Since its first reporting in China’s Wuhan, the deadly coronavirus has everyday posed new challenges. Pharma giants in the UK, US, India have developed vaccines that have over 50% efficacy. The UK started vaccination programme on December 8. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), there have been 68,845,368 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 1,570,304 deaths, reported on December 11, 2020.

The WHO has revised its symptom list and guidelines trying to help the countries to stop the spread of the deadly virus. Many European nations have imposed lockdown as second wave hit the region.

The second wave of infections has also opened the possibility of a third, and a fourth, further highlighting the urgency of a vaccine.

Here’s a timeline of the deadly virus:

December 11

Australia stops trials of local vaccine candidate after test subjects see false positive tests for HIV.

Global infections crossed 70 million mark and recoveries stood at 49 million. The US topped the list with 217,779 new cases and 2.974 new deaths.

December 10

The number of infections passed the 69 million mark globally.

Japan announced to buy 10,500 freezers for coronavirus vaccines.

US comic Ellen DeGeneres tweets that she has tested positive.

India’s largest hospital chain Apollo said it was ready to administer one million coronavirus vaccine doses a day.

December 9

The US recorded 2,960 deaths and 209,756 new cases in 24 hours. Meanwhile the UK issued anaphylaxis warning after adverse vaccine reactions.

US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said documents related to their development of a COVID-19 vaccine had been “unlawfully accessed” in a cyberattack.

Canada approved Pfizer’s vaccine.

In India, drug regulator put Serum Institute’s and Bharat Biotech’s applications on hold, citing lack of complete data.

December 8

The world passed 68 million infections and 47 million recoveries.

China said it tested more than a quarter of a million people after a handful of new cases were detected in the southern city of Chengdu.

December 7

A 90-year-old grandmother became the first person in the world to receive COVID vaccine in Britain as part of UK’s vaccine programme.

Melbourne welcomed first international flight in 5 months as coronavirus curbs ease.

California went into lockdown, putting 33 million people under stay-at-home orders.

December 6

US President Donald Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani tested positive.

1.2 million doses of the Chinese company Sinovac’s vaccine arrived in Indonesia.

The world passes the 67 million infections rate.

December 5

Pakistan hospitals struggled to cope with overwhelming numbers of coronavirus infections.

The world crosses the 66 million cases mark.

India recorded less than 50,000 cases in 24 hours for a month.

The United States notched a record number of coronavirus cases in 24 hours for the third day running, with nearly 230,000 new cases and 2,527 deaths reported in the last 24 hours.

December 4

World daily new cases in 24 hours peaks at 688,333

December 3

US President-elect Joe Biden says he will call for 100 days of mask-wearing after inauguration.

December 2

In historic first, Britain will introduce Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine next week, and vaccines start leaving Brussels for London by truck.

World crosses 64 million cases barrier.

December 1

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus chief asked for ‘extreme caution’ during holiday season.

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton tested positive for the coronavirus.

November 23

AstraZeneca reported its vaccine is 90% effective.

November 20

Pfizer, BioNTech seek approval in the US. The US surpassed 11 million cases.

November 18

Pfizer, BioNTech announced that their vaccine is 95% effective.

November 16

Moderna revealed its vaccine is 94.5% efficient.

November 11

In India, the COVID-19 active caseload fell below 5 lakh-mark for the first time after 106 days.

Spain ask visitors from high-risk countries to show proof Covid-19 negative reporton arrival.

France reported rise in Covid-19 cases even though it has been in a national lockdown for two weeks.

November 9

The US became first nation to cross 10 million COVID-19 cases and US President-elect Joe Biden announced COVID-19 Transition Team.

In India, Delhi overtook Maharashtra and Kerala by reporting 7,745 infections in 24 hours and become the largest contributor to the single-day infections.

November 4

The US crossed 100,000 new daily COVID-19 cases for the first time.

October 30

The US surpassed 9 million COVID-19 cases.

Belgium imposed second COVID-19 lockdown.

October 29

India crossed 8 million coronavirus cases and Japan surpassed 100,000 cases.

Europe was again declared the ‘epicenter’ of the pandemic by WHO.

October 28

The US government announced to pay for any future COVID-19 vaccines for Americans.

France announced new four-week lockdown.

