Coronavirus Timeline

December 2019

? Subject to diagnosis, partner of a singer in Yorkshire choirs after returning from a business trip to Wuhan on 17 or 18 December developed a hacking cough. In January, other members of the choirs may have been infected.
27: Hospital in France, April/May 2020 retesting old samples from 24 patients with pneumonia in December 2019 and January 2020, confirms one patient positive for coronavirus on 27 December 2019.
31: Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, China, reports a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubai Province. A novel coronavirus is eventually identified.

January 2020

11: China records first death linked to the novel coronavirus.
13: Official confirm a case of the new virus in Thailand, the first recorded case outside China.
20: USA confirms first death linked to the coronavirus.
22: UK Government announced that people arriving at Heathrow airport from Wuhan would be met by health teams as UK infectious disease experts doubled their estimate of the likely number of cases to 4,000.
23: China authorities place the city of Wuhan under quarantine, and the rest of Hubei province days later.
24: First confirmation of coronavirus in France – also see 27 December 2019
25: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all travel to China’s Hubei Province.
28: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office updates its travel advice, against all but essential travel to the rest of mainland China.
29: An infectious disease unit in Newcastle later confirmed the new coronavirus diagnosis.
30: World Health Organization (WHO) reports 7818 total confirmed cases worldwide, the majority in China, and 82 cases in 18 other countries.
31: The first two cases of the new coronavirus in the UK are confirmed.
31: In Italy, the Italian government suspends all flights to and from China and declares a state of emergency for a duration of 6 months. Italy is the first EU country to take this precautionary measure.

February 2020

2: In the Philippines, first coronavirus death outside China.
6: A third case of coronavirus is confirmed in the UK. In USA, first known coronavirus death in America.
9: In China, death toll exceeds 2002-2003 SARS epidemic.
10: UK introduced strengthened powers for public health officials to quarantine people against their will, if necessary.
11: International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) announces “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)” as the name of the new virus. WHO announced “COVID-19” as the name of this new disease.
11: A ninth case is confirmed in London.
14: The first death in France from COVID-19, a Chinese tourist admitted to a hospital in Paris on 28 January.
23: Total of 13 cases in the UK as four new cases detected in passengers on a cruise ship Diamond Princess.
24: The Dow Jones Industrial Average and FTSE100 drop more than 3% as the coronavirus outbreak spread worsened outside China.
25: UK recommends travellers coming from Italy to self-quarantine for 14 days and for all citizens not to travel to Italy regions affected by the outbreak.
26/27: Coronavirus outbreak at a conference in Edinburgh.
27: First confirmed case in Northern Ireland. Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1191 points, largest one day top since 2008 crisis.
28: The first British death from COVID-19 confirmed; a man quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
28: The first case of COVID-19 in Wales, an individual who recently returned from holiday in Italy.
28: Germany enacts health security measures to include regulations for air and sea travel, requiring passengers from multiple countries, including Italy, to report their health status before entry/
29: UK total number of confirmed cases is 23.

