National responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

The 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic spread to many countries around the world, with the most affected countries being the United States, Italy, Spain, China, France, Iran, Switzerland and South Korea. National response measures have been varied, and have included containment measures such as lockdowns, quarantines, and curfews. This is a dynamic list of different responses by various nations across the world.

China

Main article: 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic in mainland China

Cities under lockdown in China
Place	Province	Start date	End date	City level	Population	Cases	Deaths	Recoveries	Active
Wuhan	Hubei	2020-01-23	2020-04-08	Sub-provincial	11,081,000	50,340	3,869	46,471	0
Xiaogan	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	4,920,000	3,518	129	3,389	0
Huanggang	Hubei	2020-01-23	2020-03-25	Prefectural	6,330,000	2,907	125	2,782	0
Jingzhou	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-17	Prefectural	5,590,200	1,580	52	1,528	0
Ezhou	Hubei	2020-01-23	2020-03-25	Prefectural	1,077,700	1,394	59	1,335	0
Suizhou	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	2,216,700	1,307	45	1,262	0
Xiangyang	Hubei	2020-01-28	2020-03-25	Prefectural	5,669,000	1,175	40	1,135	0
Huangshi	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-13	Prefectural	2,470,700	1,015	39	976	0
Yichang	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	4,135,850	931	37	894	0
Jingmen	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	2,896,500	928	41	887	0
Xianning	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	2,543,300	836	15	821	0
Shiyan	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	3,406,000	672	8	664	0
Xiantao	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Sub-prefectural	1,140,500	575	22	553	0
Tianmen	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Sub-prefectural	1,272,300	496	15	481	0
Enshi	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-25	Prefectural	3,378,000	252	7	245	0
Qianjiang	Hubei	2020-01-24	2020-03-13	Sub-prefectural	966,000	198	9	189	0
Shennongjia	Hubei	2020-01-27	2020-03-25	Sub-prefectural	78,912	11	0	11	0
Wenzhou	Zhejiang	2020-02-02	2020-02-20	Prefectural	9,190,000	507	1	503	3
Ürümqi	Xinjiang	2020-07-18	2020-08-26	Prefectural	3,519,600	845	0	845	0
Shijiazhuang	Hebei	2021-01-07	2021-01-31	Prefectural	11,031,200	977	1	962	14
Xi'an	Shaanxi	2021-12-22	2022-01-16	Sub-provincial	8,467,838	2,265	3	2,185	77
Yuzhou	Henan	2022-01-04	2022-01-31	County	1,167,000	-	-	-	-
Anyang	Henan	2022-01-10	2022-02-03	Prefectural	5,477,614	522	0	522	0
Shenzhen	Guangdong	2022-03-14	2022-03-21	Sub-provincial	17,560,000	982	3	428	551
Shanghai	Shanghai	2022-04-01	2022-06-01	Direct-administered municipality	24,870,895
Lockdown total	101,602,895	68,135	4,512	63,623	0
Outbreak ongoing: Infection and fatality data as of 24:00 (UTC+8) 4 June 2020. Totals will evolve.

Infrared cameras were installed in Wuhan railway station to check passengers' body temperature before they board the trains.

'Aerial photography of roads after motor vehicles are banned in central urban areas of Wuhan: few vehicle traces' – Video news from China News Service

Masked passengers undergoing temperature checks at Changchun Longjia Airport in northeast China

Hong Kong residents queueing to refund their bullet train tickets to the mainland in West Kowloon railway station

The first person known to have fallen ill due to the new virus was in Wuhan on 1 December 2019. A public notice on the outbreak was released by Wuhan health authority on 31 December; the initial notice informed Wuhan residents that there was no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus, that the disease is preventable and controllable, and that people can wear masks when going out. WHO was informed of the outbreak on the same day.

On 7 January 2020, the Chinese Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee discussed novel coronavirus prevention and control.