The WHO reported a record three million new COVID-19 cases in one week.

The US records 85,357 new daily COVID-19 cases, its highest figure to date.

October 27

India reported less than 50,000 cases whereas Italy imposed harshest lockdown since March

October 25

France reported a record 52,010 daily new COVID-19 cases.

October 22

Bulgaria makes masks mandatory at all times in outdoor areas.

October 21

The Czech Republic reinstates its mask-mandate.

Germany’s Health Minister, Jens Spahn, tests positive for COVID-19.

October 20

India reported fewer than 50,000 new daily COVID-19 cases for the first time in three months.

The United States reported 58,387 new coronavirus cases in a 24 hours, its highest figure since July.

Russia reported more than 16,000 new daily cases for the first time.

October 19

Over 40 million people infected with COVID-19 globally.

Iran recorded 337 COVID-19 related deaths, highest figure since the pandemic broke out.

October 12

Johnson & Johnson stopped its COVID-19 vaccine trails after a participant contracts an unexplained illness.

New research shows that there were 20 percent more deaths than expected from March 1 to August 1, two-thirds of which were attributable to COVID-19.

The UK imposed new lockdown.

Singapore and Indonesia opened their borders for travel.

Iran reports 272 COVID-19-related deaths, its highest death toll since the pandemic took effect.

October 10

Brazil crossed 150,000 COVID-19 deaths, the second-highest death-toll after the United States.

October 9

Spain declares a state of emergency in response to Madrid’s COVID-19 outbreak.

The White House prepares a $1.8 trillion COVID-19 stimulus proposal.

October 8

Top White House aide Stephen Miller tested positive for COVID-19.

White House COVID-19 outbreak reaches at least 34 people.

October 6

AstraZeneca’s clinical trials on hold in the United States, the last country to keep the hold in place.

October 5

President Donald Trump discharged from Walter Reed hospital.

October 3

Spain imposed a partial lockdown on Madrid.

October 2

US President Donald Trump and First Lady, Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19.

October 1

New York City’s hotspots in Queens and Brooklyn, reach a 6.5 COVID-19 positivity rate.

Advisor to U.S. President, Hope Hicks, tests positive for COVID-19.

September 30

India issues Unlock 5.0 guidelines, allows cinemas and multiplexes to open with 50 per cent capacity from October 15.

September 28

The global death count from Covid-19 crosses one million, taking just three months to double from half a million. The total number of Covid-19 cases across the world has crossed 33 million, while nearly 23 million people have recovered.

September 27

Coronavirus cases in India cross 60 lakh, with total recoveries crossing the 50 lakh milestone.

Worldwide coronavirus cases cross 32.81 million and the death toll stands at 991,369. In US, CDC reported 7,059,087 cases and total deaths stood at 204,033.

September 25

The US crossed 7 million COVID-19 cases mark. India was inching closer to the 60 lakh coronavirus cases.

September 23

In India, Minister of State for Railways Suresh Chanabasappa Angadi succumbed to the coronavirus.

September 21

Schools partially reopened in several states of India for Classes 9 to 12.

New Zealand has reported no new cases.

The United States has surpassed 200,000 deaths.

September 20

New Zealand reported only four new cases.

September 19

Spain re-imposed restrictions in some areas of Madrid.

September 18

France recorded its biggest daily number of coronavirus infections with over 13,000 cases.

September 17

Canada issued a warning after spike in new COVID-19 cases.

September 16

India crossed 5 million mark of coronavirus cases, second-highest in the world.

September 15

Asian Development Bank said the economies of ”developing Asia” will contract by 0.7% in 2020, the first contraction in nearly six decades.

September 12

Death toll in Mexico crossed 70,000. Canada reported zero COVID-19 deaths for the first time since March.

September 10

India reported over 95,000 cases, highest number of cases in one day globally. Greece, France and Palestine also reported a record number of daily coronavirus cases since the outbreak began.

September 9

Clinical trials of AstraZeneca’s vaccine suspended after one of the trials’ volunteers fell ill with an unexplained illness.

September 7

India overtook Brazil with more than 4.2 million cases and became the second worst affected country in the world.

September 6

Melbourne was put under the strictest lockdown by two weeks to the end of September as cases surged.

