AcharyaChanakya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
Until March, all cases were linked to recent travel to a country with a large number of cases. The first case of community transmission in Canada was confirmed in British Columbia on March 5, and Toronto's chief health officer announced on March 16 that there is "some evidence of community transmission" (that the disease was spreading within the country).
In mid March, as cases of community transmission were confirmed, all of Canada's provinces and territories declared states of emergency. Provinces and territories made school and daycare shutdown, ended on gatherings, closed non-essential businesses, restrictions on entry, and mandatory self-isolation for travellers.
Canada severely restricted its border access.
Ryan Russell
Ryan Russell is an British actor, best known for being a presenter on CBeebies from 2017 to 2019; and for playing the role of Michael Bailey in the long-running ITV soap opera, "Coronation Street", from 2019 onwards. He studied Performance at the University of Salford and has appeared onstage in "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Cassio" and in commercials for Superdrug and WeBuyAnyCar.com. Russell was also one of the kids on World of Colours.
COVID-19 pandemic in Ecuador
The COVID-19 pandemic was reported to have spread to Ecuador on 29 February 2020. That was when a woman in her 70s tested positive for the virus. Ecuador was described in April as the growing "epicentre" of the pandemic in Latin America.
The city of Guayaquil has had so many deaths that bodies are being left in the street. Ecuador gave out cardboard coffins because the country had diffculty removing all the dead bodies. The government was planning to build emergency cemeteries to dispose of the bodies which are left in the streets.
In April 2021, newly elected President Guillermo Lasso said that his main priorities after being inaugurated would be to increase the COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country. Lassos said he aim for bilateral talks with Russia, China, the United States, the European Union and Chile to try to acquire vaccines.
The number of deaths was believed to be higher than the official figure because not enough testing was being done. A "New York Times" analysis found 7,600 more deaths had happened from 1 March to 15 April as the mortality rate spiked to three times as much as usual. That showed that the official death toll was lower than the actual death toll.
COVID-19 pandemic in Russia
The COVID-19 pandemic spread to Russia on 31 January 2020, when two Chinese tourists in Tyumen, Siberia and Chita, Russian Far East tested positive for the virus, with both cases being contained.
Early prevention measures happened within the first cases. They included restricting the border with China and large testing. The infection spread from Italy on 2 March, leading to more measures such as cancelling events, closing schools, theatres and museums, shutting the border, and declaring a non-working period which lasted up to 11 May, having been extended twice.
By the end of March, lockdowns were added in the large majority of federal subjects, including Moscow. By 17 April, cases were confirmed in all federal areas. On 27 April, the number of confirmed cases passed those in China and on 30 April, it passed 100,000.
As of 14 May, Russia has 252,245 confirmed cases, 53,530 recoveries, 2,305 deaths, and over 6.1 million tests performed, ranking second in number of confirmed cases. The city of Moscow is currently the most affected, having the majority of confirmed cases.
COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Mexico in February 2020. However, the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) reported two cases of COVID-19 in mid-January 2020 in the states of Nayarit and Tabasco, one case per state.
As of May 13, there had been 40,186 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mexico and 4,220 reported deaths, although the Secretariat of Health said in early May 2020 that there were more than 104,562 cases in Mexico.
On January 12, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a large group of people in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019.
On January 22, 2020, the Secretariat of Health issued a statement saying that the novel coronavirus COVID-19 was not a threat to Mexico. 441 cases had been confirmed in China, Thailand, South Korea, and the United States. A travel warning was issued on January 9.
On February 28, Mexico confirmed its first three cases. A 35-year-old man and a 59-year-old man in Mexico City and a 41-year-old man in the northern state of Sinaloa tested positive and were held in isolation at a hospital and a hotel. They had travelled to Bergamo and stayed in Italy for a week in mid-February.
President Andrés Manuel López Obrador did not take the pandemic seriously such as the impact of coronavirus. He said "Pandemics ... won't do anything to us," and criticized the press and the opposition for its reportage.
A poll showed that 63% of Mexicans feared contracting Covid-19 and 25.5% feared dying from it. 28% said they were not willing to stay in their homes. 38.6% believed President López Obrador was handling the situation well, and 37% disapproved.
COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Brazil on 25 February 2020, when a man from São Paulo tested positive for the virus.
As of 13 May 2020, 188,974 cases have been confirmed in the country, causing 13,149 deaths.
On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.
On 17 March, Brazil's first coronavirus-related death was confirmed. At this time, there were 291 confirmed cases in the country. Three days later, State health departments reported almost a thousand confirmed cases across 23 of 26 states and also in the Federal District.
A month after the first confirmed case on February 26, the Ministry of Health reported that Brazil had 2,915 confirmed cases and 77 deaths. On 30 April, Brazil overtook China in number of confirmed cases, passing 87,000.