On 20 January, Zhong Nanshan, a scientist at China's National Health Commission who played a prominent role in the SARS epidemic, declared its potential for human-to-human transmission, after two cases emerged in Guangdong of infection by family members who had visited Wuhan. This was later confirmed by the Wuhan government, which announced a number of new measures such as cancelling the Chinese New Year celebrations, in addition to measures such as checking the temperature of passengers at transport terminals first introduced on 14 January. A quarantine was announced on 23 January 2020 stopping travel in and out of Wuhan.

On 25 January, Chinese authorities banned the use of private vehicles in Wuhan. Only vehicles that are transporting critical supplies or emergency response vehicles are allowed to move within the city.

On 26 January, a leading group tasked with the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus pandemic was established, led by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. The leading group decided to extend the Spring Festival holiday to contain the outbreak.

China Customs started requiring that all passengers entering and exiting China fill in an extra health declaration form from 26 January. The health declaration form was mentioned in China's Frontier Health and Quarantine Law, granting the customs rights to require it if needed.

On 27 January, the General Office of the State Council of China, one of the top governing bodies of the People's Republic, officially declared a nation-wide extension on the New Year holiday and the postponement of the coming spring semester. The office extended the previously scheduled public holiday from 30 January, to 2 February, while it said school openings for the spring semester would be announced in the future. Some universities with open campuses also banned the public from visiting. On 23 January, the education department in Hunan, which neighbours the centre of the outbreak Hubei province, stated it would strictly ban off-school tutors and restrict student gatherings. Education departments in Shanghai and Shenzhen also imposed bans on off-school tutoring and requested that schools track and report students who had been to Wuhan or Hubei province during the winter break. The semi-autonomous regions of Hong Kong and Macau also announced adjustments on schooling schedules. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam declared an emergency at a press conference on 25 January, saying the government would close primary and secondary schools for two more weeks on top of the previously scheduled New Year holiday, pushing the date for school reopening to 17 February. Macau closed several museums and libraries, and prolonged the New Year holiday break to 11 February for higher education institutions and 10 February for others. The University of Macau said they would track the physical conditions of students who have been to Wuhan during the New Year break.

After the Chinese New Year on 25 January, there would be another peak of people travelling back from their home towns to workplaces as a part of Chunyun. Several provinces and cities encouraged people to stay in their hometowns and not travel back. Eastern China's Suzhou also encouraged remote working via the Internet and further prolonged the spring festival break.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China and the China State Railway Group, which regulate China's civil aviation and operates rail services, announced on 24 January that passengers could have full refunds for their plane and train tickets without any surcharges, regardless of whether their flight or train will go through Wuhan or not. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism ordered travel agencies and online tourism firms to suspend package tours and stop offering "flight+hotel" bundles.

Additional provinces and cities outside Hubei imposed travel restrictions. Beijing suspended all intercity bus services on 25 January, with several others following suit.

A screen display in Hefei showing "early detection, early reporting, early quarantine, early diagnosis, early treatment" during the coronavirus pandemic

On 1 February 2020, Xinhua News reported that China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) has "asked procuratorates nationwide to fully play their role to create a favourable judicial environment in the fight against the novel coronavirus pandemic." This includes severe punishments for those found guilty of dereliction of duty and the withholding of information for officials. Tougher charges were proscribed for commercial criminal activities such as "the pushing up of prices, profiteering and severely disturbing market order" along with the "production and sale of fake and shoddy protective equipment and medicines." Prosecuting actions against patients who deliberately spread the infection or refuse examination or compulsory isolation along with threats of violence against medical personnel were also urged. The statement also included urging to prosecute those found "fabricating coronavirus-related information that may lead to panic among the public, making up and spreading rumours about the virus, sabotaging the implementation of the law and endangering public security" and also stressed "harshly punishing the illegal hunting of wildlife under state protection, as well as improving inspection and quarantine measures for fresh food and meat products."

Museums throughout China are temporarily closed. The National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) asked museums around the country to move their exhibits and galleries temporarily online via a program that the NCHA is launching.