September 4

Iraq recorded 5,036 new coronavirus cases, its highest single-day rise since the beginning of the pandemic.

August 31

The total number of coronavirus cases in the US crossed the six million mark.

August 29

Indonesia reported its biggest rise in infections for a third successive day.

August 28

Coronavirus cases in Russia surpassed 980,000. India reported a record daily jump of 77,266 cases.

August 26

The total number of coronavirus cases passed 24 million globally , with over 821,000 deaths recorded.

August 23

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said the country was on the brink of a nationwide outbreak following the highest daily number of cases.

August 20

India reported a record number of cases of coronavirus.

August 19

Spain recorded highest number of coronavirus infections since it lifted the lockdown in late June.

August 18

South Korea banned large public gatherings and ordered a closure of churches and nightspots after more than 400 cases, linked to a huge church in northern Seoul, were reported.

August 17

Lebanon’s caretaker health minister announced two-week lockdown.

August 16

Italy ordered mandatory mask wearing in public a three-week closure of all dance venues.

August 15

France reported 2,500 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, taking the country’s cumulative total of cases to 249,611.

August 14

India’s coronavirus death toll overtook the United Kingdom’s on August 14 to become the fourth-highest in the world.

August 13

Argentina and Mexico said they will produce the British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine for most of Latin America. Meanwhile, the Brazilian state of Parana signed a deal to test and produce Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine.

August 12

France and Germany registered their highest daily increase in months.

August 11

President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia has developed the world’s first vaccine against coronavirus. On the same day, New Zealand announced four new cases of COVID-19 after 102 days with no community transmission.

August 10

Russia reported more than 5,000 daily coronavirus cases. On the same day, global coronavirus cases went past 20 million as the casualty figure crossed 736,000.

August 9

Brazil surpassed 100,000 deaths from COVID-19. 

August 8

Nearly 198 doctors dead due to COVID-19, said Indian Medical Association.

Maharashtra in India crossed 5 lakh mark of coronavirus cases.

August 7

Mexico surpassed 50,000 coronavirus deaths, the third highest in the world after the United States and Brazil.

August 6

India recorded biggest single-day jump in deaths as its total number of cases approached two million.

Philippines recorded more than 3,500 new coronavirus 

August 5 

Global death toll from COVID-19 surpassed 700,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University and Reuters.

August 3

 WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there might never be a “silver bullet” answer to the new coronavirus despite the rush to discover effective vaccines.

August 2

 Death toll in Latin America surpassed 200,000.

August 1

WHO warned the COVID-19 pandemic was likely to be “lengthy”, as it met to evaluate the situation.

Libya announced to impose a full lockdown.

July 27

US says that world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study is underway with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots.

India reported over 14 lakh coronavirus cases

July 26

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un placed the city of Kaesong near the border with South Korea under total lockdown over coronavirus concerns, and declared a state of emergency to contain a potential outbreak, state media reported .

July 24

Russia surpassed 800,000 coronavirus infections.

India, third worst hit country by COVID-19, surpassed 13 lakh cases.

July 23

South African Medical Research Council reported a “huge discrepancy” between the country’s confirmed COVID-19 deaths and the number of excess deaths from natural causes.

July 21

Iran reported a new single-day record death toll of 229 from the coronavirus.

July 20

Oxford University said their experimental coronavirus vaccine prompted a immune response. The vaccine called AZD1222 is one of 150 in development globally, but is considered the most advanced.

July 15

US Researchers said the first vaccine tested in the country improved patients’ immune systems and is set for final testing.

July 14

The WHO said the pandemic could get far worse if basic healthcare precautions were not followed.

India COVID-19 tally crossed 9 lakh mark.

July 13

The US reported more than 56,000 new coronavirus cases, pushing the nationwide total to 3.3 million cases, with more than 135,000 deaths.

July 11

The WHO reported a record daily increase with the total rising by 228,102 in 24 hours.

July 10

Hong Kong close all schools after a spike in locally transmitted COVID-19 infections.

Northern Syria confirmed the first coronavirus case.

July 8

The US officially withdrew from the World Health Organization amid surge in cases of coronavirus.

July 7

Lockdown reimposed in Melbourne for six weeks.

July 6

India overtook Russia with the world’s third-highest number of novel coronavirus cases, at nearly 700,000.

