strengthen policy 

coordination and increase resource investment, especially to help developing countries with weak public health systems 

to prepare for prevention and response. 

The Second Sherpa Meeting of the G20 Riyadh Summit was held in Saudi Arabia, to discuss COVID-19 and its impact 

on people worldwide and the global economy. A special statement by the sherpas (personal representatives) of the 

leaders of the G20 on international response to the coronavirus pandemic was issued after the meeting. 

China and the WHO held an international briefing via video chat in Beijing on China's experience in preventing and 

controlling COVID-19. Representatives of relevant countries' embassies in China and international organizations 

attended the briefing. Representatives of the WHO Western Pacific Region and relevant countries attended the meeting 

remotely via video chat. 

China and the WHO jointly released the latest English versions of the diagnosis and treatment guidelines and 

prevention and control guidelines at the briefing. 

The first batch of Chinese medical experts carrying China-assisted medical supplies arrived in Italy to help with its 

epidemic prevention and control efforts. 

22


13 March 2020 


“Europe has now become the epicenter of the pandemic, with more reported cases and deaths than the rest of the 

world combined, apart from China,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu says during a press 

conference. 

13 March 2020 


13 March 2020 


14&15 March 

2020 


15 March 2020 



Morrison encourages Aussies to attend NRL/Football 

Experts from University of Science and Technology of China and its first affiliated hospital published an article, titled 

"Pathogenic T cells and inflammatory storm in severe COVID-19 patients." 

296 cases – 15 March 5 deaths in Australia - morrison attends large hillsong event / 

Morrison announced "from 15 March 2020 The Australian Government will ban cruise ships from foreign ports 

from arriving at Australian ports." 

Countries respond with travel restrictions. 

German government sources tell Reuters that the U.S. is trying to convince German firm CureVac to move research on a 

potential vaccine to the United States. 

The European Commission implements restrictions on export of personal protective equipment supplies, such as masks, 

face shields, and protective garments, outside the European Union. Any exports of this equipment require authorization 

by EU member states. 

23


16 March 2020 


"We have also seen a rapid escalation in social distancing measures, like closing schools and cancelling sporting events 

and other gatherings. But we have not seen an urgent enough escalation in testing, isolation and contact tracing — 

which is the backbone of the response," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu says during a press 

conference. 

“This is the defining global health crisis of our time,” he said. 

16 March 2020 


16 March 2020 


16 March 2020 


17 March 2020 

WHO timetable 

National Committee set up between prime minister and state premiers re Covid-19 

376 cases - morrison pulls his kids out of school 

376 cases - Media campaign rolled out 

Morrison issues Media Release - Arrangements will be made for certain cruise ships already in transit to enable 

Australian citizens and permanent residents to get off those ships 

https://www.pm.gov.au/media/coronavirus-measures-endorsed-national-cabinet 

Cases of COVID-19 surpass 480 in Southeast Asia. WHO calls on countries in the region "to urgently scale-up 

aggressive measures” to combat its spread. 

24


18 March 2020 


WHO launches a study to compare untested treatments of COVID-19 against one another called the “solidarity trial.” 

"Multiple small trials with different methodologies may not give us the clear, strong evidence we need about which 

treatments help to save lives," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu says at a press conference. 

18 March 2020 


18 March 2020 


564 cases - 6 deaths in Australia 

Voyager of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas Cruise Ships docked in Sydney 

Xi urged closer cooperation with the international community on epidemic prevention and control, stressing China will 

keep its close cooperation with the WHO to strengthen the analysis and prediction of the changes in the global 

epidemic situation, improve strategies and policies to cope with imported risks, boost exchanges and cooperation with 

other countries on epidemic response, and continue to offer assistance to the best of China's ability. 

25


19 March 2020 


Cases of COVID-19 surpass 200,000 globally. It took over three months to reach the first 100,000 confirmed cases and 

just 12 days to reach the next 100,000. 

"For the younger patients the bigger risk is developing pulmonary fibrosis after surviving the disease," says Dr. Frank 

Minja, associate professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at Yale University School of Medicine during a 

conference call hosted by the Africa CDC. "This may be something as radiologists we may be diagnosing for years to 

come as more and more patients are being exposed to this disease,” Minja says. 

19 March 2020 


19 March 2020 


19 March 2020 


709 cases 

Morrison threatens funding to catholic and independent schools if they close their schools 

709 cases / 6 Deaths 

Nearly 2700 passengers disembark from the infected cruise ship Ruby Princess / 13 passengers test positive 

Xi called for closer international cooperation in epidemic prevention and control, experience sharing on containment 

and treatment, and facilitation of joint research, to cope with the common threat and challenge, and safeguard global 

public health security. 