Quarantine

Main article: 2020 Hubei lockdowns

On 23 January 2020, a quarantine on travel in and out of Wuhan was imposed in an effort to stop the spread of the virus out of Wuhan. Flights, trains, public buses, the metro system, and long-distance coaches were suspended indefinitely. Large-scale gatherings and group tours were also suspended. By 24 January 2020, a total of 15 cities in Hubei, including Wuhan, were placed under similar quarantine measures. On 27 and 28 January 2020, Xiangyang closed its railway stations and suspended all ferry operations, after shutting down its airport and intercity bus services earlier. Thus, the entire Hubei province entered a city-by-city quarantine, save for the Shennongjia Forestry District.

Before the quarantine began, some in Wuhan questioned the reliability of the figures from the Chinese government as well as the government response, with some calling for quarantine, and a post also showed sick people and three dead bodies covered in white sheets on the floor of a hospital on 24 January, although many such posts in Weibo about the epidemic have since been deleted.

Due to quarantine measures, Wuhan residents rushed to stockpile essential goods, food, and fuel; prices rose significantly. 5,000,000 people left Wuhan, with 9,000,000 left in the city.

On 26 January, the city of Shantou in Guangdong declared a partial lockdown, though this was reversed two hours later. Residents had rushed to supermarkets to stock food as soon as the lockdown was declared, until the authorities reversed their decision. Caixin said, that the wording of Shantou's initial declaration was "unprecedentedly strict" and will severely affect residents' lives, if implemented as-is. Shantou's Department for Outbreak Control later clarified that it would not restrict travelling, but would sterilise vehicles used for transportation.

Local authorities in Beijing and several other major cities, including Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, announced on 26 January, that these cities will not impose a lockdown similar to those in Hubei province. Rumours of these potential lockdowns had spread widely prior to the official announcements. A spokesperson of Beijing's Municipal Transportation Commission claimed that the expressways, highways, subways, and buses were operating normally. To ease the residents' panic, the Hangzhou city government stressed that the city would not be locked down from the outside world, and both cities said that they would introduce precautions against potential risks.

On 2 February 2020, the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang also implemented a partial lockdown, closing 46 of the 54 highway checkpoints.

On 4 February 2020, two more cities in Zhejiang province restricted the movement of residents. The city of Taizhou, three Hangzhou districts, and some in Ningbo began to only allow one person per household to go outside every two days to buy necessities, city officials said. More than 12 million people are affected by the new restrictions.

By 6 February 2020, a total of four Zhejiang cities—Wenzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Taizhou—were under the "passport" system, allowing only one person per household to leave their home every two days. These restrictions apply to over 30 million people.

Outside mainland China, some cruise ships were quarantined after passengers developed symptoms or tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The Costa Smeralda was quarantined on 30 January off Civitavecchia in Italy, after passengers developed flu-like symptoms – the quarantine was lifted when tests for the virus came back negative. Two further ships were quarantined on 5 February: Diamond Princess in the Port of Yokohama, Japan and World Dream, which returned to Hong Kong after being refused entry to Kaohsiung, Taiwan. In both cases, passengers and crew tested positive. On 10 February passengers were allowed to disembark the World Dream "without the need to self-quarantine after leaving."

The Diamond Princess was completely disembarked by 1 March, with countries imposing various quarantines for citizens they evacuated.> As of 26 March, 712 people from the ship have been diagnosed and 10 have died.

Although not quarantined MS Westerdam has been refused entry by several ports after departing Hong Kong on 1 February.

• 
  People queueing outside a Wuhan pharmacy to buy face masks and medical supplies
• 
  Residents of Wuhan wearing masks rushed out to nearby markets to buy vegetables and other food on 23 January during the outbreak
• 
  Residents of Wuhan waiting for the last train of the city's metro on 10 am, 22 January

Outdoor restrictions

On 1 February, Huanggang, Hubei implemented a measure whereby only one person from each household is permitted to go outside for provisions once every two days, except for medical reasons or to work at shops or pharmacies.

