Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020
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This article documents the chronology of the response to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
in February 2020, which originated in
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city an ...
, China in December 2019. Some developments may become known or fully understood only in retrospect. Reporting on this outbreak began in December 2019.


Events, reactions, and measures in mainland China


1 February

Import duties and US-specific tariffs were exempted on imported materials donated for epidemic prevention and control, including VAT and sales tax; the duties and tariffs previously levied were to be refunded. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued a notice late in the evening to deploy medical wastewater and urban sewage supervision, regulate emergency medical wastewater treatment, sterilisation and disinfection requirements, in order to prevent the spread of new coronavirus through faeces and sewage, after the faeces of a patient was tested positive for the virus in
Shenzhen Shenzhen (; ; ; ), also historically known as Sham Chun, is a major sub-provincial city and one of the special economic zones of China. The city is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern province ...
. The Department of Civil Affairs of Hubei Province suspends all marriage registrations starting on 3 February 2020.
Huanggang, Hubei Huanggang is a prefecture-level city in easternmost Hubei Province, China. It is situated to the north of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is bounded in the north by the Dabie Mountains and is named after Mount Huanggang. It border ...
implements a much stricter control, allowing only one person from each household every two days to be on the street for purchases, unless for medically related reasons, required for epidemic control, or as shop workers. Alibaba Group announced free taxi service for health professionals in Wuhan. Hunan government required companies in the province not to resume business before 24:00 on 9 February; the new semester is not to start earlier than 17 February for primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, and 24 February for post-secondary institutions. Tianjin government issued a notice to postpone business resumption and the start of the new semester.
Huanggang, Hubei Huanggang is a prefecture-level city in easternmost Hubei Province, China. It is situated to the north of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is bounded in the north by the Dabie Mountains and is named after Mount Huanggang. It border ...
converted
Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre The Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre () is a hospital campus in Huangzhou District, Huanggang, Hubei, China. Originally constructed as a new campus for the eventual relocation of Huanggang Central Hospital, it was rapidly converted into a ...
to an emergency treatment hospital, adding 1000 new beds. Huoshenshan Hospital was fully electrified on 23:49. China Securities Regulatory Commission waived the 2020 annual listing fee that listed companies in Hubei are required to pay to the stock exchange. China Federation of Radio and Television Associations issued a notice to pause the filming of all films and TV dramas in mainland China during the epidemic. 310 Hubei citizens were repatriated from Thailand, Malaysia, and Japan.
Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...
temporarily closed all Apple Stores in mainland China until 24:00 on 9 February. China's
National Health Commission The National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China is a cabinet-level executive department of the State Council which is responsible for formulating national health policies. It was formed on 19 March 2018. The ministry is headq ...
(NHC) announced new regulations Saturday requiring that all who lose their lives to the coronavirus must be cremated at the nearest facility. "No farewell ceremonies or other funeral activities involving the corpse shall be held," according to the new ruling. The Badminton World Federation announced it has postponed the 2020 Lingshui China Masters tournament, originally scheduled to be held from 25 February to 1 March.


2 February

Wuhan's Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters arranged for
Jointown Pharmaceutical Group Jointown Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd. (Chinese: 九州通医药集团) is a publicly traded multinational healthcare services company. By revenue, it is the second largest medical company in China that is not state-owned, behind Shanghai Pharma ...
to overtake the warehouse management of Wuhan Red Cross after days of scandals and controversies regarding the Red Cross' incompetence, extreme delays in allocating donation resources, and unexplained apparent misallocation of crucial medical supplies. On the same day, the Prevention and Control HQ issued a set of
Traditional Chinese Medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of acti ...
(TCM) prescriptions "to help treat the infection". This move follows the 22 January recommendation from the
National Health Commission The National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China is a cabinet-level executive department of the State Council which is responsible for formulating national health policies. It was formed on 19 March 2018. The ministry is headq ...
to use TCM to treat the disease. Wenzhou, Zhejiang announces implementing the same measure as Huanggang, where every household may send one person every two days outside for purchases, from 00:00 on 2 February to 24:00 on 8 February. Huoshenshan Hospital completed construction in the morning and was transferred to the military, half a day earlier than scheduled. Hubei allows imported and re-imported masks that are unlisted in China to be sold in the provincial market. The Ministry of Transport extended the cut-off time for the minibus toll-free period of the 2020 Spring Festival to 24:00 on 8 February 2020.
Meituan Meituan (, literally "beautiful group"), formerly Meituan-Dianping, is a Chinese shopping platform for locally found consumer products and retail services including entertainment, dining, delivery, travel and other services. The company is headq ...
starts an initiative to disinfect all shared bikes in eight mainland cities regardless of the brand. With immediate effect, Wuhan's government announced the quarantining of "all suspected patients and those known to have been in close contact with a confirmed case." It stated "Patients shall cooperate. Whoever refuses to cooperate will be subject to enforcement by the police." Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has asked the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
to facilitate the sale of medical supplies "through commercial channels". According to a Chinese government statement, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said the European Union will try its best and coordinate all necessary resources to provide assistance to China.


3 February

The Chinese New Year holiday period ended after having been extended for a week. Mainland stock exchanges reopened, Shanghai Stock Exchange falling by 7.72% and Shenzhen Stock Exchange by 8.45%, with a total of 3,177 shares triggering the limit down of 10%. The RMB to USD exchange rate fell through 7.00, opening at 6.9249 and closing at 7.0257. In Wuhan, the
People's Liberation Army Ground Force The People's Liberation Army Ground Force (PLAGF; ) is the land-based service branch of the People's Liberation Army and the largest and oldest branch of the entire Chinese armed forces. The PLAGF can trace its lineage from 1927 as the Chine ...
takes over medical supplies delivery. "The Beijing leadership realised that almost all the donation points in Hubei and Wuhan have had delivery problems, that there are some opportunists using this crisis to make money," according to a military source. 4,000 passengers on the World Dream cruise ship were quarantined, after four among them positive to the coronavirus.


4 February

The
People's Bank of China The People's Bank of China (officially PBC or informally PBOC; ) is the central bank of the People's Republic of China, responsible for carrying out monetary policy and regulation of financial institutions in mainland China, as determined by ...
provided an additional 500 billion yuan (roughly US$71 billion) of liquidity into the country's financial system on Tuesday, following 1.2 trillion yuan (over US$170 billion) the previous day. Chinese state-backed importers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are investigating the invocation of '' force majeure'' to halt existing LNG contracts, as the coronavirus outbreak depresses energy demand.


5 February

The
National Health Commission The National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China is a cabinet-level executive department of the State Council which is responsible for formulating national health policies. It was formed on 19 March 2018. The ministry is headq ...
releases the fifth diagnostic criteria. For Hubei, CT scan results are no longer required for declaring suspected cases, and "clinical diagnoses" may now be made using "imaging features of the pneumonia", without nucleic acid testing required. For suspected cases, "respiratory symptoms" are now admitted as part of the criteria nationwide. Hubei released an additional ¥200 million (US$28.56 million) as special subsidies for the construction of treatment sites. The first shelter hospital is put into use. Designated hospitals in Wuhan will now accept only serious cases (confirmed or suspected); other existing and future patients would be redirected to shelter hospitals or community quarantine points. The
Wuhan Institute of Virology The Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (WIV; ) is a research institute on virology administered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which reports to the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The institute ...
applied for a patent of Gilead's antiviral drug,
remdesivir Remdesivir, sold under the brand name Veklury, Text was copied from this source which is © European Medicines Agency. Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged. is a broad-spectrum antiviral medication developed by the ...
, as applied toward 2019-nCoV, in China. The granting of a patent by Chinese authorities was not certain, but a patent would provide China with leverage in negotiating license fees with Gilead. The institute said that it made the patent application "out of national interest, and won't exercise its patent rights if foreign pharmaceutical firms work together with China to curb the contagion." Seeking a patent instead of a "
compulsory license A compulsory license provides that the owner of a patent or copyright licenses the use of their rights against payment either set by law or determined through some form of adjudication or arbitration. In essence, under a compulsory license, an i ...
" option does demonstrate some sensitivity on China's part toward honoring Gilead's
intellectual property Intellectual property (IP) is a category of property that includes intangible creations of the human intellect. There are many types of intellectual property, and some countries recognize more than others. The best-known types are patents, cop ...
rights. Gilead is working with China on
Phase III clinical trials The phases of clinical research are the stages in which scientists conduct experiments with a health intervention to obtain sufficient evidence for a process considered effective as a medical treatment. For drug development, the clinical phases ...
there.


6 February

Dali City Dali City () is the county-level seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan. Dali City is administered through 12 township-level districts, two of which are also commonly referred to as Dali. Xiaguan () formerly ...
apologises for intercepting and requisitioning 300 thousand masks designated as emergency supplies for Chongqing and promises to "return" all of them. The start of the new semester is postponed to at least the end of February in
Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...
, Chongqing, and
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
. Sichuan and Guangdong rolled out measures to help
small and medium-sized enterprises Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by international organizations such as the World Bank ...
in response to the epidemic. Tencent news issued a statement saying screenshots of its Epidemic Tracker circulating on the Internet showing substantially higher numbers are doctored. China announces that they will halve the tariff on US$75 billion goods imported from America, and Chinese official media
Global Times The ''Global Times'' () is a daily tabloid newspaper under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party's flagship newspaper, the '' People's Daily'', commenting on international issues from a Chinese ultra-nationalistic perspective. The pub ...
commented that China is considering the use of disaster provision in the US-China Phase One trade deal, which was signed in the previous month.


7 February

Li Wenliang Li Wenliang (; 12 October 1986 – 7 February 2020) was a Chinese ophthalmologist who warned his colleagues about early COVID-19 infections in Wuhan. On 30 December 2019, Wuhan CDC issued emergency warnings to local hospitals about a number ...
dies. Wenliang was a 34-year-old ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital and one of eight doctors who tried to share information about the coronavirus when it was first emerging, only to be reprimanded by Wuhan police. He likely became infected by the coronavirus while treating patients during January. His death from complications of the infection is declared at 2:58 a.m. local time. On 7 February, the Joint Defence and Control Mechanism of the State Council introduced a scheme of "one province for one city", where 16 provinces would provide medical force support for every city in Hubei except Wuhan. Hangzhou imposed a temporary ban on retail pharmacies selling fever and cough medicines, asking citizens with the symptoms to see a doctor instead.


8 February

Shenzhen and Shanghai roll out measures to support companies and reduce costs, including measures estimated to reduce ¥30 billion (US$4.3 billion) in Shanghai. The
National Development and Reform Commission The National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China (NDRC), formerly State Planning Commission and State Development Planning Commission, is a macroeconomic management agency under the State Council, which has b ...
(NDRC) issued an additional ¥200 million (US$28.66 million) for Hubei to improve the treatment capacity of patients with severe infections.
Leishenshan Hospital Leishenshan Hospital () was an emergency specialty field hospital built in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The facility is located at No.3 Parking Lot of the Athletes Village in Jiangxia District, Wuhan, Hubei. Stage one of construction was ...
begins operation. The
National Health Commission The National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China is a cabinet-level executive department of the State Council which is responsible for formulating national health policies. It was formed on 19 March 2018. The ministry is headq ...
announces the temporary official names and acronyms for the pneumonia in Chinese and English, respectively () / ''Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia'' and () / ''NCP''.