March 2020

1: The first case of COVID-19 in Scotland.
3: UK government publishes its action plan for dealing with coronavirus. In Spain, cases of coronavirus sharply increase.
5: The first death in the UK from COVID-19 occurred.
8: In Italy, 15 provinces including the Lombardy region under lockdown. Italian government decree “absolutely avoided any movement into and out of the areas”. The largest lockdown in the history of Europe and the most aggressive response beyond China.
9: The FTSE 100 drops by more than 8 percent, its largest intraday fall since 2008.
11: WHO deeply concerned by the levels of spread and severity, and by the alarming levels of inaction, assesses that COVID-19 can be characterised as a pandemic. USA bans all travel from 26 European countries.
11: UK Budget. The Bank of England cuts its base rate from 0.75% to 0.25%
12: UK Chief Medical Officers raise the risk to the UK from moderate to high. The government advises that anyone with a new continuous cough or a fever should self-isolate for seven days. First case reported in North Wales. FTSE100 plunges again, this time its biggest drop since 1987.
13: The first death from COVID-19 in Scotland. Premier League football 2019-2020 season suspended. English local elections and London mayoral election in May 2020 postponed for a year. USA declares national emergency.
14: UK retailers ask customers not to panic buy products after some supermarkets sell out of for example pasta, hand gel and toilet paper.
15: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to Spain and the USA.
16: London theatres close.
17: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all non-essential international travel. NHS England announces that from 15 April all non-urgent operations in England will be postponed. Cinema chains close all outlets in UK. UK Chancellor of the Exchequer announces that £330 BN will be made available in loan guarantees for businesses affected by the virus.
18: Pound sterling falls below $1.18, its lowest level since 1985. The government announces that all schools in the country will shut from the afternoon of Friday 20 March, except for those looking after the children of key workers and vulnerable children; no exams will take place this academic year.
19: The Bank of England cuts interest rates to 0.1% – the lowest rate in the Bank’s 325-year history.
20: All schools in the country will shut from this Friday afternoon, except for those looking after the children of key workers and vulnerable children. Northwick Park hospital in Harrow, NW London, declares a “critical incident” due to a surge in patients with coronavirus. All cafes, pubs and restaurants to close from this evening, except for take-away food. All UK nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close as soon as they can. NHS England block-books all private hospitals.
21: Shoppers urged to shop panic buying as UK supermarkets struggle to keep up with demand.
23: In a televised address on Monday evening, Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, announces a UK-wide partial lockdown, to contain the spread of the virus. The British public are instructed that they must stay at home, except for certain “very limited purposes” – shopping for basic necessities; for “one form of exercise a day”; for any medical need; and to travel to and from work when “absolutely necessary”.
24: Official start of lock-down. UK records highest number of deaths in one day.
24: Boots closes all beauty and fragrance counters.
25: Quarter Day. Coronavirus Act 2020. Parliament shuts down for a month. HRH Prince Charles tests positive for COVID-19.
26: Government announces that the self-employed will be paid up to £2500 a month. At 8pm millions of people take part in ‘Clap for Carers’ tribute applauding the NHS and other essential workers.
27: Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19. Chief Medical Adviser, Chris Witty, suffering symptoms and self-isolating.
29: The first NHS nurse dies from Covid-19.
31: The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 passes 10,000. UK total number of deaths is 1,789

April 2020

1: Edinburgh Festival 2020 planned for August is cancelled.
2: UK government writes off historical debts totalling £13.4 Bn of over 100 hospital trusts.
3: Road traffic levels have fallen by 73%, at their lowest since 1955. NHS Nightingale Hospital London, the first temporary hospital to treat COVID-19 patients, opens at the ExCel centre in East London with 500 beds and potential for 4,000. Warm weather forecast for the coming weekend.
4: Keir Starmer is elected as the leader of the Labour Party.
5: HM The Queen Elizabeth II makes a broadcast to the UK and the wider Commonwealth, something she has done on only four previous occasions.
5: Prime Minister Boris Johnson is admitted to hospital for tests.
6: Prime Minister Boris Johnson is taken into intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital. National Express suspends all long-distance coach services.
9: Warm weather forecast for Easter weekend. People urged to stay indoors.
10: Care homes to state in daily death notifications whether the death was a result of confirmed or suspected COVID-19.
11: HM The Queen Elizabeth II makes her first ever Easter message to the nation.
12: The number of people who died in hospital with COVID-19 in the UK passes 10,000.
14: The Office for National Statistics indicates that coronavirus was linked to one in five deaths during the week ending 3 April. Mobile operators report a further twenty attempted arson attacks on mobile phone masts over the previous weekend, concerns about 5G.
15: Fashion retailers may have to write-off £15Bn of stock. UK retail footfall in March drops to lowest level . Springboard cites an “unprecedented decline” of 41.9%, 83.1% lower than Easter weekend 2019. All non-urgent operations in England postponed.
16: 99-year-old war veteran, Captain Tom Moore, completes 100 laps of his garden, raising over £25 million for NHS Charities Together. Three extension to the lockdown period announced.
17: Subsidised wage scheme for furloughed workers extended for another month, to the end of June.
18: Coronavirus appears to be having a “disproportionate impact” on the Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities (BAME).
20: US oil price benchmark falls below zero, closing at -$37.63 a barrel; crude oil now worthless and a liability.
21: The Office for National Statistics figures indicate deaths in England and Wales from all causes have reached a twenty year high,
23: The first human trials of a coronavirus vaccine in Europe begin in Oxford. B&Q reopen 155 of its stores following a trial opening of a small number the previous weekend.
25: The number of recorded deaths increases to 20,319.
27: The Government announces that the families of NHS and care workers who die because of COVID-19 will be entitled to a payment of £60,000
28: Office for National Statistics figures for the week ending 17 April show 22,351 deaths registered in England and Wales, nearly double the five-year average and the highest weekly total since comparable records began in 1993. At 11am, UK holds a minute’s silence to remember key workers who have died from COVID-19
30: Royal Dutch Shell cut its dividend for the first time since WW2
30: Total number of recorded deaths 26,771. Captain Tom Moore celebrates his 100th birthday and is made an honorary Colonel by the Queen. His appeal to raise money for the NHS reaches £32m. (Almost £40M after Gift Aid)