The pandemic has caused a large difference of responses from federal, state and local governments. On 27 March Brazil announced a temporary ban on foreign air travelers, and most state governors have added quarantines to prevent the spread of the virus.
Despite the global impact of the virus and guidelines from the World Health Organization, President Jair Bolsonaro says that the risk caused by coronavirus has been exaggerated. State governors have disagreed, causing lockdowns measures in their own states.
On 13 March, President Jair Bolsonaro tested negative for COVID-19. The same day, the Ministry of Health issued a warning recommending Brazilians and foreigners arriving in Brazil to stay in isolation for at least 7 days.
2020 Pacific typhoon season
The 2020 Pacific typhoon season is an ongoing event of which when typhoons form in the Pacific Ocean. The season lasts all year, although most tropical cyclones form between May and October. The season's first tropical cyclone formed on May 10, making it the sixth-latest start in the basin on record.
Typhoon Vongfong (Ambo), the season’s first storm, became a Category 3 typhoon and struck the Philippines, causing extensive damages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first few months of 2020 were extremely quiet, with no tropical systems developing between the months of January and April. On May 10, the season saw its first tropical system with the development of Ambo, making it the sixth-latest starting season on record, as well as the latest since 2016. Two days later, the system strengthened to the first officially named tropical storm of the season, Vongfong. Vongfong then hit the Philippines at peak intensity, and weakened soon after landfall.
After Vongfong, a month of inactivity ensued, and on June 10, a new tropical depression formed off the coast of Samar, and was named Butchoy by the PAGASA a day later. Butchoy made landfall in the Philippines as the JTWC issued a tropical cyclone formation alert for it. It then got upgraded to a tropical storm, and impacted Hong Kong, Macau and parts of China upon landfall.
A low-pressure area near Micronesia slowly organized over the course of a few hours, and developed into a tropical depression soon after. It became the first tropical cyclone to form in the Western Pacific in 2020, and PAGASA named it "Ambo". Favourable sea temperatures, low wind shear and excellent vertical outflow made the system intensify into a tropical storm, then the JMA named it "Vongfong".
Less than a day later, when convection started to rapidly organize around the storm's center, and a well-defined rain band at the northwest side of the storm, JTWC upgraded it to a typhoon. Vongfong made landfall on Samar Island at around 12 PM Philippines Time. It began to weaken because of many landfalls over the Philippines, and emerged into the South China Sea on May 17. It turned north and dissipated due to high wind shear the next day, just south of Taiwan.
The JMA classified a tropical low east of the Philippines as a tropical depression on June 10.
COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Portugal in March 2020 by the Directorate-General of Health (DGS).
The first recorded cases of COVID-19 in Portugal were reported on 2 March. A week later, the Portuguese government declared the highest level of alert because of COVID-19 and said it would be maintained until 9 April.
On 18 March, the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, declared State of Emergency for the following fifteen days, with the possibility of it being extended. It was the first act of emergency since the Carnation Revolution in 1974. The act was extended on 2 April.
COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed by Minister of Health Zweli Mkhize to have spread to South Africa on 5 March 2020. The first known case was a South African returning from Italy.
On 15 March, the President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, declared a national state of disaster, and announced measures like travel restrictions and the closure of schools from 18 March.
On 17 March, Ramaphosa formed the National Command Council on COVID-19, "to lead the nation's plan to contain the spread and mitigate the negative impact of the coronavirus".
The parliament of South Africa suspended all activities on 18 March. Both the African National Congress and Democratic Alliance postponed their respective elective congresses.
On 23 March, a national lockdown was announced, starting on 26 March 2020. On 9 April, Ramaphosa announced that it would be extended until the end of April.
On 21 April, a 500 billion rand stimulus was announced in response to the pandemic.
On 23 April, Ramaphosa announced that the lockdown restrictions would slowly be phased out. Level 4 started on 1 May. On 1 June, the country entered level 3.
Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, extended the state of disaster on 3 June. It ended on 4 July.
The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) started testing people in South Africa for SARS-CoV-2 on 28 January 2020.
By the middle of March, state hospitals were offering free COVID-19 testing.
On 11 June, the Health Department said that over 1 million tests had been completed.
, the median age of people with laboratory-confirmed cases was 38 years, and the median age of patients who died was 64.
, there were confirmed cases and confirmed deaths, as well as recoveries.
Stay-at-home order
A stay-at-home order (North America) or a movement control order (Southeast Asia) is an order from a government to lower/end movements of a population as a mass quarantine move for stopping an epidemic, or pandemic. This is done by ordering residents to stay home except for essential tasks or to work in essential businesses.
In many cases, outdoor activities are allowed. Nonessential businesses are either closed or made to working from home.