10 February

Business has now resumed in all 30 mainland province-level divisions, apart from Hubei. Food prices in China have risen on month of January. According to the consumer price index (CPI) the price of pork rose 8.5%, while the CPI came in at 5.4%. The reason may be due to food hoarding, besides the disruptions of supply chains due to transportation, lockdown measures and holiday demand. The CPI is the highest since October 2011.
Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...
general secretary
Xi Jinping Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, ...
has appeared in public wearing a protective mask and his temperature was checked while visiting the Anhuali Community in Chaoyang District of Beijing.


11 February

Shenzhen University Shenzhen University (SZU, Chinese: 深圳大学) is a municipal public research university in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. The university is funded by the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government. Location SZU comprises two campuses, Houhai ca ...
announced the successful development of a new coronavirus antibody detection kit capable of obtaining a result in 22 minutes and reducing the risk of infection of medical staff. The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security expanded existing relief measures for micro, small, and medium size enterprises. The NDRC announced its intention to "strictly curb the practice of restricting the resumption of production and production by simple and crude methods such as via approval." The
Ministry of Transport A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government ag ...
(MoT) introduced measures to for the transportation security of both citizens, especially migrant workers, and animal feed. The State Taxation Administration allowed enterprises affected by the epidemic to carry forward losses up to 8 years. The Ministry of Commerce issued a notice to ensure security of living materials in key cities. Guangdong passed an emergency legislation banning the trading and overeating of wildlife and devolves emergency legislative powers to county-level governments. The provincial government authorised Guangzhou and Shenzhen governments with the power of the emergency requisitioning of houses, facilities, and materials for emergency epidemic response. This was the first time a government was authorised with the power of requisitioning private property since the 1978 Chinese economic reform and since the passage of Property Law in 2007.
China Banking Regulatory Commission The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) was an agency of the People's Republic of China (PRC) authorised by the State Council to regulate the banking sector of the PRC except the territories of Hong Kong and Macau, both of which are spe ...
proposed to extend Hubei automobile insurance coverage by one month. Shanghai Stock Exchange announced the full exemption of the bill service fees charged to Hubei legal persons in Hubei from February to December 2020. Shanghai introduced measures to support tech companies and exempt the rent of SMSEs due to nationalised enterprises. Jiangsu's bank and government branches introduced financial measures including liquidity support and credit placement. Zhejiang implemented a one-time subsidy for key acquisition and processing enterprises of poultry and fresh milk in the province. Cainiao released measures to aid the supply chain and logistics industry.
Tmall Tmall (), formerly Taobao Mall, is a Chinese-language website for business-to-consumer (B2C) online retail, spun off from Taobao, operated in China by Alibaba Group. It is a platform for local Chinese and international businesses to sell brand-n ...
reduced costs for vendors for the first half of 2020. A man in Chengdu was under police investigation for interference with the prevention and control of the epidemic. The first batch of central reserve frozen pork arrived at Wuhan. Apple extended its device warranty to provide a one-time exception.


12 February

A State Council executive meeting was convened, which emphasised efforts to restore the economy to normal activity and asked local governments to implement measures. The MoT and NHC issued a joint Notice to forbid quarantining of material security providers and drivers if they have not entered Wuhan, provided temperature checks are passed and necessary protection measures are being taken. China National Railway Group stopped selling seatless tickets and initiated measures to control train occupancy. Tencent announced free cloud service for SMSEs. Jiangsu rolled out measures to help economic development during the epidemic. Zhejiang decreased the price of enterprise utilities until 30 April. Shanghai decreased enterprise gas price and waived residential gas arrear penalties. Yunnan now required QR code scanning for entering all public spaces. Airbnb suspended booking in Beijing until 30 April. Foshan, Guangdong was to require advance declaration for vehicles to enter the city starting 13 Feb.
Chinese Communist Party The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), officially the Communist Party of China (CPC), is the founding and sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Under the leadership of Mao Zedong, the CCP emerged victorious in the Chinese Civil ...
general secretary
Xi Jinping Xi Jinping ( ; ; ; born 15 June 1953) is a Chinese politician who has served as the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), and thus as the paramount leader of China, ...
ordered tax cut to invigorate the economy. Many organizations were ordered to keep rents low and banks to keep interest low. A stimulus package is expected. Honghu, Hubei began an official investigation into a controversial fine of ¥42630 (US$6110.54) on a local pharmacy for selling 44,000 single-use masks stocked at ¥0.6 (US$0.086) each for ¥1 (US$0.143) each, as it violated a province-wide ban on selling medical items related to the epidemic 15% above the stocking price during the epidemic. The move came after heavy criticism online after the fining became known.


13 February

Hubei released 1.3 million masks for civil use, providing pharmacies at ¥1 each and requiring them to sell at the "affordable price" of ¥2 (US$0.287) each. In Hubei, The Zhangjiawan District of
Shiyan Shiyan () is a prefecture-level city in northwestern Hubei, China, bordering Henan to the northeast, Chongqing to the southwest, and Shaanxi to the north and west. At the 2020 census, its population was 3,209,004 of whom 1,033,407 lived in the b ...
entered wartime control starting 00:00, as well as Dawu County in
Xiaogan Xiaogan () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hubei province, People's Republic of China, some northwest of the provincial capital of Wuhan. According to the 2020 census, its population totaled 4,270,371, of whom 988,479 lived in the built ...
, the status to be reviewed at least once every 14 days. Hubei postponed business resumption and start of new semester across the province; businesses were not to resume before 24:00 on 20 Feb. Guangxi prohibited the start of new semester before 1 March. Wuhan enacts a new rule prohibiting people from leaving their neighbourhoods for non-medical reasons, updating the curfew to a full lockdown.


14 February

The central districts of
Yunmeng County Yunmeng County () is a county in eastern Hubei province, People's Republic of China. It is administered by Xiaogan City and is located just outside Xiaogan's urban area. History During the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history (770-476 B ...
in Xiaogan, Hubei entered wartime control.
Huanggang, Hubei Huanggang is a prefecture-level city in easternmost Hubei Province, China. It is situated to the north of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is bounded in the north by the Dabie Mountains and is named after Mount Huanggang. It border ...
escalated control starting 00:00, prohibiting non-essential persons or vehicles from entering and exiting communities and initiating the organised distribution of basic necessities. A new test kit was developed by a team led by
Zhong Nanshan Zhong Nanshan (born 20 October 1936) is a Chinese pulmonologist. He was president of the Chinese Medical Association from 2005 to 2009 and is currently the editor-in-chief of the '' Journal of Thoracic Disease''. He is a recipient of Medal o ...
, able to yield a result in fifteen minutes with a very high sensitivity and expected to raise the positive detection rate.
Huanggang Huanggang is a prefecture-level city in easternmost Hubei Province, China. It is situated to the north of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and is bounded in the north by the Dabie Mountains and is named after Mount Huanggang. It border ...
decided to convert another hospital as a secondary medical institution for COVID-19, after
Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre The Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre () is a hospital campus in Huangzhou District, Huanggang, Hubei, China. Originally constructed as a new campus for the eventual relocation of Huanggang Central Hospital, it was rapidly converted into a ...
. Xiantao, Hubei implemented mask ex-factory price control, requiring the ex-factory price of single use medical masks not to exceed ¥1.20 (US$0.172) each and non-medical ones ¥1.00 (US$0.143) each. Beijing required all persons returning to the city to self-quarantine for 14 days. Shenzhen Metro would start using
real-name system A real-name system is a system in which users can register an account on a blog, website or bulletin board system using their legal name. Users are required to provide identification credentials and their legal name. A public pseudonym can also ...
starting 16 Feb for epidemic tracing, with passengers able to self-register the carriages they ride in by scanning the QR code in the train. The Office of the State Council Education Steering Committee prohibited all after-school training institutions from conducting offline training in any form. All mainland
IELTS The International English Language Testing System (IELTS ), is an international standardized test of English language proficiency for non-native English language speakers. It is jointly managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia a ...
exams in March were cancelled.


15 February

Honghu, Hubei entered wartime control at 00:00, the decision announced in the evening of 13 Feb. Jingmen, Hubei escalated control, prohibiting outside vehicles and persons from entering its central districts except for medical and living supplies, and shutting down all business except approved pharmacies, supermarkets, and hotels. The MoT announced that all toll roads country-wide would be toll-free from 00:00 17 Feb to the end of the epidemic response. The Ministry of Science and Technology introduced measures to strengthen the biosafety management of SARS-CoV-2 high-level virus microbiology laboratories. Hubei's Provincial Party Committee issued another ¥100 million (US$14.3 million) to local authorities for epidemic control. The
Central Bank of China Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...
required cash from outbreak areas to be stored for at least 14 days before entering market, 7 days for other areas. PBC branches reporting to its Guangzhou branch would destroy all cash retrieved from hospitals, agricultural markets, and public transit.


16 February

Hubei implements "hard quarantine" in units of natural villages; no outsiders are to be allowed in and each household is allowed one person every three days to go out for provisions and urgent agricultural material, on designated routes and in limited time. All nonessential public spaces in Hubei are to be closed and all gatherings forbidden. Following its decision on the previous day, the city of
Wuxue Wuxue (), formerly Guangji County (; Postal Romanization: Kwangtsi), is a county-level city on the north shore of the Yangtze River in eastern Hubei province, People's Republic of China. Wuxue falls under the administration of the prefecture-level ...
in Huanggang now bans residents and vehicles without medical or epidemic control reasons from the streets. Anyone in violation is to be sent to a stadium for "centralised compulsory study" about the laws and epidemic response, and any such cars would be seized. All communities in
Dongcheng District, Beijing The Dongcheng District (; literally "east city district") of Beijing covers the eastern half of Beijing's urban core, including all of the eastern half of the Old City inside of the 2nd Ring Road with the northernmost extent crossing into the are ...
are required to implement closed management.
Guizhou Guizhou (; formerly Kweichow) is a landlocked province in the southwest region of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Guiyang, in the center of the province. Guizhou borders the autonomous region of Guangxi to the ...
resumes normal traffic, removing all temporary quarantine checkpoints. The first two autopsies of patients killed by SARS-CoV-2 were carried out in Jinyintan Hospital; its pathology was obtained and submitted for testing. A vaccine of the virus developed by national institutions began its animal experiment stage; clinical trials are expected in April at the earliest. The NHC urges for the reduction of the workload of grassroots workers, asking for all legally unnecessary procedures to be halted. The
General Administration of Customs The General Administration of Customs (GAC; ) is a ministry-level administrative agency within the government of the People's Republic of China. It is responsible for the collection of value added tax (VAT), customs duties, excise duties, and oth ...
has introduced 10 measures to support foreign trade enterprises to resume production. Instructed by the Office of the State Council,
Alipay Alipay () is a third-party mobile and online payment platform, established in Hangzhou, China in February 2004 by Alibaba Group and its founder Jack Ma. In 2015, Alipay moved its headquarters to Pudong, Shanghai, although its parent compan ...
is now developing a national unified system of "Health Code" first used in
Hangzhou Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whic ...
on 11 Feb, a digital health evaluation certificate for the safe resumption of business. Wuhan released a partial list of hospitals accepting patients not with COVID-19. The first internet hospitals open in Hunan. Yunnan expedites the approval processes for medical supplies. All secondary and tertiary hospitals in Beijing would start operating on an appointment basis by 25 and 20 Feb respectively for all non-emergency departments.
Nanjing Nanjing (; , Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Nanking, is the capital of Jiangsu province of the People's Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city, a megacity, and the second largest city in the East China region. T ...
and Suzhou implements real-name system for public transit, following Shenzhen. Huanggang announced that any person with fever or cough taking the initiative to see a doctor would receive a financial reward of ¥500 (US$71.6). In response to allegations that patient zero was its research student,
Wuhan Institute of Virology The Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (WIV; ) is a research institute on virology administered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which reports to the State Council of the People's Republic of China. The institute ...
released a statement saying no members of the institute were infected and that the student had been working in other provinces for years. WHO-China Joint Mission on Coronavirus Disease with 25 member led by Dr. Bruce Aylward and Dr Wannian Liang and consisted of experts from China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Nigeria, Russia, Singapore, USA and WHO started an investigation.