July 5

A rise in coronavirus infections reported in United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia after curfews were fully lifted last month.

WHO discontinued trials of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine and combination HIV drug lopinavir/ritonavir in hospitalised patients with COVID-19 after the medications failed to reduce mortality.

July 4

1.5 million coronavirus cases reported in Brazil.

July 3

India reported a single-day record for new COVID-19 cases with more than 20,903 infections, taking the country’s toll to 625,000.

June 30

Over 10.3 million people infected with the coronavirus globally, more than 5.2 million had recovered, and more than 505,000 had died, Johns Hopkins University reported.

WHO warned that the pandemic is “not even close to being over”

June 29

The coronavirus cases passed the 200,000 mark in Pakistan after 3,602 new infections were reported.

Australia recorded 85 new COVID-19 infections, its biggest daily outbreak since April 11.

June 27

EU announced to bar travellers from the United States, Brazil and Russia due to a continued surge in coronavirus infections in the three countries.

June 26

US Vice President Mike Pence announced that 16 states in the country witnessed an increase in cases of the coronavirus.

WHO said the pandemic was getting worse globally, with the number of infections expected to reach 10 million next week. 

June 25

The number of coronavirus cases in the Gulf region crossed 400,000. 

In the US, the cases reached their peak level.

June 24

Saudi Arabia announced that only 1,000 domestic pilgrims can attend the Hajj.

June 23 

UNESCO said the pandemic has only degraded conditions for nearly 260 million children who left school in 2018.

Entire districts of Warendorf and Guetersloh in Germany imposed lockdown after 1,500 workers of a slaughterhouse were found infected.

June 21

Spain ended the coronavirus state of emergency and opened its border to most European countries, as well as Britain. People in Spain were also allowed to move freely around the country.

June 19

As the global pandemic accelerated, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that 150,000 new cases recorded on June 18 was the highest number reported in a single day.

June 18

1,331 new coronavirus infections reported in Indonesia, biggest daily increase, taking its total number of cases to 42,762.

The WHO announced that testing of the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine in its large multi-country trial of treatments for COVID-19 patients had been halted after new data and studies showed no benefit.

June 17

India and Pakistan saw the deadliest day of the pandemic, with more than 2,000 deaths in India and 140 in Pakistan.

June 16

Dexamethasone, an affordable and widely used steroid, became the first drug found to drastically reduce the risk of dying from COVID-19.

June 15

Mass testing in Beijing started after rise in cases connected to a major wholesale food market.

France, Germany, Greece and Switzerland reopened their borders for each other.

June 12

Beijing in China reported its first instance of local transmission in weeks.

June 11

The number of cases in the US crossed 2 million mark, while the death toll exceeded 110,000.

June 10

The pandemic has triggered the worst global recession in nearly a century even without a second wave of infections, said Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development report.

June 9

A research report by Harvard Medical School suggested that the deadly virus might have been spreading in China as early as August 2019.

June 8

India started lifting lockdown in a phased manner.

June 7

The global death toll surged past 400,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.

June 6

WHO changed its position on face masks and is now encouraging people to wear them in crowded places.

Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro threatened to pull his country out of the WHO, citing “biasedness”.

June 5

With more than 9,800 infections in a single-day, COVID-19 cases mark in India touches 226,770. The total number of deaths surpassed 6,000.

June 4

Total number of infections in Russia cross the 4,40,000 mark

June 3

Italy reopened its borders for travellers from Europe.

June 2

Africa’s coronavirus cases surpassed 150,000 as more than 4,300 deaths have been confirmed across the continent.

June 1

Moscow partially eased lockdown for the first time in nine weeks

Lockdown restrictions for hotels, open-air cinemas, golf courses and public swimming pools in Greece lifted .

May 31

Latin America’s death toll touches 50,000 mark.

May 29

The US terminated its relationship with the WHO, saying the agency has not made coronavirus reforms.

May 27

The US became the first country to report 100,000 COVID-19 deaths.

A 10-day official mourning period started in Spain in memory of the more than 27,000 people who lost their lives to the virus in the country.

May 25

Nationwide state of emergency in Japan over the coronavirus lifted.

May 24

Russia recorded the highest death toll since the pandemic began, with 153 news deaths bringing the total to 3,541 among 344,481 cases.