In some regions, it has added a curfew or called a shelter-in-place order, but it is not to be confused with a shelter in place situation.
Similar measures have been used around the world, but the term lockdown is used instead.
COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (), spread to the Philippines on January 30, 2020. The first case of the disease was confirmed in Metro Manila.
The first case was a 38-year-old Chinese woman who was quarantined at a hospital in Manila. The second case was confirmed on February 2, that of a 44-year-old Chinese man who died a day earlier, which was also the first confirmed death from the disease outside mainland China.
The first case of someone without travel history abroad was confirmed on March 5, a 62-year-old male who was a Muslim prayer hall in San Juan, Metro Manila. The man's wife was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 on March 7, which was also the first local transmission to be confirmed.
As of September 13, 2020, there have been 261,216 confirmed cases of the disease in the country. Out of these cases, 207,568 recoveries and 4,371 deaths were recorded.
The Philippines has the most number of cases in Southeast Asia, ahead of Indonesia and Singapore.
The largest single-day increase in the number of confirmed cases was on August 10, when 6,958 new cases were announced.
At least one case has been confirmed in all of the country's 17 regions.
Royal Flash (movie)
COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
The first case of COVID-19 in New Zealand during the 2019–20 COVID-19 pandemic was reported on 28 February 2020. , the country has a total of 1,497 cases, of which 65 are currently active, and 21 people have died from the virus.
All borders and entry ports of New Zealand were closed to all non-residents at 11:59 pm on 19 March 2020, with returning citizens and residents being required to self-isolate. Since 10 April, all New Zealanders returning from overseas must go into two weeks of quarantine.
A four-level alert level system was added on 21 March to manage the outbreak within New Zealand.
On 16 March, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called for an end to public gatherings of more than 500 people and warned that the outbreak could lead to a recession greater than the 2008 global financial crisis.
On 4 March, a New Zealand woman in her 30s who had returned from northern Italy on 25 February was confirmed as the second case of the virus in New Zealand.
On 1 April, 61 new cases (47 confirmed and 14 probable) were reported, bringing the total to 708 (647 confirmed and 61 probable). That same day, it was reported that the Chatham Islands, which are part of New Zealand, were facing a food shortage due to panic buying.
On 1 May, 3 new cases (all confirmed) were reported, bringing the total to 1,479 (1,132 confirmed and 347 probable), and 11 new recoveries were reported, bringing the total 1,252. Six people were in hospital.
COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
The COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have spread to Japan in January 2020. Cases have been recorded in each of the 47 prefectures except for Iwate. The country has seen over 10,000 confirmed cases.
The Japanese government confirmed its first outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 () in the country on 16 January 2020 in a resident of Kanagawa Prefecture who had returned from Wuhan, China. A second outbreak was caused by travelers and returnees from Europe and the United States between 11 March and 23 March.
According to the , the majority of viruses spreading in Japan derive from the European type while those of the Wuhan type have been disappearing since March.
The Japanese government has created many measures to stop and slow down the outbreak. On 30 January, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe created a to take charge of the government's response to the pandemic.
On 27 February, Abe closed down all Japanese elementary, junior high, and high schools until early April.
On 7 April, Abe announced a one-month state of emergency for Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, Hyogo, and Fukuoka. On 16 April, the declaration was extended to the rest of the country.
As the pandemic became a concern for the 2020 Summer Olympics, the Japanese government and the International Olympic Committee worked together for its postponement until 2021.
Medical experts and the media have criticized the Japanese government for under-testing for COVID-19. Medical experts said that the government have instead relied on the country's pneumonia surveillance to identify and treat severely-affected patients.
COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic spread to South Korea on 20 January 2020, when the first case was announced.
The number of confirmed cases increased on 19 February by 20, and on 20 February by 58 or 70, giving a total of 346 confirmed cases on 21 February 2020.
With the fears of further contamination, mass gatherings in the affected cities were cancelled and a few hundred soldiers in Daegu are in isolation. On 4 February 2020, in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, South Korea began denying entry to foreigners traveling from Hubei Province.
By 23 September 2020, South Korea had about 23,216 cases and 388 deaths,and by 9 April 2020, with over 494,711 people having been tested.
South Korea created what was thought to be one of the largest and best-organised epidemic control programs in the world, along with Taiwan, Vietnam, and Singapore.
Different actions have been taken to screen the mass population for the virus, and isolate any infected people as well as trace and quarantine those who contacted them, without further lockdown.
The rapid tests taken by South Korea have been successful in limiting the spread of the outbreak, without added a mass quarantine action.
COVID-19 pandemic in Norway
The COVID-19 pandemic began in Norway on 26 February 2020, with cases increasing during the month of March. Physical distancing actions were introduced on 12 March.