17 February

Following its announcement the previous night,
Xiaogan Xiaogan () is a prefecture-level city in east-central Hubei province, People's Republic of China, some northwest of the provincial capital of Wuhan. According to the 2020 census, its population totaled 4,270,371, of whom 988,479 lived in the built ...
now bans all its urban residents from leaving home, all its rural residents from wandering, visiting neighbours, and gathering, and all vehicles from roads. Exceptions are made for medical reasons, medical staff, providers of medical and living provision, pregnancies, deaths, essential vehicles, and others granted permissions. Violators would be subject to up to 10 days of detention and put on the dishonest list. Following its announcement on the previous day, Hangzhou resumes normal traffic and public transport service.


18 February

The State Council introduced exemptions of enterprise social security and housing fund contributions. The State Taxation Administration (STA) extended the February taxation filing deadline outside Hubei to 28 February. The State Council and
Ministry of Finance A ministry of finance is a part of the government in most countries that is responsible for matters related to the finance. Lists of current ministries of finance Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Finance (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Finance and Ec ...
(MoF) announced allocating more budget this year to areas heavily affected by the epidemic. Wuhan passes its strictest control measures. Tianjin now requires QR code scanning for entering public spaces and transport services. Yiwu International Trade City reopened for business. Shanghai requires educational institutions to conduct online education when the new semester starts on 2 March, so that student will not go to school.


19 February

The NHC published the sixth pilot version of Diagnostic and Treatment Plan of the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia, which removed the category of clinical diagnosis introduced in the previous edition for Hubei, as well as adjusted several descriptions, criteria, and treatment guidelines of COVID-19. Following its announcement on the previous day, Zhejiang now requires declaration for vehicles entering the province. Meanwhile, public transport across the province apart from Wenzhou will now resume normal service. Wuhan bans all vehicles from roads apart from essential vehicles. Hunan introduced measures to support businesses. Chengdu adjusted its epidemic control procedures and business resumption would no longer require approval.


20 February

Hubei requires businesses in the province not to resume before 10 March, except for essential industries. Wenzhou removed all checkpoints except in
Yueqing Yueqing () is a county-level city under the administration of Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, in eastern China. It lies on the coast of the East China Sea, by the Yueqing Bay. Much of the Yandang Mountains lie in Yueqing. History China's ancient ( ...
and reopened highways. Wuhan requires residents to measure their temperature twice daily and report any measurements exceeding . The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security authorises provinces to exempt certain social security contributions from SMSEs starting February for up to five months.


21 February

More than 500 cases has been confirmed in five prisons in Hubei, Shandong, and Zhejiang. Following the news of the outbreak, the responsible officials in Shandong and Hubei were sacked. Henan and Shandong removed all road quarantine measures. Gansu adjusts its emergency response level for COVID-19 from level 1 to level 3. Following some public confusion with the data released, Hubei prohibited the subtracting of clinically diagnosed cases. A corrected province-wide statistical report was available late in the evening. Wuhan finished the testing of all existing suspected patients, patients with fever, and people with close contact.


22 February

Hubei introduced measures to reduce business cost. Liaoning adjusted its COVID-19 emergency response level from level 1 to level 3. Wuhan requires a 14-day quarantine for patients discharged from COVID-19.


23 February

Guizhou adjusted its emergency response level for COVID-19 from level 1 to level 3, and Shanxi to level 2.


24 February

WHO-China Joint Mission on COVID-19 held a press conference in Beijing releasing the main findings of the mission report. The major findings were in five aspects including the knowledge about the virus itself, the epidemic situation, the characteristics of the epidemic (or the kinetics of transmission), the severity of the disease, and the strategies and measures taken by the Chinese government. Quarantine measures in Wuhan were eased slightly, with non-residents allowed to leave the city under certain conditions. The notice was declared null and void hours later as it was published without the proper authorisation. Several officials behind the order were reprimanded as a result. Yunnan adjusted its emergency response level from level 1 to level 3, and Guangdong and Jiangsu to level 2. Jiangxi adjusted its levels to level 3 or level 2 depending on the risk of the county. Draft legislation was introduced to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress with a comprehensive ban of the trading and overeating of wildlife. The Third Session of the 13th CPPCC National Committee originally scheduled for 3 March was postponed.


25 February

In response the epidemic situation in South Korea and an apparent significant surge of demand for flight tickets from South Korea to Shandong cities, Qingdao will now quarantine all persons entering with a travel history of areas with the epidemic,
Weihai Weihai (), formerly called Weihaiwei (), is a prefecture-level city and major seaport in easternmost Shandong province. It borders Yantai to the west and the Yellow Sea to the east, and is the closest Chinese city to South Korea. Weihai's popul ...
will now quarantine all persons entering from Japan and South Korea for 14 days, Shenyang will now test the temperature of all passengers entering from the city, and Dalian will now include all foreigners into its epidemic control mechanism. The State Council introduced an exemption of the VAT of small-scale taxpayers in Hubei for three months, as well as aid measures for individual businesses and stimulus measures for migrant workers and university graduates. Inner Mongolia adjusted its emergency response level to level 3. Guangzhou will now test all inpatients for SARS-CoV-2. Shenzhen introduced a legislation draft for public comment, intending to ban the consumption of all non-aquatic animals except for nine enumerated.


26 February

Beijing required foreign travellers arriving from areas affected by COVID-19 to be quarantined for 14 days. National measures were introduced to aid business resumption, clamp down on malicious disruptors of traffic and logistics, and prohibit the excessive raising of essential medical supplies or disruption of market order. Jilin adjusted its emergency response level to level 2, and Hainan to level 3. Fujian adjusted its level to level 2 or 3 based on the risk of the region. Yantai, Shandong will now test all persons entering China from the city for SARS-CoV-2 for free.


Reactions and measures outside mainland China


1 February

Australia's
Department of Health A health department or health ministry is a part of government which focuses on issues related to the general health of the citizenry. Subnational entities, such as states, counties and cities, often also operate a health department of their ow ...
issued directives, going into effect from 1 February. Accordingly, travel advisory was increased to level 4: do not travel to all of mainland China. All travellers arriving out of mainland China were asked to self-isolate for a period of 14 days from the time of leaving. Additional border measures were implemented to deny entry of people who have arrived from the mainland China, with the exception of Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate family and air crews who have been using appropriate personal protective equipment. International border gates Móng Cái ( Quảng Ninh Province, Vietnam) - Dongxing (Guangxi, China) ceased functioning on 1 February for an unspecified time; border gates Hoành Mô and Bắc Phong Sinh experienced a 24-hour closure, awaiting further measurements from authorities. Taiwan barred nationals from
Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
(mainland China) and travellers who recently visited the area will be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine, from entry beginning 1 February. With the sixth case being another domestic transmission, Vietnamese Prime Minister
Nguyễn Xuân Phúc Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (born 20 July 1954) is a Vietnamese politician currently serving as the President of Vietnam, one of the highest-ranked officials in Vietnam along with Nguyễn Phú Trọng, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vie ...
signed an epidemic declaration. Aviation permits which already had been granted for flights between Vietnam and China Mainland-Hong Kong-Macau were all revoked, effective immediately from 13:00 (UTC+7, 1 February) for an unspecified time. It perhaps lasts until 1 May, according to the United States Federal Aviation Administration. India banned the export of N95 masks with immediate effect. The Government of Japan barred: entry of foreign nationals infected with the virus, and entry of Chinese citizens with passports issued in Hubei province. 102 German citizens and 26 relatives, all of whom were symptom-free on departure, were evacuated from the Wuhan region to
Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
by the Executive Transport Wing of the German Air Force. After their return, they were placed in quarantine in a military barrack in
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; german: link=no, Rheinland-Pfalz ; lb, Rheinland-Pfalz ; pfl, Rhoilond-Palz) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the ...
for 14 days. The coronavirus was found in two passengers on 2 February. On the outward flight, the Bundeswehr aircraft had 10,000 protective suits on board, which were handed over to the Chinese authorities. Trinidad and Tobago's travel restrictions on persons arriving from China goes into full effect. Persons now have to wait 14 days after leaving China before being able to enter Trinidad & Tobago. Additionally persons who may already be at a port of entry and who were in China or are showing symptoms will be subject to quarantine measures. Thermal screening is also being conducted on passengers arriving from Canada, Panama, the United Kingdom and the United States. Testing will also be done by the
Caribbean Public Health Agency The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) is a regional public health agency headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago which was established by CARICOM leaders in July 2011 and began operation in 2013. CARPHA combines the functions of five pre-exi ...
(CARPHA) on 3 February.
Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. ( ar, القطرية, ''al-Qaṭariya''), operating as Qatar Airways, is the state-owned flag carrier airline of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, the airline operates a hub-and-spoke netwo ...
has suspended flights to mainland China from 3 February until further notice. It is the first air carrier in the Middle East to do so.
Princess Cruises Princess Cruises is an American cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. The company is incorporated in Bermuda and its headquarters are in Santa Clarita, California. As of 2021, it is the second largest cruise line by net revenue. It w ...
announces restrictions on crew members and guests who have recently travelled within mainland China. Guests who have traveled through or in mainland China 14 days prior to the scheduled departure of their cruise will not be allowed to board. Crew members from mainland China are prohibited from getting on any ship until further notice from the company. Crew members scheduled on connecting flights to China have been rerouted. Two cruises in June have been cancelled and two cruises have been rerouted to arrive or depart in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...
instead of Shanghai.