May 23

China registered zero new infections for the first time since January.

May 21

Five million cases reported globally, according to Johns Hopkins University. The US, Russia and Brazil stood as the countries with the highest number of infections.

May 19

In UK, unemployment claims jumped to 2.1 million due to the pandemic.

May 16

India surpassed China with the health ministry reporting 85,940 infections and 2,752 deaths.

India extended two-month-old lockdown by another two weeks.

May 15

First coronavirus infection of a Rohingya refugee confirmed in southern Bangladesh.

May 14

The UN predicted the pandemic would shrink the world’s economy by 3.2% this year.

May 10

China and South Korea reported new rise in cases, with Seoul recording 34 new cases, the biggest single-day jump in about a month.

May 8

The WHO warned that 83,000 to 190,000 people in Africa could be killed by the virus in the first year if not contained.

May 5

The United Kingdom became the virus epicentre of Europe with over 32,000 deaths.

May 3

Afghanistan’s health ministry raised the alarm after a study with random tests in Kabul suggested that about a third of the capital’s residents could be infected.

April 30

More than 30 million people in the US filed claims for jobless benefits since the beginning of coronavirus-related lockdowns.

April 28

The number of cases surpassed one million in the US.

April 26

Wuhan, where the pandemic began, said it had no remaining cases.

April 25

COVID-19 deaths reached another grim milestone by exceeding the 200,000 threshold.

April 21

President Donald Trump announced temporarily suspending immigration into the United States.

April 17

Saudi Arabia’s grand mufti asked people offer namaz during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr festival at home.

April 14

India extended nationwide lockdown until May 3

Lockdown extended in France till May 11.

Taiwan reported no new cases for the first time in more than a month.

IMF said the global economy was expected to shrink by 3%, the biggest contraction since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

April 11

US recorded a total death toll of 20,071, surpassing Italy’s toll of 19,468.

April 10

UK announced its worst single-day death toll with 980 people losing their lives in the 24 hours.

April 8

Wuhan allowed people to leave for the first time since the central Chinese city was sealed off in January.

April 7

Singapore imposed partial lockdown and Japan declared a state of emergency after a spike in coronavirus cases.

April 3

Middle East governments warned to act quickly to limit the spread of the coronavirus as cases in the region have risen to nearly 60,000.

April 2

The global total of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed 1 million and the worldwide death toll from the disease topped 50,000.

March 31

Deaths in the US surpassed those reported by China.

There have been more than 3,600 deaths in the US from the virus, more than the 3,309 in China.

March 27

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for the coronavirus.

March 23/24

India announces 21-day nationwide lockdown.

March 22

Janta Curfew observed across India.

March 20

Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor who returned from London tests positive in Lucknow.

Coronavirus-related deaths surge past 10,000 globally.

March 19

Italy becomes epicentre of COVID-19 with 3,405 coronavirus-related deaths.

March 18

No new domestic cases reported in China, first time in three months.

March 17

Italy reported 345 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours taking its total death toll to 2,503.

March 11

Coronavirus outbreak declared as a pandemic by WHO.

March 7

Iran becomes one of the worst-hit countries with 4,747 reported cases and 124 deaths.

Nearly 3,500 people killed and another 102,000 people infected by the virus across more than 90 countries.

February 11

WHO names the new virus COVID-19.

January 31

Russia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom confirm their first cases of the virus.

January 30

Coronavirus declared as a global emergency by the WHO.

Death toll in China jumped to 170, cases 7711. All 31 provinces report cases of the deadly virus.

First case reported in India. A student in Kerala who had returned from Wuhan university tested positive for the virus.

January 23

WHO says ‘no evidence’ of virus spreading between humans outside China.

Lockdown imposed in Wuhan province of China. Rail and air travel suspended.

January 14

Thailand reported the first case of Coronavirus.

January 11

First death reported in China. One 61-year-old who purchased goods from the seafood market, believed to be the origin of the deadly virus.

January 7

WHO named the new virus as 2019-nCoV and was identified as belonging to the coronavirus family, which includes SARS and the common cold.

January 5

China rules out recurrence of SARS. Sars killed over 750 people worldwide in 2002-03.

December 31, 2019

WHO was alerted by China about several cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan. Virus unknown.