China's foreign ministry and NHC jointly held a China-Europe video meeting with 18 European countries including 

Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Switzerland, introducing China's experience of COVID-19 outbreak prevention 

and control for European officials and medical specialists. 

26


20 March 2020 


WHO says it’s identified some producers in China that have agreed to supply WHO with personal protective equipment. 

WHO launches a health alert messaging service through WhatsApp and Facebook. People can access this service by 

sending "hi" to this WhatsApp number: +41 798 931 892. 

"One of the things we are learning is that although older people are the hardest hit, younger people are not spared. 

Data from many countries clearly show that people under 50 make up a significant proportion of patients requiring 

hospitalization," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu says at a press conference. 

20 March 2020 


20 March 2020 


21 March 2020 


22 March 2020 


22 March 2020 



Morrison closes borders to non-residents 

Celebrity Solstice Cruise Ship docked in Sydney 

Specialists from the China CDC attended a teleconference organized by the WHO on COVID-19 vaccine research. 

support the UN and the WHO playing a core role in improving global public health governance, and build a community 

of common health for mankind. 

Global cases of COVID-19 surpass 300,000. It took over three months to reach the first 100,000 confirmed cases, 12 

days to reach 200,000 and three days to reach 300,000. 

WHO says there is "a rise in criminals disguising themselves as WHO to steal money or sensitive information." 

Under the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council, a press conference was held in 

Beijing underscoring the importance of implementing prevention and control measures in quarantine, transfer, 

treatment and isolation to curb the imported COVID-19 cases as the pandemic is affecting more than 180 countries and 

regions. 

27


23 March 2020 


“Asking people to stay at home and other physical distancing measures are an important way of slowing down the 

spread of the virus and buying time — but they are defensive measures. To win, we need to attack the virus with 

aggressive and targeted tactics — testing every suspected case, isolating and caring for every confirmed case, and 

tracing and quarantining every close contact,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu says at a press 

conference. 

23 March 2020 


23 March 2020 


24 March 2020 


24 March 2020 


24 March 2020 


1,680 cases 

Thousands line-up to register with Centrelink – online MyGov crashes 

Step up coordination and cooperation within such frameworks as the UN and G20, engage in joint prevention and 

containment, improve global health governance, help developing countries and other countries in need with capacitybuilding, 

and cushion the epidemic's impact on the world economy. 

Xi called on all nations to push forward cooperation within the frameworks of the UN and G20, enhance the exchange 

and sharing of information and experience, boost collaboration in scientific research, support the WHO in playing its 

due role, improve global health governance, increase macro-economic policy coordination so as to stabilize the market, 

maintain economic growth, safeguard people's well-being, and keep the global supply chains open, stable and safe. 

Cases of COVID-19 surpass 400,000. It took over three months to reach the first 100,000 confirmed cases, 12 days to 

reach 200,000, three days to reach 300,000, and two days to reach 400,000. 


Chinese authorities and experts interacted via a video conference with health professionals across Latin America and 

the Caribbean states, sharing COVID-19 prevention and control experience. Attendees were about 200 officials and 

experts from 25 countries and representatives from the WHO, UNICEF, Pan American Health Organization and Inter- 

American Development Bank. 

28


25 March 2020 


*“COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity — and so the whole of humanity must fight back. Individual country 

responses are not going to be enough,” says U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres when announcing the appeal. 

During a press conference, Tedros lists six steps countries should take as they are in lockdown mode: expand, train, and 

deploy health care workforce; create systems to find all suspected case at community levels; increase production and 

availability of testing; identify and equip facilities needed to treat and isolate patients; develop plans on how to 

quarantine contacts; and focus the whole government on the suppression and control of the pandemic. 

"These measures are the best way to suppress and stop transmission, so that when restrictions are lifted, the virus 

doesn’t resurge. The last thing any country needs is to open schools and businesses, only to be forced to close them 

again because of a resurgence," he says. 

25 March 2020 


26 March 2020 


26 March 2020 


26 March 2020 


2,430 cases – 9 deaths in Australia 

Text messages commence 

G-20 country leaders, after their virtual summit, release a statement outlining commitments in fighting the pandemic, 

such as sharing timely and transparent information, strengthening health systems globally, and protecting front-line 

health workers. The countries call upon WHO to assess gaps in pandemic preparedness and report to a meeting of 

finance and health ministers in the coming months, aimed at establishing a global initiative on pandemic preparedness 

and response. 

“COVID-19 is menacing the whole of humanity — and so the whole of humanity must fight back. Individual country 

responses are not going to be enough.” 

— António Guterres, secretary-general, United Nations 

Cases in the U.S. surpass those in China and Italy — making it the new epicenter of the pandemic. 