The first death caused by COVID-19 was documented on 26 February 2020. Most confirmed cases that were traced to outside Norway were Norwegian tourists returning from Austria and Italy.
Norway has performed 208,874 tests and reported 8,168 confirmed cases and 229 deaths.
One of the major reasons why the mortality rate was lower than in other European countries (such as Italy, Spain, the UK) was the high number of tests performed in Norway.
If I Had a Million
COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
The COVID-19 pandemic spread to Vietnam on 23 January 2020, when its first known case of COVID-19 was reported.
On 23 January, Vietnam confirmed the first two cases of COVID-19, a Chinese man (#1) travelling from Wuhan to Hanoi to visit his son who lived in Vietnam, and his son (#2), who was believed to have contracted the disease from his father. They were hospitalized in Ho Chi Minh City. On 29 January, the son fully recovered and was discharged. His father was discharged on 12 February.
From 17 to 23 April, no new cases were confirmed. However, there were reports of cases who tested positive again after being discharged. On 24 April, two more cases were confirmed: both were Vietnamese students who came back from Japan and quarantined on arrival.
Vietnam has been seen by the global media as having one of the best-organised epidemic control programs in the world, along with Taiwan and South Korea.
Despite not having the latest technology, the country's response to the outbreak has received praise for its quick response.
COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have spread to Denmark on 27 February 2020. As of 13 May 2020, there have been 10,667 confirmed cases. Among these, 533 patients have died, 8,663 have recovered, and 164 are in hospital, including 37 in intensive care.
Denmark was among the first European countries to introduce lockdown measures, starting on 13 March. Following a period of increase in hospitalizations, the number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has been falling since late March, with the number of cases in need of intensive care and ventilator being well below available resources. Starting on 15 April, a very slow and gradual reopening has been initiated, but if there are indications that the number of infections increases too fast, it will be reversed.
The pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Greenland in March 2020. There have been 11 confirmed cases, but none in need of hospitalization. The last infected person had recovered on 8 April and there are no known active cases in Greenland.
In an attempt to reduce the economic impact of the pandemic, the government has created a large economic packages with the support of all parties in Parliament. Nevertheless, it is expected that the decrease in GDP will be between 3 and 10% in 2020.
COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore
The first case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore was confirmed on 23 January.
By late-March and April, COVID-19 areas were detected at multiple areas for foreign workers, which soon caused a large number of new cases in the country. Singapore currently has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, having overtaken Indonesia on 19 April.
To fight against COVID-19, a multi-ministerial committee was formed on 22 January with Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong and Minister for Health Gan Kim Yong as the co-chairs and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Heng Swee Keat as advisors.
Singapore also spent US$500,000 to support World Health Organization (WHO) efforts against COVID-19.
In response to the growing number of new cases, Singapore announced on 3 April a strict number of measures called a "circuit breaker" from 7 April to 4 May. The circuit breaker was extended to 1 June on 21 April.
National authorities began reporting on suspected cases on 4 January, however the first confirmed case of infection was reported on 23 January. The person was a tourist from Wuhan. Until 30 January, there were a total to 13 confirmed cases, all of whom were visitors to Singapore from China.
The first case involving a Singaporean was confirmed on 31 January after returning from Wuhan.
COVID-19 pandemic in Iceland
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Iceland in February 2020.
, the total number of cases registered is 1,802, of which 1,780 have recovered and 10 have died. With a total population of 366,130 (as of 31 March 2020). The infection rate is 1 case per 203 people, one of the highest in the world. This is because more tests having been carried out in Iceland than any other country.
On 8 April, as the cases surged over 1,600 and more recoveries than new infections were recorded for the second day in a row. The total number of patients hospitalized in the country since the outbreak is 112.
COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia
The COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia is a current outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 in Serbia caused by SARS-CoV-2.
Its first case in Serbia was reported on 6 March 2020. The case was a 43-year-old man from Bačka Topola who had travelled to Budapest.
As of 12 May 2020, 151,304 individuals were tested of which there have been 10,243 confirmed cases, 3,600 recoveries and 220 deaths in Serbia.
On 15 March 15, a state of emergency was declared. Many argue the declaration was against the constitution, since there was no debate among the MPs in the Serbian Parliament. All schools, Kindergarten and universities are closed.
The following day, a curfew from (20:00h) to (05:00) has been created across the whole country. In addition, people of the age of 65 and above have been forbidden to leave the house.
On 20 March, cafe bars, shopping malls, public transportation have all been closed. Food delivery, however is allowed.
Bolliger &amp; Mabillard
Bolliger & Mabillard, commonly known as B&M, is a roller coaster company based in Monthey, Switzerland. After installing its first coaster in 1990, they have now installed more than 100 rollercoasters across the globe.
COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica
The COVID-19 pandemic in Jamaica is part of an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed in Jamaica in 10 March 2020. It happened at the same time as the ongoing dengue fever epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean.
On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness on 31 December 2019.
Unlike SARS outbreak of 2003, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the transmission has been greater, with a significant total death toll.
The government announced a travel ban between China and Jamaica. All people entering Jamaica from China will be quarantine for at least 14 days, and anyone who was allowed to land and shows symptoms of the virus will be put in immediate isolation.
On 12 March, Prime Minister Andrew Holness ordered all primary and secondary schools closed for 14 days.
COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
The COVID-19 pandemic first appeared in Greece on 26 February 2020. , there have been 2,760 confirmed cases and 155 deaths.
The first COVID-19 case, a 38-year-old woman from Thessaloniki who had recently visited Νorthern Italy, was confirmed. Later cases in late February and early March related to people who had traveled to Italy, Israel and Egypt. The first death from COVID-19 in Greece was a 66-year-old man, who died on 12 March.
Following the first three cases in Greece, on 27 February all carnival events in the country were cancelled. Later, the closure of schools and the suspension of cultural events in the affected areas (particularly Ilia, Achaea and Zakynthos) were announced.
On 10 March, with 89 confirmed cases and no deaths in the country, the government decided to close down all schools for good and on 13 March, to close down all cafes, bars, museums, shopping centres, sports facilities and restaurants in the country.
On 16 March, all retail shops were also closed, two villages in Kozani were quarantined, and all services in all churches were suspended. On 18 and 19 March, the government announced a series of measures of more than 10 billion euros to support the economy, businesses and employees.
On 4 April these restrictions were extended until 27 April and on 23 April they were extended until 4 May.
The measures put in place in Greece are among the most strictest in Europe and have been praised internationally for having slowed the spread of the disease and having kept the number of deaths among the lowest in Europe.
Starting from 4 May, Greece began easing restrictions after a 42-day lockdown, with the gradual lifting of restrictions on movement and the restarting of business activity.
COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Thailand on 13 January 2020, when the first case outside China was announced.
The first reported local transmission was confirmed on 31 January. The number of cases remained low throughout February, with forty confirmed by the end of the month. Cases had a sharp increase in mid-March. Confirmed cases rose to over a hundred per day over the following week, and public areas and businesses were ordered to close in Bangkok and several other provinces.
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declared a state of emergency, beginning on 26 March. A curfew has been announced, beginning on 3 April 2020.
The Thai government's response to the outbreak was based on surveillance and tracing. Temperature and symptom screening for coronavirus testing was added at international airports, as well as at hospitals for patients with travel or contact history.
Ads were introduced focused on self-monitoring for at-risk groups, practicing hygiene (especially hand washing), and avoiding crowds (or wearing masks if not possible).
While residents returning from high-risk countries were encouraged to self-quarantine, travel restrictions were not announced until 5 March, when four countries were designated as "disease-infected zones".
The government has been criticized for its slow response to the crisis. In early February, in response to concerns over hoarding and price increase of face masks, the government issued price controls. The move failed to prevent shortages among hospitals, and became a scandal. Criticism was also for the slow response to end foreign travel.
On 12 January, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, who had initially come to the attention of the WHO on 31 December 2019.
Unlike SARS of 2003, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower, but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.
COVID-19 pandemic in Finland
The first case of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Finland was confirmed on 29 January 2020, when a Chinese tourist visiting Ivalo from Wuhan tested positive for the virus.
On 31 December 2019, the Health Commission of Wuhan, Hubei, China, informed the WHO about a large number of acute pneumonia cases with unknown origin in its province. On 9 January 2020, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) reported the identification of the SARS-CoV-2 as the cause.
On 27 January, following the developments of COVID-19 outbreak in mainland China, Finland's Ministry for Foreign Affairs advised citizens to avoid unnecessary travel to Hubei province. The following day, Finnair announced it would be ending its five weekly routes to Nanjing and Beijing Daxing until the end of March.
On 30 January, Finland's health officials said that up to 24 Finnish people may have the virus.
On 16 March, the President of Finland, declared a state of emergency due to COVID-19. 272 laboratory-confirmed cases caused by COVID-19 had been diagnosed in Finland by 16 March 2020 at 2 pm.
COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic reached Ireland on 29 February 2020, and within three weeks had spread to all counties.
On 12 March 2020, the government shut all schools, colleges, childcare facilities and cultural institutions. St Patrick's Day festivals and events were cancelled. Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar addressed the nation that night. On 24 March, almost all businesses, venues, facilities and amenities were shut; but gatherings of up to four were allowed.