2 February

New Zealand has temporarily banned all foreign nationals travelling from, or transiting through mainland China after 2 February to assist the containment of the coronavirus into New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Foreign travelers in transit to New Zealand on 2 February will be subject to enhanced scanning but pending clearance will be allowed into New Zealand. New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, and their immediate family members, will be allowed to enter New Zealand but must self-isolate for 14 days. The ban will last for 14 days but will be reviewed every 48 hours. The Philippines has temporarily banned foreigners arriving from China and its territories, including those who visited such areas within the past 14 days, from entering the country; Filipino citizens and permanent residents of the Philippines arriving from such would have to undergo quarantine for 14 days. Travel from Philippines to China and its territories have been temporarily banned as well. According to a diplomatic note distributed to foreign residents in
North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
, North Korean authorities have suspended the flight route between
Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populat ...
and
Vladivostok Vladivostok ( rus, Владивосто́к, a=Владивосток.ogg, p=vɫədʲɪvɐˈstok) is the largest city and the administrative center of Primorsky Krai, Russia. The city is located around the Golden Horn Bay on the Sea of Japan, c ...
performed by
Air Koryo Air Koryo () is the state-owned national airline of North Korea, headquartered in Sunan-guyŏk, Pyongyang. Based at Pyongyang International Airport ( IATA: FNJ), it operates international scheduled and charter services to points in Asia. ...
's. According to the same note "During the month of February, events, ceremonial visits and meetings shall not proceed, and essential meetings shall be conducted via telephone" ..all diplomats or international organization staff going to North Korea will now be subjected to a mandatory 15-day quarantine process at their "place of residence" from the day of arrival". Those subject to quarantine by North Korean authorities will not be allowed to come into contact with other persons and must not enter public places. KCNA reported all people who entered the country after 13 January to have been placed under "medical supervision." South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun announced to the public the entry barring of all foreign nationals, who have been to Hubei Province since 21 January, will go into effect starting 4 February for an unspecified time. Also, the visa-free policy for Chinese citizens to visit Jeju Island is to be temporarily nullified. Indonesia banned all flights from and to mainland China starting from 5 February. The government also stopped giving free visa and visa on arrival for Chinese nationals. They banned those who live or stay in mainland China for at least 14 days before from entering or transiting Indonesia. Indonesians are discouraged from travelling to China. The Vietnamese Ministry of Labors, Invalids and Social Affairs issued directive on temporary suspension to Chinese labours returning to work after public holidays. Numerous landmark buildings in the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
lit up a Sunday night showing support for Wuhan and Chinese communities around the world over pain and horror by the novel coronavirus, namely: the Burj Khalifa,
ADNOC Headquarters The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company ( ar, شركة بترول أبوظبي الوطنية) or ADNOC is the State-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is the world's 12th largest oil company by production. As of 2021, the compan ...
, the
Capital Gate Capital Gate, also known as the Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi, is a skyscraper in Abu Dhabi that is over tall, 35 stories high, with over of usable office space. Capital Gate is one of the tallest buildings in the city and was designed to incline 1 ...
,
Abu Dhabi Global Market Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) is an international financial centre and free zone located on Al Maryah Island in the United Arab Emirates's capital, Abu Dhabi. The financial centre was established in 2013 and became fully operational in Octobe ...
,
Emirates Palace The Emirates Palace (Arabic: قصر الإمارات) is a luxury five star hotel in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It has been operated by Mandarin Oriental as of 1 January 2020. The hotel project was launched in December 2001 and was initi ...
,
Sheikh Zayed Bridge Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid ( ar, زها حديد ''Zahā Ḥadīd''; 31 October 1950 – 31 March 2016) was an Iraqi-British architect, artist and designer, recognised as a major figure in architecture of the late 20th and early 21st centu ...
,
Burj Al Arab The Burj Al Arab ( ar, برج العرب, ''Arab Tower'') is a luxury hotel located in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Managed by Jumeirah hotel group, it is one of the tallest hotels in the world, although 39% of its total heigh ...
,
Hazza bin Zayed Stadium The Hazza bin Zayed Stadium ( ar, اِسْتَاد هَزَّاع بِن زَايِد, Istād Hazzāʿ Bin Zāyid) is a multi-purpose stadium, located in the City of Al Ain, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is the home stadium of Al ...
, etc. AirAsia Philippines,
Philippine Airlines Philippine Airlines (PAL), a trade name of PAL Holdings, Inc. (Philippine Stock Exchange, PSEPAL (Philippine Air Lines until 1970), is the flag carrier airline of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Cen ...
and
Cebu Pacific Cebu Air, Inc., operating as Cebu Pacific (), is a low-cost airline of the Philippines. Founded in 1988, it is Asia's oldest low-cost airline. It offers scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations. The airline operates fl ...
, has suspended flights to and from mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong.
Group of Seven The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non-enumerated member". It is officiall ...
countries are seeking a unified approach to combat the spread. US Health and Human Services imposed restrictions on travelers entering US which went into effect at 5 p.m. ET.  The plan included temporarily denying entry to foreign nationals who visited China in the 14 days prior to their arrival to the US,  U.S. citizen returning to the US who has been in Hubei Province in the previous 14 days will be subject to up to 14 days of mandatory quarantine and US citizens returning from the rest of mainland China in the 14 days prior will undergo health screenings at selected ports of entry and face up to 14 days of self-monitored quarantine. President Donald Trump said "we pretty much shut it down coming in from China". Wall Street Journal in its Opinion page called "China Is the Real Sick Man of Asia which enraged China ". Florida governor DeSantis said "Coronavirus may have spread at Super Bowl in Miami". The Government of Maldives denies entry to passengers arriving from China. Hong Kong announced further tightening of border with the mainland. Beginning 00:00 on 4 February, the special administrative region closed most of its border crossings, except the
Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is Hong Kong's main airport, built on reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or ''Chek Lap Kok Airport'', to distinguish ...
, the
Shenzhen Bay Port Shenzhen Bay Port () is a juxtaposed border crossing and a port of entry and exit between mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, located geographically in Dongjiaotou, Shekou, which lies on the southwestern corner of ...
and the
Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Hong may refer to: Places *Høng, a town in Denmark *Hong Kong, a city and a special administrative region in China *Hong, Nigeria *Hong River in China and Vietnam *Lake Hong in China Surnames *Hong (Chinese name) *Hong (Korean name) Organiz ...
. Indonesia set to ban live animal imports from China as coronavirus fears grow. The Japanese authorities denied entry to any foreign nationals who have been to Hubei province in the past 14 days, even if there is no symptoms of the virus. Japanese officials quarantined a cruise ship, carrying approximately 3,500 people, off the port of
Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of T ...
due to a former passenger on the ship having contracted the virus. The Venezuelan government announced that the country has imposed epidemiological surveillance, restrictions and diagnostic system to detect possible coronavirus patients at the Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía, Venezuela's main international airport, and that Venezuela will receive a diagnostic kit for the virus strain from the
Pan American Health Organization The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is an international public health agency working to improve the health and living standards of the people of the Americas. It is part of the United Nations system, serving as the Regional Office for ...
(PAHO). Lunar New Year holidays was extended for one week to all k-through-12 students in Ho Chi Minh City; public schools will resume on 10 February. The city authorities also ordered to build two specialty emergency hospitals designed to treat people with the 2019 novel coronavirus. With 500-bed accommodation in total, master plans for construction are due 15 February. The capital city
Hanoi Hanoi or Ha Noi ( or ; vi, Hà Nội ) is the capital and second-largest city of Vietnam. It covers an area of . It consists of 12 urban districts, one district-leveled town and 17 rural districts. Located within the Red River Delta, Hanoi is ...
is considering taking the same measures. The global Cruise Lines International Association bans trips to mainland China and says that it "will deny boarding to any individual, whether guest or crew, who has travelled from or through mainland China within the previous 14 days."
Boise State University Boise State University (BSU) is a Public university, public research university in Boise, Idaho. Founded in 1932 by the Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal Church, it became an independent junior college in 1934 and has been awarding ...
suspends travel to and from China. At a news briefing, The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...
plan to distribute testing kits to speed up the diagnosis of the coronavirus. The CDC states that this measure will help speed up the testing and diagnosis of the coronavirus after cases in the U.S. reached 11. The Food and Drug Administration first has to approve the test for wider distribution, the CDC said. India invalidated all e-visas given to Chinese passport holders since 15 January. It also has stopped giving out new e-visas to Chinese passport holders. India also gave a travel advisory to not travel to China. The travel advisory also stated that anyone who comes to knowledge that had visited China since 15 January could get quarantined. Several exhibitors and South Korea's Black Eagles have decided to pull out of the
Singapore Airshow The Singapore Airshow is a biennial aerospace event held in Singapore, debuted in 2008. It hosts high-level government and military delegations, as well as senior corporate executives around the world, while serving as a global event for leadin ...
. This comes as the virus situation worsens. K-pop band
Winner Winner(s) or The Winner(s) may refer to: * Champion, the victor in a game or contest *The successful social class in winner and loser culture Film * ''The Winner'' (1926 film), an American silent film starring Billy Sullivan * ''The Winner'' ...
cancelled its concert in Singapore, supposed to be held on 8 February. Several Huayi events in
Esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
were cancelled owing to travel restrictions. In addition, a Stage Club play was postponed.


3 February

The WHO issued a summary fact sheet on the virus.


4 February

The President of
Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (; abbreviated FSM) is an island country in Oceania. It consists of four states from west to east, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosraethat are spread across the western Pacific. Together, the states comprise a ...
,
David Panuelo David W. Panuelo (born April 13, 1964) is a Micronesian politician who is serving as the president of the Federated States of Micronesia. His term started on May 11, 2019. Biography Panuelo was born on the island of Pohnpei, where he complete ...
, declared a state of emergency. Accordingly, Micronesian citizens are banned from visiting mainland China. Anyone who had been in mainland China from 6 Jan were barred from entering the country. Iran bans exports of facial masks to reduce shortages as domestic use increases significantly. The Nanning–Hanoi through train shall cease service as per agreement between the two national operators. Accordingly, the last train from Nanning railway station departed at 18:05 4 February, and the last from Gia Lâm railway station at 21:20 5 February. The city government of Macau ordered a shut down of all casinos for at least 15 days. The United Kingdom directed its citizens to leave China if possible. Foreign Secretary
Dominic Raab Dominic Rennie Raab (; born 25 February 1974) is a British politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Justice, and Lord Chancellor since October 2022, having previously served from 2021 to ...
said, "We now advise British Nationals in China to leave the country if they can, to minimise their risk of exposure to the virus." The
Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...
in
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
is forming a special committee to deal with coronavirus.
Cathay Pacific Airways Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CPA), more widely known as Cathay Pacific (), is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and subsidiaries have s ...
, the flag carrier of Hong Kong, announces that it is ceasing 90% of its flights to mainland China.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ci ...
cancels more ships and adds
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
on the No-Board list. This goes beyond what the Cruise Lines International Association had done, the day before.
Princess Cruises Princess Cruises is an American cruise line owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. The company is incorporated in Bermuda and its headquarters are in Santa Clarita, California. As of 2021, it is the second largest cruise line by net revenue. It w ...
confirmed quarantine of the Diamond Princess carrying about 3,700 people after one of its passengers tested positive in a Hong Kong hospital, and, at least, 20 more infected by the ship's return to Japan.
Hyundai Hyundai is a South Korean industrial conglomerate ("chaebol"), which was restructured into the following groups: * Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested ** Hyundai Mobis, Korean car parts company ** Hyundai ...
, blaming a parts shortage due to the effects of coronavirus infection, announces it will shut down some production.
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
has also temporarily shut down half of all their stores in China, due to the virus epidemic.
Air India Air India is the flag carrier airline of India, headquartered at New Delhi. It is owned by Talace Private Limited, a Special-Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of Tata Sons, after Air India Limited's former owner, the Government of India, completed the sa ...
announces that starting from 8 February, they will temporarily suspend flights to Hong Kong. An aviation conference during the
Singapore Airshow The Singapore Airshow is a biennial aerospace event held in Singapore, debuted in 2008. It hosts high-level government and military delegations, as well as senior corporate executives around the world, while serving as a global event for leadin ...
is cancelled to allow leaders to deal with the coronavirus. This comes after 16 exhibitors pulled out of the Airshow.
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) released Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Donor Alert. The document describes the current situation, mentions the strategic Global Preparedness and Response Plan including description of the main elements of the strategy. The risk assessed was stated as: * Very high for China * High at the regional level * High at the global level The required funding for WHO activities (Feb to Apr 2020) is stated at US$675.5 million Global Resource Requirement and US$61.5 million WHO Resource Requirement. The
United Nations Secretary-General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The role of the secretary-ge ...
announced that the WHO was taking rapid action to tackle a coronavirus ‘
infodemic An infodemic is a rapid and far-reaching spread of both accurate and inaccurate information about something, such as a disease. The word is a portmanteau of "information" and "epidemic." As facts, rumors, and fears mix and disperse, it become ...
’, including that the virus could be airborne, and stigmatization, mainly of Chinese.