Administrative divisions with family outdoor restrictions

Administrative division	Division type	Provincial division	Start date	End date	Ordinary population	Population year	Notes
Huanggang	City	Hubei	2020-02-01		6,162,069	2010
Wenzhou	City	Zhejiang	2020-02-02	2020-02-08	9,190,000	2017
Wenling	City	Zhejiang	2020-02-02		1,366,800	2010
Fangchenggang	City	Guangxi	2020-02-02	2020-02-08	860,100	2010
Guigang	City	Guangxi	2020-02-02		1,562,200 (Urban only)	2010	Urban districts only
Yuzhou, Yulin	District	Guangxi	2020-02-02	2020-02-09	900,000	2010
Zhouzhi, Xi'an	County	Shaanxi	2020-02-02		562,768	2010	One person per household every day
Huyi, Xi'an	District	Shaanxi	2020-02-03	2020-02-09	556,377	2010	One person per household every day
Bengbu	City	Anhui	2020-02-03		3,164,467	2010
Huaibei	City	Anhui	2020-02-03		2,114,276	2010
Bincheng, Binzhou	District	Shandong	2020-02-03	2020-02-09	682,717	2010
Taizhou	City	Zhejiang	2020-02-03		5,968,838	2010
Hangzhou	City	Zhejiang	2020-02-04		9,806,000	2017
Ezhou	City	Hubei	2020-02-04		1,048,668	2010
Fuzhou	City	Fujian	2020-02-04		7,660,000	2017
Xuzhou	City	Jiangsu	2020-02-04	2020-02-08	8,577,225	2010
Jingdezhen	City	Jiangxi	2020-02-04	(Superseded 2020-02-06)	1,655,000	2015
Harbin	City	Heilongjiang	2020-02-04		10,635,971	2010
Yicheng, Zhumadian	District	Henan	2020-02-04		721,723	2010	One person per household every five days
Xincheng, Xi'an	District	Shaanxi	2020-02-04		589,739	2010
Chang'an, Xi'an	District	Shaanxi	2020-02-04		1,083,285	2010
Yanta, Xi'an	District	Shaanxi	2020-02-05		1,178,529	2010
Lianhu, Xi'an	District	Shaanxi	2020-02-05		712,300	2015
Ningbo	City	Zhejiang	2020-02-05		8,202,000	2018
Hailing, Taizhou	District	Jiangsu	2020-02-05		594,656	2010
Hefei	City	Anhui	2020-02-05		7,965,300	2017
Fuyang	City	Anhui	2020-02-05	2020-02-08	7,599,913	2010
Benxi	City	Liaoning	2020-02-05		1,709,538	2017
Ngawa	Autonomous Prefecture	Sichuan	2020-02-05		930,100	2015
Garzê	Autonomous Prefecture	Sichuan	2020-02-05		1,164,900	2015
Liuzhou	City	Guangxi	2020-02-05		3,758,700	2010
Guilin	City	Guangxi	2020-02-05		4,961,600	2015
Jinchengjiang, Hechi	District	Guangxi	2020-02-05		330,131	2010	One person per household every day
Jiangxi	Province	–	2020-02-06		45,200,000	2013
Xianyang	City	Shaanxi	2020-02-06		5,096,001	2010
Jinzhou	City	Liaoning	2020-02-06		3,070,000	2010
Kuancheng, Changchun	District	Jilin	2020-02-06		680,631	2010
Tangshan	City	Hebei	2020-02-07		7,935,800	2018
Baodi, Tianjin	District	Tianjin	2020-02-09		799,057	2010
Hubei	Province	–	2020-02-16		59,020,000	2018
All					233,441,748		Sum of census data and population estimates above