May 2020

2: Some recycling centres re-open.
4: UK launches tracing app to combat Coronavirus trial on the Isle of Wight for NHS workers and council staff; on 7 May to all residents.
5: The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders indicate just 4,321 new cars were registered in April, the lowest monthly number since 1946.
5: At 29,427, the UK has the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths in Europe.
6: Heathrow Airport is trialling large-scale temperature checks at departure gates.
7: BT plc suspends annual dividend for first time since privatisation in 1984. Bank of England warns that the economy is on course to deepest recession on record.
8: Victory in Europe (VE) Day, 75th anniversary. 11:00 Two minutes silence.
8: Wales extends lockdown restrictions for a further three weeks but people are allowed to exercise outside more than once a day, some garden centres can reopen, councils can plan for reopening libraries and tips.
9: £2bn to be spent on improving travelling by walking and cycling.
10: UK government changes coronavirus message from “stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives” to “stay alert, control the virus, save lives”. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland stick with “stay at home…”
10: Passengers arriving into the UK on international flights (except Ireland) will soon be asked to go into quarantine for fourteen days.
11: UK government publishes document setting out further details of the phases for lifting the lockdown restrictions.
12: Weekly number of deaths (to 1 May) shows a decrease for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
12: UK furlough scheme extended until October, employees to continue to receive 80% of monthly wages up to £2,500. A quarter of the workforce, circa 7.5 million people, are covered by the scheme.
13: Lockdown measures are eased in England, people can spend more time outside, meet someone from another household on a one-to-one basis and social distancing, play physically distanced sports, such as golf. Garden centres are allowed to open.
13: Residential property market, frozen since 26 March, re-opens: house moves and viewings now permitted.
14: The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts the cost to government of combating the coronavirus pandemic has risen to £123.2 BN, annual borrowing estimated at 15.2% of the UK economy. This figure is the highest annual borrowing since the end of World War II.
15: Government scientific advice says that the R number has increased from between 0.5 and 0.9 to between 0.7 and 1.0, closer to the rate at which infections could start to increase exponentially. The figures are said to be “consistent with” the fall in cases in the community and the rise of cases in care homes, but are based on data from three weeks previously, so the effect of easing the lockdown measures is unknown.
16: Coronavirus protests involving the gathering of people are held at venues around the UK, including Hyde Park in London, and Glasgow Green in Glasgow.
17: The number of recorded deaths is 34,636. The daily increase of 170 is the lowest since the day after the lockdown restrictions were introduced.
18: Rail operators begin running more train services. The London congestion charge is reinstated, and buses in London begin charging passenger fares once again. As part of the £1.6bn deal to bail out Transport for London, the congestion charge will also rise from £11.50 to £15 from 22 June.
18: 2020 Chelsea Flower Show: a virtual festival for the first time.
19: Office for National Statistics show the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance increased by 856,500 in April, to 2.1 million.
19: Captain Tom Moore s to be knighted for his fundraising efforts for NHS charities following a special nomination from Boris Johnson,
20: Rolls-Royce announce plans to cut 9,000 jobs; warns that it could take several years for the airline industry to recover.
20: The 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours delayed until the Autumn to recognise the “everyday Covid heroes” that have played a role in supporting and protecting society during the crisis.
21: The Office for National Statistics estimate that 137,000 people in England, or 0.25% of the population, had COVID-19 at any given time between 4 May and 17 May (excluding those in hospitals, care homes or other institutions). Global number of cases exceed 5 million.
22: The Office for National Statistics reports that government borrowing rose to £62BN in April, the highest monthly figure on record.
22: Annemarie Plas, credited as starting the weekly Clap for Our Carers, suggests it should end after its tenth week and should become an annual celebration of frontline workers.
23: Travellers to France from the UK will have to quarantine for fourteen days from 8 June.
23: Dominic Cummings, chief political adviser to Boris Johnson, under mounting pressure to resign after a joint investigation by the Daily Mirror and The Guardian revealed that he travelled 260 miles from London to Durham to self-isolate during lockdown and while his wife was displaying COVID-19 symptoms. Downing Street says that Cummings travelled to the north-east to be near relatives who could look after his young son if he became ill himself.
24: Plans (outlined on 10 May) confirmed for the phased reopening of schools in England from 1 June.
25: Plans to reopen car showrooms and outdoor markets from 1 June, and for all non-essential shops to reopen from 15 June.
25: UK recorded deaths total 36,914. George Floyd, a 46 year old black man, killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, USA. His death triggers demonstrations and protests in more than 75 cities across USA; solidarity protests in Canada, Australia and UK.
27: Grocery sales jumped 14.3% in the 12 months to mid-May; the fastest growth since records began in 1994.
28: Contact tracing systems go live in England and Scotland. The Office for National Statistics weekly survey reports that around 133,000 people in England had COVID-19 at any given time during 11–24 May.
29: The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will end at the end of October. Employers must pay National Insurance and pension contributions from August, then 10% of pay from September increasing to 20% in October. Self-employed people whose work has been affected by the lockdown will receive a “second and final” government grant in August.
30: Some government scientific advisers warn of the risk associated with lifting lockdown restrictions in England too early.
31: The number of recorded deaths is 38,489