2,676 cases – 4 deaths today / total 13 deaths in Australia 

Via video link in Beijing, Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech titled "Working Together to Defeat the COVID- 

19 Outbreak" at the Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit. 

29


27 March 2020 


In a conference call focused on how COVID-19 is impacting sexual and reproductive health, Chris Purdy, president and 

CEO at DKT International, says he wants to "ring the alarm bell" about what is coming. "In every single link of the supply 

chain we are seeing disruption. This disruption, I fear, is going to result, if things aren't addressed quickly, in more stock 

outs, shortages and a lack of access in coming months," he says. 

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19. 

In a scientific brief, WHO reiterates respiratory droplets and indirect contact with surfaces or objects used by an 

infected person are still the main routes of transmission for SARS-CoV-2. The agency says a recent experimental study 

detailing virus persistence in the air does not reflect normal human cough conditions. 

Airborne transmission may be possible in procedures that generate aerosols including endotracheal intubation, 

bronchoscopy, open suctioning, administration of nebulized treatment, manual ventilation before intubation, turning 

the patient to the prone position, disconnecting the patient from the ventilator, noninvasive positive-pressure 

ventilation, tracheostomy, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. 

27 March 2020 


28 March 2020 


28 March 2020 


Chinese President Xi Jinping talked over phone with U.S. President Donald Trump at request, stressing that China has 

been timely sharing information on COVID-19 in an open, transparent and responsible manner with the WHO and 

countries including the United States since the onset of the epidemic. 

Cases of COVID-19 worldwide surpass 600,000. 

Portugal announces that all foreigners will be treated as residents during the COVID-19 crisis, to ensure they have 

access to public services. 

Health officials in Illinois, U.S., announce the death of a baby from COVID-19. This is the first death of an infant in the 

country. 

Spain and Italy hit new records for the number of dead in one day. Spain records 832 dead and Italy records 889. 


30


29 March 2020 


Global death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 30,000. 

29 March 2020 


30 March 2020 


30 March 2020 


31 March 2020 


31 March 2020 


1 April 2020 


3964 cases so far- 16 deaths in Australia 


Invited by the American College of Chest Physicians, Chinese medical experts attended a network forum of COVID-19 

with their American counterparts and shared experience in fighting against the virus. 

The U.S. government places a moratorium on USAID’s global shipments of personal protective gear, asking it to instead 

be sent to the U.S., reports Politico. 

UNICEF tells The Telegraph it has halted routine and emergency vaccinations due to worries that these activities could 

further the spread of COVID-19, prompting concerns of a resurgence of diseases such as measles and polio. 


The COP26 U.N. climate change conference, which was scheduled to take place this November in Glasgow, Scotland, 

is postponed and will be rescheduled for 2021. 

The number of deaths from COVID-19 globally has more than doubled in the past week. 

31


2 April 2020 


Cases of COVID-19 surpass 1 million. 

2 April 2020 


3 April 2020 


3 April 2020 


4 April 2020 


5 April 2020 



The global economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is now estimated to be between $2 trillion and $4 trillion, 

according to the latest Asian Development Bank estimates 

Those estimates are based on a 3 to 6-month scenario in which the pandemic is contained. The impact on the global 

economy could be higher if the pandemic is not contained by the end of September. 

The United States, with the highest number of cases in the world, now has more than double the number of Italy, which 

has the second-highest number of cases in the world. 

Gates has shared the same thoughts in an opinion piece for The Washington Post. 

“Creating a vaccine is only half the battle. To protect Americans and people around the world, we’ll need to 

manufacture billions of doses … We can start now by building the facilities where these vaccines will be made,” he 

wrote. 




32


6 April 2020 


Almost 90% of students globally are affected by school closures — over 1.5 billion children and young people, 

according to WHO. 

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is moved to intensive care after his COVID-19 symptoms worsen. 

The death toll in Europe from COVID-19 surpasses 50,000. 

6 April 2020 


7 April 2020 


8 April 2020 


24 April 2020 




China lifts its lockdown on Wuhan, the city where the COVID-19 outbreak began. 

In response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to withhold funds from WHO because the agency “missed the 

call” on the pandemic response, Tedros urges governments not to politicize the response. 

“If you don’t want many more body bags, then you refrain from politicizing it,” he says at a press conference. 

“When there are cracks at national level and global level, that’s when the virus succeeds. For God’s sake, we have lost 

more than 60,000 citizens of the world,” he says, adding that there is no time to waste by “pointing fingers.” 

Scott Morrison delivers an ultimatum to aged care sector – Morrison threatened the aged care sector to stick to 

the current visitor restrictions baseline provided by the National Cabinet or face the Commonwealth getting 

involved. 

As at Saturday 18 April 2020 / 650 cases and 21 deaths connected to the Ruby Princess failure 

Would lives have been saved if morrison closed Australian borders to ALL NON-RESIDENTS 

on 1 February 2020 instead of 20 March 2020? 

33

Covid19 timeline WHO China Aust

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