Speciality hospitals

A speciality hospital named Huoshenshan Hospital has been constructed as a countermeasure against the outbreak and to better quarantine the patients. Wuhan City government had demanded that a state-owned enterprise construct such a hospital "at the fastest speed" comparable to that of the SARS outbreak in 2003. On 24 January, Wuhan authorities specified its planning, saying they planned to have Huoshenshan Hospital built within six days of the announcement and it will be ready to use on 3 February. Upon opening, the speciality hospital has 1,000 beds and takes up 30,000 square metres. The hospital is modelled after the Xiaotangshan Hospital, which was fabricated for the SARS outbreak of 2003, itself built in only seven days. State media reported that there were 7,000 workers and nearly 300 units of construction machinery on the site at peak.

On 24 January 2020, the authority announced that they would convert an empty building in Huangzhou District, Huanggang to a 1,000-bed hospital named Dabie Mountain Regional Medical Centre. Works began the next day by 500 personnel and the building began accepting patients on 28 January 2020 at 10:30 pm. In Wuhan, authorities have seized dormitories, offices and hospitals to create more beds for patients. On 25 January authorities announced plans for Leishenshan Hospital, a second speciality hospital, with a capacity of 1,600 beds; operations are scheduled to start by 6 February. Some people voiced their concerns through social media services, saying the authorities' decision to build yet another hospital in such little time showed the severity of the outbreak could be a lot worse than expected. The hospital opened on 8 February.

14 temporary hospitals were constructed in China in total, but all were reported to have closed after the crisis was determined be under control on 10 March 2020.

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  Construction site of Huoshenshan Hospital as it appeared on 24 January

Interprovincial medical aid

Chinese coronavirus vaccine Approved for Human

The coronavirus vaccine will not be earlier than autumn 2020 Coronavirus vaccine trials are starting in China, the USA, and Canada with a few days difference. Of course, no one knows what the results will be. And while doctors and scientists analyze the results, we talk about how the world came to the first vaccine so quickly, and what was done along the way.

As of 16 February 2020, 217 teams of a total of 25,633 medical workers from across China went to Wuhan and other cities in Hubei to help open up more facilities and treat patients.

Censorship and police responses

See also: Censorship in China, Internet censorship in China, and Human rights issues during the 2019–20 coronavirus_pandemic § Censorship

Document issued by the Wuhan Police ordering Li Wenliang to stop "spreading rumours" about a possible 'SARS virus' dated 3 January.

The early response by city authorities was criticised as prioritising a control of information that might be unfavorable for local officials over public safety, and China was also criticised for cover-ups and downplaying the initial discovery and severity of the outbreak. By the time China had informed the WHO of the new coronavirus on 31 December 2019, The New York Times reported that the government was still keeping "its own citizens in the dark". Observers have attributed this to the censorship institutional structure of the country's press and Internet, exacerbated by China's paramount leader Xi Jinping's crackdown on independent oversight such as journalism and social media that left senior officials with inaccurate information on the outbreak and "contributed to a prolonged period of inaction that allowed the virus to spread". The Human Rights Watch also noted censorship by the authorities of social media posts from families of infected people who were potentially seeking help as well as by people living in cordoned cities who were documenting their daily lives amidst the lockdown.

A group of eight medical personnel, including Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist from Wuhan Central Hospital who in late December posted warnings on a new coronavirus strain akin to SARS, were taken into custody by Wuhan police and threatened with prosecution for "spreading rumours" for likening it to SARS. Li Wenliang later died of the disease on 7 February, and was widely hailed as a whistleblower in China, but some of the trending hashtags on Weibo such as "Wuhan government owes Dr Li Wenliang an apology" and "We want freedom of speech" were blocked. His death widespread public anger in the aftermath, in what has been described as "one of the biggest outpourings of online criticism of the government in years," was not a topic that was permitted for coverage. One media outlet sent notices to editors, and leaked to reporters, asking them to refrain from "commenting or speculating" and giving instructions to "not hashtag and let the topic gradually die out from the hot search list, and guard against harmful information."