Three days later, the government banned all "non-essential" travel. People were made to keep apart in public.
The lockdown has caused a recession and a rise in unemployment, with a longer lockdown forecast to cause greater damage.
By mid-April 2020, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) reported that the growth rate of the pandemic had been "as low as it needs to be", that the curve had flattened and that there would be no peak coming.
By 14 May 2021, the Department of Health had confirmed 254,870 cases and 4,941 deaths; a rate of 51,124 cases per million and 991 deaths per million population.
More than 90% of those that have died were aged over 65, and most also had underlying illnesses or lived in care homes.
Flatten the curve
Flattening the curve is a public health strategy to slow down the spread of the COVID-19 virus during the COVID-19 pandemic. The curve being flattened is the epidemic curve, a representation of the number of infected people needing health care over time.
During an epidemic, a health care system can break down when the number of people infected passes the health care system's ability to take care of them.
Flattening the curve means slowing the spread of the epidemic so that the peak number of people requiring care at a time is reduced, and the health care system does not pass its capacity.
Flattening the curve relies on techniques such as quarantine, stay at home orders, and social distancing.
COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay
The first cases of the COVID-19 pandemic in Uruguay were reported on 13 March by the Ministry of Public Health.
As of March 2020 there is an ongoing outbreak in Uruguay, with the first few cases imported from Italy and Spain.
The majority of early cases were caused by a wedding with 500 people in Montevideo. It was attended by a Uruguayan returning from Spain who later tested positive.
On 14 March, it was announced that the two patients who took the bus ride on 8 March caused some 200 contacts, who were seen as suspected cases with home quarantine recommended.
On 16 March, the government issued an order to close all border crossings except Carrasco International Airport. The border with Argentina was closed effective 17 March at midnight.
President Luis Lacalle Pou said that the idea of closing the border with Brazil was "a little more complex", because it is a dry land border, and many people living near the border. Lacalle Pou advised people over 65 to stay at home.
Flights from the United States were suspended effective 18 March, and from Europe effective 20 March at midnight (00:00), at which point the airport was to close.
The government recommended working from home and not traveling. To free up hospital beds, surgeries were rescheduled.
Temperature checks were introduced in prisons and activities for prisoners restricted.
COVID-19 pandemic in Paraguay
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Paraguay on 7 March 2020 in a 32 year-old man from Guayaquil, Ecuador, living in San Lorenzo, Central department.
On 10 March 2020, the Paraguayan government suspended classes and all activities that involve groups of people, as well as public and private events, for 15 days. Other measures include partial closure of borders, restricting entry of foreigners, and curfews.
On 20 March 2020, the first death and the first case of community transmission were confirmed. The government declared a total quarantine until 3 May, with free movement restricted completely. Public movement is restricted to buying food, medicine and other essential items.
On 4 May, the country began to “smart quarantine”, which is the slow return to work and social activities with social distancing and hygiene measures.
COVID-19 pandemic in Peru
The COVID-19 pandemic was reported to have spread to Peru on 6 March 2020 when a 25-year-old man who had travelled to Spain, France and the Czech Republic tested positive.
On 15 March 2020, President Martín Vizcarra announced a country-wide lockdown, closing borders, slowing down domestic travel, and ending nonessential business, except health facilities, food vendors, pharmacies, and financial institutions.
Peru, with a total population of 32 million, has a total of 500 intensive care unit (ICU) beds available as of April 2020, and is working on expanding its nation-wide ventilator system from 40 to 540 machines within the coming months.
The engineering and production is supplied by the Peruvian military.
COVID-19 pandemic in the Czech Republic
The COVID-19 pandemic saw its first three confirmed cases in the Czech Republic on 1 March 2020.
On 12 March, the government declared a state of emergency, for the first time in the country's modern history for the area of the entire country. On 16 March, the country closed its borders and issued a nationwide curfew.
While originally planned until 24 March, the measures were later extended until 1 April and then again until the end of State of Emergency which was extended by the Chamber of Deputies until 30 April 2020 and then again until 17 May 2020.
A general closure of services and retail sale was in place from 14 March until 11 May, however all shops could conduct distance sales with delivery from 24 March onwards. Government didn't order closure of manufacturing plants, but many did so voluntarily during second half of March with gradual reopening from 14 April.
Czech Republic was first European country to make wearing of facemasks mandatory from 19 March onwards.
COVID-19 testing was made widely available with drive through locations from 14 March, and from 27 March anyone with a fever, dry cough or shortness of breath being eligible for a free test.
From 13 April onwards, COVID-19 testing passed its demand.
Contact tracing in the country included also voluntary disclosure of mobile phone position and debit card payments data for previous days and quaranting of identified contacts.