5 February

United Airlines and
American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
suspended US flights to and from Hong Kong.
Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (CPA), more widely known as Cathay Pacific (), is the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its head office and main hub located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and subsidiaries have sc ...
asked all of its 27,000 employees to take three weeks of unpaid leave in order to preserve cash during the virus epidemic. Hundreds more Americans were evacuated by two planes from Wuhan to the United States, landing in this case at
Travis Air Force Base Travis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), located three miles (5 km) east of the central business district of the city of Fairfield, in Solano County, Californi ...
near Sacramento, California. One of the planes would continue on to
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) , formerly Naval Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) Miramar and Naval Air Station (NAS) Miramar, is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the av ...
in San Diego. All evacuees would undergo a two-week quarantine. "Inbound evacuation flights to Wuhan were using their cargo space to deliver donated medical supplies for coronavirus relief efforts." A 12th US case of coronavirus was confirmed in
Dane County, Wisconsin Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...
." Hong Kong announced the beginning of a mandatory two-week quarantine for all visitors from mainland China or Macau from 8 February.
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
banned entry of non-citizens who have been to mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau within the past 14 days. With the US CDC's endorsement,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
INS confirmed that it to be the first country in Latin America that might detect the novel coronavirus without sending samples to foreign centers. Canadian
Minister of Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between cou ...
François-Philippe Champagne advised all Canadians in China but outside the quarantine zone to leave the country "via commercial means".
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
starts scanning passengers in flights coming from Singapore and Thailand, along with further travel restrictions on China to prevent the spread of the virus. The
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was l ...
committed over $100 Million for better detection, isolation, and treatment research for the virus. Yum China Holdings temporarily closed 30% of all
Pizza Hut Pizza Hut is an American multinational restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas by Dan and Frank Carney. They serve their signature pan pizza and other dishes including pasta, breadsticks and dessert at d ...
's and
KFC KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...
's that they operate in China, due to the virus epidemic. Tesla stated that due to the virus epidemic, there would be a delay in the shipment of their
Tesla Model 3 The Tesla Model 3 is a compact executive sedan that is battery powered and produced by Tesla. Limited production of the Model 3 began in mid-2017, with the first production vehicle rolling off the assembly line on July 7, 2017. The officia ...
car, as they are produced and assembled in a new plant at
Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...
. Production at the plant will restart on 10 February 2020.
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
(WHO) stated that there had been a large surge in new cases in the 24 hour period, of an amount that had not been seen in any day since the start of the epidemic. The number being 3,100 new patients confirmed within China. Via its contingency fund for emergencies, the WHO has allocated $9 million. Countering rumors in the media, the
WHO Who or WHO may refer to: * Who (pronoun), an interrogative or relative pronoun * Who?, one of the Five Ws in journalism * World Health Organization Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Who, a creature in the Dr. Seuss book '' Horton He ...
stated that there are no known therapeutics, drugs, or treatments that are effective for the virus yet. At least one news source attributed the stock market and
Oil price The price of oil, or the oil price, generally refers to the spot price of a barrel () of benchmark crude oil—a reference price for buyers and sellers of crude oil such as West Texas Intermediate (WTI), Brent Crude, Dubai Crude, OPEC Ref ...
rise to these rumours. The WHO appealed for $675 million to boost international measures to counter the epidemic, as deaths neared 500.


6 February

A business meeting held in mid-January 2020 at the Grand Hyatt in Singapore of an unnamed international sales company resulted in the infection of four persons in attendance: one from Malaysia, one from Korea and two from Singapore.
Virgin Australia Virgin Australia, the trading name of Virgin Australia Airlines Pty Ltd, is an Australian-based airline. It is the largest airline by fleet size to use the Virgin Group, Virgin brand. It commenced services on 31 August 2000 as ''Virgin Blue ...
announced the permanent cancellation of its Hong Kong routes, citing the coronavirus outbreak and anti-government protests. Taiwan suspended visas for Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The Singapore government stated that a 14-day
leave of absence The labour law concept of leave, specifically paid leave or, in some countries' long-form, a leave of absence, is an authorised prolonged absence from work, for any reason authorised by the workplace. When people "take leave" in this way, they are ...
would be mandatory for all workers who return from China. Panic buying of consumer goods was reported in Hong Kong due to rumors of an impending quarantine.
Virgin Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
,
KLM KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally ''Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.'' (literal translation: Royal Aviation Company Plc.), is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Amste ...
,
Air France Air France (; formally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global air ...
,
American Airlines American Airlines is a major airlines of the United States, major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the world when measured ...
(not including the Hong Kong route), and
Iberia The Iberian Peninsula (), ** * Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica'' ** ** * french: Péninsule Ibérique * mwl, Península Eibérica * eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in southwestern Europe, defi ...
extended their current flight suspensions till sometime in March.
Volvo The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
stated that two plants in China were still not reopened and will reopen after a few more weeks.
Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), President of the Lib ...
stated that the
2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the ...
would not be postponed. Canada started the evacuation of its citizens from
Wuhan Wuhan (, ; ; ) is the capital of Hubei Province in the People's Republic of China. It is the largest city in Hubei and the most populous city in Central China, with a population of over eleven million, the ninth-most populous Chinese city an ...
. The aircraft would land on 7 February. The
Better Business Bureau Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a private, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization founded in 1912. BBB's self-described mission is to focus on advancing marketplace trust, consisting of 97 independently incorporated local BBB organizations in the Unit ...
warned about face mask scams that attempt to use the ongoing fears and make false claims. The scams will either give low-quality or incorrect masks, or will send no mask at all when paid.
The Pentagon The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
was asked by the
Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is " ...
(HHS) to provide military installations near 11 major airports that could each house up to 220 U.S. citizens in support of coronavirus quarantines. The DoD facilities and the airports they could support include: Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, near Honolulu International Airport; Great Lakes Training Center Navy Base, Ill., by Chicago's O'Hare International Airport; Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Texas, close to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport; March Air Reserve Base (ARB), Calif., by Los Angeles International Airport; Travis Air Force Base (AFB), Calif., near San Francisco International Airport; Dobbins ARB, Ga., near Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Fort Hamilton, N.Y., by John F. Kennedy International Airport; Naval Base Kitsap, Wash., near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, D.C., by Dulles International Airport; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., by Newark Liberty International Airport; and Fort Custer Training Center, Mich., near Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Professor Neil Ferguson, director of the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis at
Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...
is summarized in a news report as saying "that the true scale of the coronavirus isn't being reported by Chinese officials and claims that around 50,000 new cases are emerging in the country daily." Welsh singer Novo Amor postponed a concert in Singapore to July. Results of later autopsies in
Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring Sa ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, found that the first known death due to coronavirus in the United States occurred on February 6. The WHO announced that a slight fall in infections was welcome but "nothing to celebrate".


7 February

The
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
asked scientists in the US to investigate the origins of the virus. One of the reasons for this was because of the large amount of misinformation that is available about the virus online.The Washington Post also reported that some U.S. senators have been frustrated with the lack of information provided by the federal government to the states they represent. Vice President Mike Pence in an interview with CNBC said "China has shown 'unprecedented' transparency on coronavirus" and "the threat (of the virus) here in US remains fairly low". The WHO announced that the sudden demand for face masks had created "a shortfall for those in real need". Many colleges across the world were starting to reconsider and look into reviewing current student plans for
Study abroad International students, or foreign students, are students who undertake all or part of their tertiary education in a country other than their own and move to that country for the purpose of studying. In 2019, there were over 6 million internati ...
programs to and/or from China. This was due to the health safety for the students.
Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanthr ...
isolated students who showed no signs of the virus, after they returned from China. The third British citizen who contracted coronavirus did so through travel to Singapore. "The government is now telling travellers arriving in the UK from a total of nine Asian countries and territories to check for symptoms. They are advised to stay at home and call the NHS if they are ill and have flown home in the past 14 days." The countries and territories are Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Macau. Singapore raises the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) (its contagion threat level) to Orange as the virus is spreading there from unknown origins. This is only the second time Singapore has activated Code Orange; the first was for the swine flu (H1N1) pandemic of 2009. Similar to reactions in Hong Kong the previous day,
panic buying Panic buying (alternatively hyphenated as panic-buying; also known as panic purchasing) occurs when consumers buy unusually large amounts of a product in anticipation of, or after, a disaster or perceived disaster, or in anticipation of a large ...
of groceries and consumer goods ensued. Two Hong Kong jewelry trade fairs, hosted by the
Hong Kong Trade Development Council The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 as the international marketing dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. The organisation has 50 offices around the world, including ...
, got rescheduled due to the virus epidemic.
Art Basel Hong Kong Art Basel is a for-profit, privately owned and managed, international Art exhibition, art fair staged annually in Basel, Switzerland; Miami Beach; Hong Kong and from 2022, Paris. Art Basel works in collaboration with the host city's local instit ...
international art fair, that was being held in March also gets cancelled due to the virus epidemic. The Canadian evacuation plane landed in
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
for refueling. The plane was also carrying Chinese nationals and citizens who have valid visas for Canada, these were for escorting Canadian minors. The planes final destination is
CFB Trenton Canadian Forces Base Trenton (also CFB Trenton), formerly RCAF Station Trenton, is a Canadian Forces base located within the city of Quinte West, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and is the hu ...
. Continuing the evacuation of American citizens from Wuhan, a rescue plane is landing in
Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
, today. Others are landing near San Diego, California and San Antonio, Texas today; two passengers are stated as having symptoms of the virus. Royal Caribbean cruise lines bans Chinese, Hong Kong and Macau passport holders, as well as travelers who have been in those locales within the last 14 days. The United States announced aid of up to $100 million for China and other nations affected by the new coronavirus. The first Canadian evacuation plane lands at its final destination.
Honda is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
shuts down 3 of its plants around the Wuhan region area till 13 February. The
Federal Reserve Bank A Federal Reserve Bank is a regional bank of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. There are twelve in total, one for each of the twelve Federal Reserve Districts that were created by the Federal Reserve A ...
warns that the virus is a potential threat to the growth of the US economy.
VF Corporation VF Corporation (formerly Vanity Fair Mills until 1969) is an American global apparel and footwear company founded in 1899 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The company's 13 brands are organized into three categories: Outdoor, Active and Wor ...
announces that its subsidiary
Vans Vans is an American manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel, established in Anaheim, California, and owned by VF Corporation. The company also sponsors surf, snowboarding, BMX, and motocross teams. From 1996 to 2019, the comp ...
has temporarily closed 60% of all its stores in China.
Burberry Burberry is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather accessories, ...
temporarily closes a third of their stores in China. India offers to test samples for other Southeast Asian countries.
Nvidia Nvidia CorporationOfficially written as NVIDIA and stylized in its logo as VIDIA with the lowercase "n" the same height as the uppercase "VIDIA"; formerly stylized as VIDIA with a large italicized lowercase "n" on products from the mid 1990s to ...
withdraws from the Barcelona
Mobile World Congress MWC Barcelona (formerly but still commonly referred to as Mobile World Congress) is an annual trade show organised by GSMA, dedicated primarily to the mobile communications industry. The event is held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain at the Fir ...
by informing the
GSMA The GSM Association (commonly referred to as 'the GSMA' or ''Global System for Mobile Communications'', originally ''Groupe Spécial Mobile'') is an industry organisation that represents the interests of mobile network operators worldwide. More ...
, due to the threat of the virus.
98 Degrees 98 Degrees (stylized as 98°) is an American pop and R&B vocal group consisting of four vocalists: the group's founding member Jeff Timmons, brothers Nick and Drew Lachey, and Justin Jeffre. The group was formed by Timmons in Los Angeles, Cali ...
postponed its Singapore concert due to the coronavirus, which was supposed to be held on 20 February. Performances of First Fleet, a Mandarin play originally planned from 14 to 23 February, were rescheduled to March 2021.
Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
and
Raytheon Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense conglomerate headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It is one of the largest aerospace and defense manufacturers in the world by revenue and market capitaliza ...
decided to pull out of the
Singapore Airshow The Singapore Airshow is a biennial aerospace event held in Singapore, debuted in 2008. It hosts high-level government and military delegations, as well as senior corporate executives around the world, while serving as a global event for leadin ...
as coronavirus fears have caused event turnout to drop. Meanwhile, the
United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...
reduced the size of its delegation for the Airshow.


