DURBAN - The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Coronavirus a pandemic, on March 11. Globally there are more than one million confirmed cases and over 69, 000 deaths.
According to a paper published on January 24 in The Lancet medical journal, the first known Coronavirus patient was in Wuhan China and began developing symptoms on 1 December 2019.
December 31
, China alerts WHO on several cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan, the virus was still unknown.
January 7,
WHO officials announce that they have identified a new virus.
January 11
, China announces the first death due to the virus.
January 13
, Thailand confirms its first case.
January 16
, Japan confirms its first case of the virus.
January 31
, Russia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom confirm their first cases of the virus.
February 1
, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Singapore, United States of America, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam confirm first cases of the virus.
February 4
, Belgium confirms first case of the virus, found in a person who was repatriated from Wuhan, China.
February 14
, France records first coronavirus death.
February 14
, Egypt becomes the first country in Africa to report a case. Once it arrived on the continent, the virus spread to over 30 countries in less than a month.
February 19
, The virus emerges in Iran.
February 21,
Israel reports its first confirmed case of the coronavirus after a woman who returned from a cruise ship tested positive.
February 24
, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Afghanistan and Oman all reported their first cases of the virus.
February 26
, The virus emerges in Norway, Romania, Greece, Georgia, Pakistan, North Macedonia and Brazil.
February 27
, Estonia, Denmark, Northern Ireland and the Netherlands report their first coronavirus cases.
February 28,
Lithuania and Wales confirm first cases of the virus.
February 29
, Qatar confirms first case of the virus.
March 2
, The virus emerges in Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
March 6,
South Africa announces first coronavirus case.
March 10,
Lebanon, Morocco and Democratic Republic of Congo confirm first cases of the virus.
March 11
, Turkey, Ivory Coast, Honduras and Bolivia confirm first cases of the virus.
March 16,
Somalia confirms first case of the virus.
March 18
, Italy records the highest one-day death toll of 475 than any nation.
March 21,
Europe remains the epicenter of the coronavirus
March 26
, South Africa imposes a 21-day lockdown and the total number of coronavirus cases globally surpassed 500,000.
March 31
, the number of deaths in the US from coronavirus surpassed those reported by China.
April 2
, the global total of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed 1 million.
April 5
, South African government announces the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases as being: 1655 with 11 deaths.
For LIVE updates on the Coronavirus pandemic, follow us on Twitter : @sacoronamonitor