By 1 May 2020, altogether 257 COVID-19 related deaths were identified in the Czech Republic compared to 2,719 in similarly populous Sweden, which did not impose any lockdown.
Czech Republic started gradual easing of measures from 7 April 2020 onwards with most restrictions being lifted by 11 May 2020.
COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic spread to Hungary on 4 March 2020, when the first cases in the country were announced.
The first coronavirus-related death was announced on 15 March on the government's official website.
On 18 March, the government announced that the virus had spread to every part of the country.
As at the beginning the pandemic, Hungarians living in China who wanted to move back to Europe were transported home through France. The affected seven persons were under quarantine for two weeks. As they remained healthy during the next two weeks, they were released on 16 February.
The Government of Hungary launched its official webpage and official Facebook page about the novel coronavirus, both on 4 March 2020.
On 11 March, the Hungarian government declared a state of emergency.
COVID-19 pandemic in El Salvador
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached El Salvador on 18 March 2020.
As of 13 May 2020, El Salvador reported 1,112 cases, 20 deaths and 405 recoveries.
On 31 March 2020, the first COVID-19 death in El Salvador was confirmed.
President Nayib Bukele banned public gathering of more than 500 people and shut down educational institutions on 17 March.
El Salvador had arrested more people for violating the quarantine than it had diagnosed cases of COVID-19, a total of 2,424 people had been arrested for violating quarantine orders, and 48,913 people had been tested for the virus.
COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Afghanistan in Herat, was confirmed on 24 February 2020.
As of 14 May 2020, there have been 5,639 positive cases, with 691 recoveries and 136 deaths across all 34 provinces in the country. Kabul Province has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in Afghanistan at 1556, followed by Herat with 935 cases, and then Kandahar with 613 cases.
In March 2020, at least 150,000 Afghans returned from Iran, due to the outbreak across the country, at the Islam Qala border in Herat Province.
As many as over 1000 people a day crossed the border during the month. Between March and April 2020, the number of cases increased in Herat Province to over 200 cases.
At the Chaman and Torkham borders, over 60,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan in three days.
On 14 March, President Ashraf Ghani, told the public to avoid large public gatherings and to pay attention to hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease.
On 18 March, the Ministry of Interior Affairs banned all large gatherings, including the closure of venues that attract large crowds such as entertainment places, sports grounds, swimming pools, fitness clubs and wedding halls.
Arthur Holmes
Arthur Holmes (18901965) was an English geologist. He made two important contributions: the use of radioactive isotopes for dating minerals, and the suggestion that convection currents in the mantle play an important role in continental drift.
Holmes showed us that thermal convection currents were strong enough to move large land masses, which contributed to Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift or theory of Plate tectonics. Harry H. Hess (19061969) also supported this view.
Holmes was a pioneer of geochronology, and performed the first accurate uranium-lead radiometric dating while an undergraduate in London. This gave a date of of 370 mya to a Devonian rock from Norway. This result was published in 1911, after his graduation in 1910.
Holmes worked on the problem of the age of the Earth all his life. He reached an approximately correct estimate by the 1940s of 4,500±100 mya.
COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Pakistan on 26 February 2020.
The first case in Pakistan happened when a student in Karachi tested positive after returning from Iran. By 18 March, cases had been registered in all four provinces, the two autonomous territories, and the federal territory of Islamabad.
there have been over 34,300 confirmed cases with 8,812 recoveries and 737 deaths in the country. Punjab has recorded the most cases at over 13,200, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported the most deaths in the country, a total of 245.
The country has been put under a nation-wide lockdown until 9 May, which was initiated on 1 April and later extended twice. On 7 May, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced to slowly end lockdown phase from 9 May 2020.
According to a report by the federal government, Pakistan could have expected 50,000 cases of the disease by 25 April. However, the number by then remained under 13,000, less than half of what was expected.
Pakistan started vaccine trials in collaboration with Sinopharm, a Chinese pharmaceutical company in April 2020.
COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela
As part of an ongoing worldwide pandemic, the first two patients with COVID-19 in Venezuela were confirmed on 13 March 2020; the first death was reported on 26 March.
However, the first record of a patient claiming to have symptoms of coronavirus disease dates back to 29 February 2020, with government officials suspecting that the first person carrying the virus could have entered the country as early as 25 February.
Venezuela is particularly vulnerable to the pandemic because of its ongoing socioeconomic and political crisis causing massive shortages of food and basic necessities, including medical supplies.
The mass emigration of Venezuelan doctors has also caused chronic staff shortages in hospitals.
To prevent the spread of the disease into Venezuela, the governments of Brazil and Colombia temporarily closed their borders with Venezuela.
Stay-at-home orders were announced on 15 March, when the country registered another seven cases, and introduced the next day across six states and the Caracas area.