8 February

The school break in Vietnam was extended in all 63 first-level subdivisions, with the majority to 16 February and five to an unspecified time.
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
extends the shutdown period of its stores and corporate offices in China. They will reopen at some time during the week of 10 February which is the week after the originally stated week Apple said they will reopen.
Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Miami. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8.6 ...
bans Chinese, Hong Kong, and Macau passport holders, or any one who visited these regions in the past 30 days.
Hyundai Hyundai is a South Korean industrial conglomerate ("chaebol"), which was restructured into the following groups: * Hyundai Group, parts of the former conglomerate which have not been divested ** Hyundai Mobis, Korean car parts company ** Hyundai ...
has shut down its largest factory due to lack of wiring that connects the electronic systems in its cars.
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
advised travellers to take precautions and be alert while in Singapore, with the government raising the travel alert to Yellow, the second out of three tiers.


9 February

The Kuwaiti Embassy in Singapore called its citizens to delay their travel plans after the Singaporean government raised the coronavirus alert level to Code Orange. The Embassy of the State of Qatar has since followed suit. Malaysia expands their Chinese traveler ban to include the provinces of
Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , Chinese postal romanization, also romanized as Chekiang) is an East China, eastern, coastal Provinces of China, province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable citie ...
and
Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its ca ...
. Families in the French village
Les Contamines-Montjoie Les Contamines-Montjoie () is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. Etymology The original name of the village, ''Les Contamines,'' is from the word ''contamines'', which in the ...
get lined up to get tested for the virus.
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
has advised travellers to delay travel to countries and territories hit by the coronavirus. In the mention are Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong.


10 February

The Director-General of the WHO, in response to increasing infections, announced that containment was the main priority.
Amazon Amazon most often refers to: * Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology * Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin * Amazon River, in South America * Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
,
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
, and
Ericsson (lit. "Telephone Stock Company of LM Ericsson"), commonly known as Ericsson, is a Swedish multinational networking and telecommunications company headquartered in Stockholm. The company sells infrastructure, software, and services in informat ...
states that they will not partake in the Barcelona
Mobile World Congress MWC Barcelona (formerly but still commonly referred to as Mobile World Congress) is an annual trade show organised by GSMA, dedicated primarily to the mobile communications industry. The event is held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain at the Fir ...
due to the virus. The virus daily death toll reaches a new record of 97 people dead from the virus in a single day. Asian stock markets fell and went into red due to investor fears relating to the virus impact on the economy. The plane that was taking people who lived in Brazil or were citizens back home landed in Brazil. The people on the aircraft were taken into quarantine. Before landing in Brazil, that plane landed in Poland, as the plane when it left China were also taking 6 people back to Poland.
HSBC Women's World Championship The HSBC Women's World Championship is a women's professional golf tournament on the LPGA Tour first held in 2008. It was played on the Garden Course of the Tanah Merah Country Club in eastern Singapore, adjacent to Singapore Changi Airport fro ...
,
LPGA Tour Championship The LPGA Tour Championship, in full the LPGA Tour Championship Presented by Rolex, was the season-ending women's professional golf tournament on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. After two seasons it was discontinued, replaced by the CME Group Titleholder ...
, and
LPGA The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekl ...
cancelled two more events overall within Singapore and Thailand due to the virus. Thus meaning only two more events remain uncancelled. The United Kingdom included Singapore in a list of countries where travelers returning are advised to self-isolate if they have symptoms as a precautionary measure.
Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the M ...
imposed a 14-day quarantine for travelers coming from Singapore in a bid to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. This comes after Singapore's DORSCON was raised to Orange on 7 February. Over 70 exhibitors have decided to withdraw or not take part in the
Singapore Airshow The Singapore Airshow is a biennial aerospace event held in Singapore, debuted in 2008. It hosts high-level government and military delegations, as well as senior corporate executives around the world, while serving as a global event for leadin ...
due to the virus.
Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...
, Bombardier Inc., and
De Havilland Canada De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited is an aircraft manufacturer with facilities formerly based in the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The original home of de Havilland Canada was the home of the Canadian Air and Space Museum loca ...
, are some of the many well known exhibitors or companies that withdrew from the airshow. An event commemorating the release of Japanese voice actress
Miku Itō is a Japanese voice actress and singer affiliated with Style Cube. Her major voice roles include Nanako Usami in ''Locodol'', Ann Akagi in ''Action Heroine Cheer Fruits'', Kokoro Tsurumaki in ''BanG Dream!'', Miku Nakano in ''The Quintessential ...
's sixth single, the theme song for the anime '' Plunderer'', is delayed by her record label
Nippon Columbia , often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...
due to concerns about the outbreak. President Donald Trump told supporters at a rally in New Hampshire that the virus will be gone by April, claiming that when temperatures rise, “the virus” will “miraculously” go away.


11 February

The WHO confirmed over 1,000 deaths from the virus as its 'Research and Innovation Forum on novel coronavirus 2019', attended by over 300 scientists and officials, met in Geneva; the possibility of a vaccine being available in 18 months was mooted. The Global Grain Conference that was going to take place in Singapore, has been postponed to sometime in June and/or July, due to the virus. Authorities in Hong Kong evacuate a
Tsing Yi Estate Tsing Yi Estate () is a public housing estate in Tsing Yi Island, New Territories, Hong Kong near Fung Shue Wo Sports Centre and Tsing Yi Park. It is the only public housing estate on Tsing Yi Island which name does not start with the character ' ...
apartment building, after two residents who lived separately got diagnosed with the virus. The virus is lowering crude prices worldwide, as China's demand for crude oil decreases due to shutdowns, lockdowns, fears, and other measures. Oil prices has just reached a 1-year low again, and has been falling for 5 weeks.
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
has advised travellers to delay travel to countries and territories hit by the coronavirus; mentioned are Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, and Taiwan in addition to mainland China.
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
urged travellers to take precautions when travelling to Singapore or Thailand, and to avoid Hong Kong or Macau unless absolutely necessary. Singapore and Malaysia will form a joint working group to prevent and control the coronavirus infection. The Thailand public health minister does not allow a
Holland America Holland America Line is an American-owned cruise line, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. Holland America Line was founded in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and from 1873 to 1989, it operated ...
cruise ship, ''
MS Westerdam MS ''Westerdam'' is a owned by Holland America Line. She is the third ship of the class to be operated by the line, as well as being the third ship to bear the name ''Westerdam''. Her sister ships are , , and . The beginning of the four ships ...
'' to disembark in the country. The reason cited by the public health minister is that there are 32 cases in Thailand. During a live broadcast on the
Fox Business Network Fox Business (officially known as Fox Business Network, or FBN) is an American business news channel and website publication owned by the Fox News Media division of Fox Corporation. The channel broadcasts primarily from studios at 1211 Avenue ...
, anchor
Maria Bartiromo Maria Sara Bartiromo (born September 11, 1967) is an American financial journalist, television personality, news anchor, and author. She is the host of ''Mornings with Maria'' and '' Maria Bartiromo's Wall Street'' on the Fox Business Network as ...
suggests China developed
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
as a biological
weapon of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natura ...
and deliberately attempted to infect
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
diplomats at the
White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
and in
Davos, Switzerland , neighboring_municipalities= Arosa, Bergün/Bravuogn, Klosters-Serneus, Langwies, S-chanf, Susch , twintowns = } Davos (, ; or ; rm, ; archaic it, Tavate) is an Alpine resort town and a municipality in the Prättigau/Davos R ...
.


12 February

American Airlines extend their flight suspensions to Hong Kong and China through some point in late April. The WHO announced it was developing a COVID-19 virus treatment master plan. The WHO stated that a coronavirus vaccine could be ready in approximately 18 months. The
United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...
,
Singapore Post Singapore Post Limited (), commonly abbreviated as SingPost, is an associate company of Singtel and Singapore's designated Public Postal Licensee which provides domestic and international postal services. It also provides logistics services in ...
,
PostNord Sverige PostNord Sverige (formerly ''Posten AB'') is the name of the Swedish postal service. In 2009 Posten merged with its Danish equivalent, Post Danmark A/S, forming PostNord AB, a holding company that is jointly owned by the Swedish (60%) and Dani ...
, and Austrian postal services will temporarily stop sending mail or other postal services to China, and/or Hong Kong as well as Macau. This is due to the available flight shortages and flight suspensions, which is making it hard to send mail to China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Bulgari CEO states that half of its stores in the greater China region have been temporarily closed due to the virus. The
Formula 1 Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
Chinese Grand Prix The Chinese Grand Prix () is a round of the Formula One World Championship and was contracted to return in 2023 but will now not do so until 2024 at the earliest. It is currently held at the Shanghai International Circuit, Jiading, Shanghai, d ...
2020 which was set to be held in April, was postponed to a later date due to the outbreak. The
Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
announced he stopped all public engagement due to the outbreak. The Mobile World Congress (MWC), due to start on 24 February, is cancelled.
CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...
announces that a diagnostic kit it developed does not work. This kit was made available to certified laboratories in the United States besides being shared with more than thirty countries. Due to a possible problem with one of the reagents some results could be made inconclusive (neither positive nor negative). According to the
Deutsche Bank Deutsche Bank AG (), sometimes referred to simply as Deutsche, is a German multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, and dual-listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the New York Sto ...
, the outbreak of COVID-19 may contribute to a recession in Germany. Three people escape a quarantine facility in
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. They did this because according to them, the conditions and officials of the quarantine were not good. Cancellations in hotel bookings in the Greek island of
Santorini Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...
have climbed up to 60-70% in the months of February and March, while there are fears of 100% cancellations for April.