June 2020

1: Phased reopening of schools in England. Car showrooms and outdoor markets to re-open. Horse racing becomes the first sport to return in England after a gap of 76 days, with the first meeting in Newcastle.
1: Groups of up to 6 people to meet-up allowed, subject to social distancing.
2: Following a record dry Spring and more people staying at home, water companies urge people to conserve water during the lockdown restrictions by not using sprinklers and hosepipes or filling paddling pools.
3: National Trust re-opens gardens and parklands, subject to booking in advance. All schools in Wales will reopen from 29 June: they will be open for all pupils, but only a third of students will be in school at any one time.
4: Face coverings to be compulsory on public transport from 15 June. Very young children, disabled people and those with breathing difficulties will be exempt.
5: UK Government ban on tenant evictions in England and Wales is extended to 23 August. The UK number of recorded deaths rises to 40,261
6: The UK number of recorded deaths rises to 40,465. Anti-racism demonstrations held in cities across the UK; attendees are reported to be in the thousands
8: Dentists allowed to re-open. Travellers to France from the UK will have to quarantine for fourteen days. Quarantine measures for international travellers, requiring foreign arrivals to UK to self-isolate for 14 days..
15: Non-essential shops to (or can) re-open. Face coverings compulsory on public transport; very young children, disabled people and those with breathing difficulties are exempt.
22: London congestion charge goes up to £15.
24: Quarter Day
29: All schools in Wales reopen: for all pupils, but only a third of students will be in school at any one time.

July 2020

4: Pubs, restaurants, hairdressers, hotels, cinemas, places of worship, allowed to open from 4 July, subject to meeting social distancing measures.
8: Start of England to play three cricket test matches against the West Indies.