It was on the first day of the quarantine across six states, 16 March, that Argentina's ambassador in Venezuela, Eduardo Porretti, tested positive for the virus, and Nicolás Maduro announced that sixteen new cases were confirmed, bringing the total to 33. Maduro extended the quarantine to the entire country.
COVID-19 pandemic in Panama
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Panama on 9 March 2020.
, Panama reported 2528 cases, 63 deaths and 16 recoveries. One of the dead was a 64-year-old male, who also suffered from diabetes and pneumonia.
Of those infected, 83 were sent to a hospital. The infected individuals belong to the 29-59 age group and had each recently traveled abroad.
A 13-year-old girl died of Covid-19 on 23 March.
The government declared a state of emergency on 13 March 2020. The move frees US$50 million for a period of 180 days to purchase goods and services to combat COVID-19.
COVID-19 pandemic in Bolivia
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Bolivia when its first two cases were confirmed on 10 March 2020. They were in the departments of Oruro and Santa Cruz.
On 12 March, Bolivia ended all public school sessions until 31 March, as well as all commercial flights to and from Europe for a long time. They also prohibited large-scale public gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
Following the announcement of the first confirmed case, incidents were reported among the local population, including panic buying of surgical masks and hand sanitizer and blocking access to hospitals,
On 19 March a patient under observation who was required to stay in isolation tried to escape but was caught when he tried to take a trip between departments.
COVID-19 pandemic in Iraq
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have spread to Iraq in February 2020.
Cases have been confirmed in all 19 Iraqi Governorates as of the 27 March, with the Iraqi Kurdistan region having 309 (26%) of those cases as of 8 April.
During the pandemic, Iraq reported its first confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections on 22 February 2020 in Najaf. By April, the number of confirmed cases had pass the hundred mark in Baghdad, Basra, Sulaymaniyah, Erbil and Najaf.
As of the 7 April, 28,414 tests have been done in Iraq as a whole (including the Kurdistan Region), with 1202 of them turning out positive.
Iraq is thought to be especially vulnerable to the epidemic due to being weakened by the Iraq war and United Nations sanctions, by sectarian conflict and the rise of Islamic State over the past three decades.
COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic spread to Saudi Arabia on March 2, 2020, when the Ministry of Health confirmed the first case in the kingdom.
By April 8, as many as 150 members of the Saudi royal family had tested positive. The king's nephew, Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, has been put in the intensive care unit over coronavirus problems.
As of November 25, the kingdom has 355,741 confirmed cases, the highest among the Arabian Gulf States with 344,311 recoveries and 5,811 deaths.
COVID-19 pandemic in Colombia
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Colombia on 6 March 2020.
On 6 March, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection confirmed Colombia's first case of coronavirus, a 19-year-old female patient who recently traveled to Milan, Italy.
On 12 March, four more cases were confirmed, two in Bogotá and two in Neiva. Authorities declared a health emergency, suspending all public events involving more than 500 people, as well as implementing measures intended to keep cruise ships from docking in any national port.
As of 17 March, Colombia is not allowing entry to those who are not Colombian citizens, permanent residents or diplomats.
COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Argentina on 3 March 2020, with 6,866 people being infected.
On 7 March, the Ministry of Health confirmed the country's first death, a 64-year-old man who had traveled to Paris, France, who also had other health conditions. The case was only confirmed as positive after the patient's death. This also marked the first documented death from the virus in the country.
On 19 March, Argentina entered a nation-wide lockdown. The Argentine government announced the extension of the lockdown, originally expected to end on March 31, then mid April, and later until 26 April.
On 25 April, President Alberto Fernández announced that the lockdown would be extended in major cities until 10 May. The lockdown was lifted up throughout all the country since 10 May, excepting the Greater Buenos Aires, as the lockdown is expected to continue in that urban area at least until 24 May.
COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Cuba on 11 March 2020 when three Italian tourists tested positive for the virus.
On 11 March, the first three cases in Cuba were confirmed. The patients were Italian tourists. They were kept in isolation at the Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute in Havana.
The government told citizens to make their own face masks. People were told to carry several cloth face masks with them, depending on how many hours they plan to spend in public areas.
On 17 March, the number of confirmed cases increased to 7.
On 18 March, the number of confirmed cases increased to 10, and the first death was announced, a 61-year old Italian who had been one of the first three confirmed.
As of 30 March, the amount of confirmed coronavirus cases is at 170, with 4 deaths.
COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago
The COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago is part of the ongoing global viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was confirmed to have reached Trinidad and Tobago on 12 March 2020.
On 12 March, Trinidad and Tobago recorded its first case of COVID-19. It was a 52-year-old man who had recently been to Switzerland. He was self-isolated before he began showing symptoms of COVID-19.