13 February

The WHO suggested that the coronavirus 'iceberg' outside China might not be "as big as feared" and that the slowdown in the number of new infections should be taken cautiously as the situation can change in any direction. The WHO also stated that it is too early to predict the outbreaks' end. A lockdown on Sơn Lôi Commune ( Vĩnh Phúc Province, Vietnam) was implemented by the authorities after five investigated cases had been infected by a cluster. This lasted until 3 March. Japan announced that a woman in her eighties outside of Tokyo has died. Two taxi drivers also were tested positive. A solo traveler from China was quarantined at
Lackland Air Force Base Lackland Air Force Base is a United States Air Force (USAF) base located in Bexar County, Texas. The base is under the jurisdiction of the 802d Mission Support Group, Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and an enclave of the city of Sa ...
in Texas. This is the 15th case in the U.S.
Champalimaud Foundation The Champalimaud Foundation ( pt, Fundação Champalimaud) is a private biomedical research foundation. It was created according to the will of the late entrepreneur António de Sommer Champalimaud, in 2004. The complete name of the foundation ...
, a Portuguese private biomedical research foundation, announced the cancellation of a conference that was programmed to happen on 12 to 13 March. European Union ministers of health held a meeting in
Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
. The ship ''
MS Westerdam MS ''Westerdam'' is a owned by Holland America Line. She is the third ship of the class to be operated by the line, as well as being the third ship to bear the name ''Westerdam''. Her sister ships are , , and . The beginning of the four ships ...
'' was allowed to dock in Sihanoukville,
Cambodia Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
. Hong Kong will extend school closures until 16 March instead of 2 March, with an exam for primary school students cancelled. Kindergartens will receive subsidies for cleaning works. In addition, civil servants will work from home for another week until 23 February.


14 February

The WHO stated that investing in preparedness was the smartest way to make sure that the coronavirus and other outbreaks are “identified and stopped quickly” and that solidarity should triumph over stigma. Portugal announced one more suspected case of a child of unspecified age that had returned from China. All previous six suspected cases were revealed to be negative after clinical analysis. In Bragança, Portugal, two Chinese college students agreed to stay on a voluntary quarantine when they return to Bragança. Although they did not show symptoms and neither had they been in contact with infected persons as far it was known, the reason for the quarantine was a recent holiday travel to China. In the United Kingdom, two Members of Parliament,
Lilian Greenwood Lilian Rachel Greenwood (born 26 March 1966) is a British Labour Party politician serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nottingham South since 2010, and the Opposition Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Commons since 2021. A former unio ...
and
Alex Sobel Alexander David Sobel (born 26 April 1975) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leeds North West since the 2017 general election. He defeated the Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland, wh ...
, self-quarantined after learning that they had attended a conference on 6 February where a confirmed case had also been in attendance. A German citizen in
Palma de Mallorca Palma (; ; also known as ''Palma de Mallorca'', officially between 1983–88, 2006–08, and 2012–16) is the capital and largest city of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of the Balearic Islands in Spain. It is situate ...
was released from hospital quarantine after he had been tested negative twice. Previously, he had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and was always asymptomatic. The first case of coronavirus infection on the African continent was reported in Egypt. Grab started GrabCare for healthcare workers in Singapore. This came after reports of increased discrimination due to the COVID-19 situation, making it difficult for healthcare workers to get rides. The
Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
of Singapore will suspend masses indefinitely from noon of 15 February in view of the coronavirus. The
2020 ASEAN Para Games The 2020 ASEAN Para Games, officially known as the 10th ASEAN Para Games, is a cancelled biannual multi-sport event for athletes with physical disabilities which was intended to be held after the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in the Philippines. Pa ...
will be suspended indefinitely. The event was supposed to be held from 20 to 28 March in Manila.


15 February

The WHO Director-General cautioned against panic over COVID-19 but also urged governments to improve their preparedness, stating, “it's impossible to predict which direction this epidemic will take.” The United States announced it would evacuate Americans currently aboard the cruise ship ''Diamond Princess''.


16 February

The Portuguese Directorate General for Health announced it was compiling a list of hospitals in Portugal that might reinforce, if needed, the three hospitals already prepared to receive patients. The list should have been ready by 17 February. According to the responsible of Portugal's medical emergency services (INEM), Portugal currently had four ambulances prepared to transport patients with the novel coronavirus to the referenced hospitals. All INEM personnel, around 700 medical professionals, would also have refresh courses and new training about the virus. In Singapore, a new campaign to improve hygiene standards called "SG Clean" is launched with a certificate to progressively roll out across all sectors. In addition, checklists, as well as audits by third-party assessors and agencies shall be used to ensure continued cleanliness of the facilities.


17 February

American passengers evacuate the ''Diamond Princess'' and will return to the US. They will be held in quarantine for 14 days. Singapore will enforce Stay-Home Notices for all Singapore residents and long-term pass holders returning from China taking effect from 18 February. They will not be allowed to leave home during the next 14 days. Following the confirmation of infection aboard the MS ''Westerdam'', the Malaysian authorities barred passengers who had traveled on the luxury cruise ship from entry. Singapore follows suit, only allowing citizens to enter with quarantine imposed. Japanese Emperor Naruhito's birthday ceremony and greetings to the public on 23 February will be cancelled. The Israeli Ministry of Health requested people returning from Asian countries and territories to self-quarantine. In the mention are mainland China, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and Japan. The
Tokyo Marathon The is an annual marathon sporting event in Tokyo, the capital of Japan. It is a World Athletics Platinum Label marathon and one of the six World Marathon Majors. The latest edition of the race took place on . It is sponsored by Tokyo Metro. H ...
, due to take place on 1 March, will be restricted to elite runners and wheelchair athletes. Initially, it was expected that 38,000 people would take part but with this change the number will be reduced to 206 participants. The seventh episode of ''A Certain Scientific Railgun T'', "Auribus oculi fideliores sunt. (The eyes are more trustworthy than the ears)", is replaced by a rerun of the sixth episode due to production delays associated with the virus outbreak.


18 February

The WHO Director-General announced that, as the coronavirus continued to spread, there was still a chance to prevent a broader global crisis, while it shipped personal protective equipment and coronavirus testing kits to countries. Getty Images confirmed that it was protecting the identity of photojournalists in China "due to worries about their safety". Bushiroad, a Japanese entertainment company best known for creating the ''BanG Dream!'' and ''Revue Starlight'' multimedia franchises, announced that they would postpone and cancel several events up to 19 March due to the outbreak, and that they would offer refunds. The seventh episode of ''Infinite Dendrogram'', "The Dueling Cities", is replaced with a rerun of the first episode due to production delays stemming from the virus outbreak. The 14th Seiyu Awards will have no after-party celebrations, and only winners, presenters, and journalists will allowed to attend the award ceremony on 7 March. Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance (Singapore), Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced S$6.4 billion in reliefs to help businesses and citizens tide through the crisis. Of these, a S$4 billion Stabilisation and Support Package will be given to hard-hit businesses as well as for retraining workers, with a S$1.6 billion Care and Support Package to help household expenses. An additional S$800 million will be set aside, especially for healthcare efforts. A planned Goods and Services Tax (Singapore), Goods and Services Tax hike to 9% will not take place in 2021 owing to the economic impact, with a S$6 billion Assurance Package should the hike take effect.


19 February

The WHO Director-General stated that COVID-19 was not yet a pandemic. The Nipponbashi Street Festa in Osaka, a cosplay event described as the biggest of its kind, was cancelled due to concerns with the virus outbreak. Mediacorp, Singapore's main broadcaster, postponed its Star Awards ceremony to the second half of 2020, initially scheduled for 26 April due to concerns over the ongoing outbreak.


20 February

Macau reopened all casinos after a 15-day closure. However, all patrons and service staff would be required to wear masks as part of enhanced measures to reduce the virus spread. Israel banned passengers who have been to China, Hong Kong, Thailand or Singapore in the previous 14 days. In Novi Sanzhary, Ukraine, the buses carrying the evacuees from China were attacked by a mob hurling stones and engaging in violent clashes with the police. Iraq halted travel to and from Iran after the number of cases spiked there. At the same time, travellers from Iran will not be allowed entry.


21 February

South Korea designated Daegu and Cheongdo County as "special care zones", coming after a spike in cases reported. The government also announced plans to send military medical staff and temporary isolation facilities to stop the virus. In Seoul, large protests and demonstrations held on weekends would not be allowed. The military also banned all soldiers from taking leave, leaving the barracks and receiving guests. Residents in Daegu were advised to stay indoors, with commanders of a major US base imposing movement restrictions.


22 February

Kuwait halts flights to and from Iran, and imposed a ban on travellers arriving from Iran as a precaution. Any Kuwaiti returning will be isolated. In addition, authorities there advised against travel to Iran. Samsung shut its phone factory in Gumi until 24 February, with the floor the infected employee worked shut until 25 February. This comes after a cases was confirmed involving a worker there. Australia announced an easing of travel restrictions for Chinese students in Year 11 or 12 except for those in Hubei, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The students will need to get approval from states and territories, as well as the schools involved. Similar exemptions for Chinese university students are being considered.


23 February

Turkey shut down its border with Iran and banned all incoming flights as a precaution for stopping the spread of disease after Iran had reported 43 cases. Pakistan also closed its border with Iran, Afghanistan suspends travel to and from Iran and Jordan bans citizens from China, Iran, and South Korea. Georgia imposes restriction on inbound air flights with Iran, allowing passengers only in one direction. Italy introduces strict measures which place almost 50,000 people in lockdown in an attempt to control the virus. Fines are imposed on those caught entering or leaving outbreak areas. Carnival of Venice and Carnival of Ivrea are cancelled. South Korea raises its disease alert to the highest level, coming after the number of cases had continued to increase sharply. Singapore expanded its health advisory to Daegu and Cheongdo in South Korea, advising travellers to "avoid non-essential travel". At the same time, the definition of suspect cases was expanded to include travellers arriving from these two cities. Kuwait banned ships coming from Iran to stopping at its ports due to the coronavirus. Israel extended its travel ban to Japan and South Korea taking effect the following day, following a previous travel ban that included Taiwan, Italy, Australia, and Macau. Taiwan banned its healthcare professionals in hospital from travelling out to manage the shortage of workers amid the outbreak. Those who need to attend important meetings overseas have to seek permission. This comes after three local governments banned travel by public servants. In addition, military personnel are advised to avoid places affected by COVID-19, with quarantine imposed should they return from these places.


24 February

Oman halted flights to and from Iran with immediate effect. This comes after its first confirmed case there. In Germany the Light + Building, Light + Building Trade Fair in Frankfurt was postponed until September. In Najaf, Iraq, mid-year exams which had already started will be cancelled until further notice to protect the health of students. UAE banned citizens from travelling to Iran and Thailand as a precaution against the coronavirus. Oman also banned citizens from travelling to Iran. Hong Kong bans travellers arriving from South Korea starting from 25 February at 6am. This comes after the number of cases there increased sharply. Authorities there have also advised against trips there, with a quarantine of 14 days imposed should Hong Kong residents arrive from Daegu and Cheongdo. Several tour groups have since cancelled trips there. Six countries have since banned travellers from South Korea from entering their countries. They include Israel, Bahrain, Jordan, Kiribati, Samoa and American Samoa. Nine others have since placed restrictions. Mongolia will ban flights to South Korea starting from 25 February to 2 March. The flight ban has since included Japan, with the ban on both countries to last until 11 March. Taiwan revises rules to require approval for healthcare professionals in hospital to travel to Level 1 and 2 countries, with a ban on travel to Level 3 countries. Rock lobster deliveries from the US to China are on hold, and wedding dress orders in the US are not able to be fulfilled due to shortage of them as 80% of wedding dresses used in the US are made in China. The United States Department of State advised Americans to reconsider cruise travel to or within Asia due to the evolving situation.


25 February

Iraq banned travellers from China, Iran, Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Italy, and Singapore from entering the country. Iraqis were also advised not to travel to these places. Bahrain suspended all schools, nurseries and universities for two weeks to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection. Singapore banned visitors arriving from Cheongdo and Daegu in South Korea from 26 February after cases increased rapidly in these two cities. Singapore citizens, permanent residents and long-term pass holders returning from Cheongdo and Daegu within the last 14 days would be issued a Stay-Home Notice (SHN) lasting 14 days. North Korea quarantined 380 foreigners, enacted a mandatory 30 day quarantine for all foreigners coming from outside the country and cancelled the Pyongyang Marathon. Due to the coronavirus situation in Japan, organisers of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Awards decided to hold the ceremony online instead. In the United States, officials warned that community transmission of COVID-19 was expected, urging local governments, schools and businesses to develop plans to deal with potential outbreaks. In addition, disruptions to drug supplies could also be expected. The Badminton World Federation announced it has postponed the Vietnam International Challenge tournament, originally scheduled to be held from 24 to 29 March. US HHS Secretary Alex Azar at a congressional hearing said " That validation (of the testing kit) failed at the third stage""for inconclusive results against control". Dr. Helen Y. Chu, an infectious disease expert in U of Washington Seattle and her colleagues began performing coronavirus tests without government approval. They had a positive test from a local teenager with no recent travel history. They were told by state regulators to stop testing altogether on March 2.


26 February

Japanese prime minister
Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), President of the Lib ...
called for sports and cultural events to be stopped for two weeks. This comes after Japan confirmed its second local death, amid concerns the 2020 Tokyo Olympics could be cancelled. Hokkaido will close schools from 27 February to 4 March, while Tokyo allowed schools to start some classes later. As of this date the 2020 Tokyo Olympics shall go ahead as planned, albeit with some adjustments. This comes as major sports are being cancelled (or played behind closed doors, such as with the Japan Davis Cup); the Japan Sumo Association is weighing whether to cancel a sold-out sumo tournament scheduled for 8 March in Osaka. Toyota cancelled non-urgent trips for Japan workers as the coronavirus situation worsens. Its production schedule will remain unchanged. Spain advised travellers to refrain from going to places like four Italian regions affected, Japan, Iran, South Korea, Singapore and China unless required. Measures will be put in place to slow the spread of the virus. Thailand advised travellers to postpone trips to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Italy, Macau, Taiwan, Iran and some areas in South Korea and Japan. Healthcare workers are not allowed to travel to places affected by COVID-19 unless absolutely necessary, with these workers asked to self-quarantine and adopt enhanced hygiene measures for 14 days. The World Health Organisation reported that the number of new cases outside China had exceeded the number of new cases in China for the first time on 25 February, after a spike of cases in Italy, Iran and South Korea with cases in China dropping, and declared that there was "no time for complacency". Ireland's Six Nations Championship match with Italy, which was supposed to be held on the weekend of 6 to 8 March, has been postponed due to the coronavirus, and may be cancelled. This comes after a meeting with health officials led by Simon Harris, the Health Minister. The Badminton World Federation announced it has postponed the 2020 German Open (badminton), 2020 German Open and Polish Open tournaments, originally scheduled to be held from 3 to 8 March and 26 to 29 March respectively. AnimeJapan 2020 was cancelled. Chinese authorities confiscated more than 31 million counterfeit surgical masks. US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...
(CDC) has confirmed an infection in California in a person who reportedly did not have relevant travel history or exposure to another known patient with COVID-19. The patient's exposure is unknown.  It's possible this could be the first instance of community spread in the US. At the press briefings, President Donald Trump remarked that "As of today, we have 15 cases of COVID-19 that have been detected in the US, with only one new case detected in the last two weeks" , "the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero", "Over the last 10 years, we’ve lost 360,000.  These are people that have died from the flu" and "He (President Xi) is working so hard...And they're calling up Dr. Fauci.  They're calling up our people.  We're dealing with them.  We're giving them certain advice.  We actually have — through World Health, we have them over there also.  And we have a lot of our people making up that group that went over there."


27 February

Saudi Arabia banned pilgrims and foreigners from entering the country due to the coronavirus. Sindh Provincial government in Pakistan, closes down educational institutions days after the first cases are reported in the country Fiji extends travel ban with Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announcing that travellers who had been in Italy, Iran and the
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
n cities of Daegu and Cheongdo County, Cheongdo will be denied entry into Fiji. He also added that Thermographic camera, thermal scanners will be installed at the country's port of entry. From 28 February, all cruise ships entering Fiji would be required to make first berths at ports in Suva and Lautoka, where passengers will undergo a medical and travel history checks. Due to mounting worries about the coronavirus outbreak, various U.S. Stock market index, stock market indices including the NASDAQ-100, the S&P 500 Index, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average posted their sharpest falls since 2008, with the List of largest daily changes in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Dow falling 1,191 points, its largest one-day drop since the Financial crisis of 2007–08, 2008 financial crisis. Japan's Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), President of the Lib ...
requested all elementary, junior high, high and special needs schools to close from 2 March until spring break in a bid to stop the virus. He also called for the creation of a national face mask reserve, that would be stocked with potential overproduction of face masks. Following the confirmation of the 2nd and 3rd case in Greece, the Health Minister announced that all carnival celebrations in the country will be suspended. Australia drew up a pandemic plan in preparation of a bigger spread. It also extended a travel ban on travellers coming from China until 7 March, the third time it has done so. The World Health Organisation urged countries not to assume that they will be spared the coronavirus, pointing out that it would be a "fatal mistake" to do so. It also warned that the virus "has pandemic potential". Iran cancelled Friday prayers in some cities. Iran has since banned travellers from China entering the country. A ban on conferences, cultural events and closure of cinemas was extended by another week. Facebook cancelled the F8 developer conference, which was supposed to be held on 5–6 May. British Airways cancels 56 flights to Italy between 14 and 26 March due to the large amount of cancellations. Taiwan raised its alert level to the highest after sporadic cases of transmission. The Asian Football Confederation announced the postponement of 8 matches of the 2020 AFC Champions League group stage, Champions League group stage originally scheduled for 2–4 March.


28 February

In response to New Zealand's first reported case, the New Zealand Government temporarily banned travelers from Iran. The patient had reportedly returned from Iran to Auckland earlier in the week. While New Zealand citizens and permanent residents will be allowed to return, they must self-isolate for 14 days. In addition, the Minister of Health (New Zealand), Health Minister David Clark confirmed that Chinese international students would not be allowed to re-enter the country and that there would be an increased health presence at airports. Cyprus decided to close four checkpoints on the divided island for a week starting 29 February — the first closure since the crossings between the two sides were eased in 2003 after decades of disputes. The United Nations peacekeeping force on the island, UNFICYP were informed of the decision. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea will close from 29 February to 15 March to limit the spread of the virus. Legoland Japan and Universal Studios Japan follow suit. Malaysia banned all travellers arriving from South Korea with immediate effect. In addition, Malaysians, permanent residents, and long-term social visit pass and student pass holders returning from Daegu or Cheongdo in the last 14 days must undergo health screening, and separate immigration lanes for travellers from South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran will be set up. South Korean band BTS (band), BTS cancelled their April 2020 ''Map of the Soul Tour'' scheduled to be held at the Seoul Olympic Stadium. The band's label Big Hit Entertainment released a statement that is "impossible at this time to predict the scale of the outbreak" and that they "must take into consideration the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of guests as well as our artists." According to BBC, internal sources in the Iranian health system stated that at least 210 COVID-19 patients have died in Iran. Shopify cancelled the Shopify Unite Conference which supposed to be held on 6 to 8 May in Toronto. The Geneva Motor Show scheduled to start on 5 March in Switzerland is cancelled. This comes after Switzerland banned public gatherings of more than 1,000 people to contain the virus. In Russia, 88 foreigners in Moscow will be deported for breaking quarantine. The Game Developers Conference, which was set to take place in March, has been postponed to an undisclosed date in the summer. Hokkaido, Japan declared a state of emergency until 19 March as the number of cases continued to rise, with people asked to stay indoors. The World Health Organisation raised the coronavirus alert to the highest level. This comes after more countries confirmed their first cases with the outbreak reaching sub-Saharan Africa. A Hyundai Motor Company, Hyundai factory in Ulsan in South Korea shut down after a case was confirmed involving a worker there. In the United States, a school in Washington (state), Washington and another in Oregon, will be temporarily closed. This happens after a staff member in each of the two schools had flu like symptoms, and were found positive for the coronavirus. In Japan, authorities asked online auction sites to stop listing face masks, in an effort to prevent mask shortages caused by people buying face masks in bulk to sell them in online auctions. In television, American reality series ''The Amazing Race (American TV series), The Amazing Race'' pauses production of its The Amazing Race 33, thirty-third season after filming three of its planned twelve-episode run in England and Scotland, both in the United Kingdom, becoming the first global major television production to be suspended.


29 February

Vietnamese authorities announced the visa-free policy for Korean citizens to be temporarily invalidated, starting 29 February. Also, medical quarantine was imposed for Korea-related passengers who arrive in Vietnam. NASA releases new satellite images over China that show air pollution has decreased a large amount due to reduced travel and industrial facilities being closed. The United States bans travel from Iran, and increases its travel warnings to Italy and South Korea. Washington State confirmed that a man who had been at the Life Care Center outside Seattle had died, the first American death officially attributed to the virus. According to CDC, US had, by then, tested 472 total people. Iran bans the exporting of soaps, bleaches, and disinfectants to try to reduce shortages. Also in Iran, handwashing has been blamed as the cause of unusually high water consumption in Tehran. Because of high use some areas have had reduced water pressure, with some towns and villages even being temporarily cut off from water. The Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company has urged residents to try to conserve water and not waste it. Azerbaijan shuts down its border with Iran. The ASEAN Summit, US-ASEAN Summit in Las Vegas on 14 March, between the U.S. president and ten leading representatives of Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Southeast Asian countries, was postponed. An Iranian Member of Parliament, Mohammad Ali Ramazani, has died due to the coronavirus. According to Portugal's General Directorate of Health, Graça Freitas, in the worst-case scenario, Portugal may have one million infections (in a population of roughly more than ten million) over several months of outbreak, 12 to 14 weeks of intense contagion and around 20% severe cases of the total infected population. In this scenario the mortality rate may be around 2.3% to 2.4%. In the most probable scenario is it estimated that Portugal will have around twenty one thousand cases in the most severe week of the outbreak. France temporarily banned gatherings of more than 5,000 people to contain the virus, coming after new cases are reported. As a result, the Paris half-marathon is cancelled, and the annual farm show will end today instead. Australia will ban travellers arriving from Iran starting 1 March. Travellers who do so will be required to stay in another country for 14 days. The United Arab Emirates suspends all extracurricular school activities and orders nurseries closed until further notice as measures to prevent the spreading of the virus. Several cherry blossom festivals in Japan were cancelled due to fears of the coronavirus spreading uncontrollably. In Hong Kong, several small surgical mask factories began mass production. The WHO warned against criminal scams exploiting the coronavirus emergency.


See also

* Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic


References


External links


Charts of the Economic impact
{{DEFAULTSORT:Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020 Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 Timelines of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 February 2020 events COVID-19 pandemic