On 20 January, Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping made his first public remark on the outbreak and spoke of "the need for the timely release of information". One day later, the CPC Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, the most powerful political organ in China overseeing legal enforcement and the police, wrote "self-deception will only make the epidemic worse and turn a natural disaster that was controllable into a man-made disaster at great cost," and "only openness can minimise panic to the greatest extent." The commission then added, "anyone who deliberately delays and hides the reporting of cases out of self-interest will be nailed on a pillar of shame for eternity." Xi Jinping later also instructed authorities "to strengthen the guidance of public opinions", language which some view as a call for censorship after commentators on social media became increasingly pointedly critical and angry at the government due to the epidemic. on 30 January, China's Supreme Court, delivered a rare rebuke against the country's police forces, calling the "unreasonably harsh crackdown on online rumours" as undermining public trust. The supreme court judge Tang Xinghua said that if police had been lenient against rumours and allowed the public to have taken heed of them, an earlier adoption of "measures like wearing masks, strictly disinfecting and avoiding wildlife markets" might have been useful in countering the spread of the epidemic.

As part of the central government's "bifurcated approach to diffuse discontent", citizens were permitted to criticise local officials so long as they did not "question the basic legitimacy of the party". The Cyberspace Administration (CAC) declared its intent to foster a "good online atmosphere," with CAC notices sent to video platforms encouraging them to "not to push any negative story, and not to conduct non-official livestreaming on the virus." Censorship has been observed being applied on news articles and social media posts deemed to hold negative tones about the coronavirus and the governmental response, including posts mocking Xi Jinping for not visiting areas of the epidemic, an article that predicted negative effects of the epidemic on the economy, and calls to remove local government officials. While censorship had been briefly relaxed giving a "window of about two weeks in which Chinese journalists were able to publish hard-hitting stories exposing the mishandling of the novel coronavirus by officials", since then private news outlets were reportedly required to use "planned and controlled publicity" with the authorities' consent.

Approval of Chinese responses

On 29 January, President Trump received a briefing on the coronavirus in China.

China's response to the virus, in comparison to the 2003 SARS outbreak, has been praised by some foreign leaders. U.S. President Trump thanked Chinese leader Xi Jinping "on behalf of the American People" on 24 January on Twitter, stating that "China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency" and declaring that "It will all work out well." Germany's health minister Jens Spahn, in an interview on Bloomberg TV, said with comparison to the Chinese response to SARS in 2003: "There's a big difference to SARS. We have a much more transparent China. The action of China is much more effective in the first days already." He also praised the international co-operation and communication in dealing with the virus.< In a letter to Xi, Singaporean president Halimah Yacob applauded China's "swift, decisive and comprehensive measures" in safeguarding the health of the Chinese people, while prime minister Lee Hsien Loong remarked of "China's firm and decisive response" in communities affected by the virus. Similar sentiments were expressed by Russian president Vladimir Putin.

At a Sunday mass at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on 26 January, Pope Francis praised "the great commitment by the Chinese community that has already been put in place to combat the epidemic" and commenced a closing prayer for "the people who are sick because of the virus that has spread through China".

In other countries

COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns

Country / territory	Place	First lockdown			Second lockdown			Third lockdown			Fourth lockdown			Fifth lockdown			Sixth lockdown			Seventh lockdown			Eighth lockdown			Total length (days)	Level
		Start date	End date	Length (days)	Start date	End date	Length (days)	Start date	End date	Length (days)	Start date	End date	Length (days)	Start date	End date	Length (days)	Start date	End date	Length (days)	Start date	End date	Length (days)	Start date	End date	Length (days)
Albania		2020-03-13	2020-06-01	80																						80	National
Algeria	Algiers	2020-03-23	2020-05-14	52																						52	City
	Blida
Argentina	Greater Buenos Aires	2020-03-19	2020-11-08	234	2021-05-22	2021-05-30	9	2021-06-05	2021-06-06	2																245	Metropolitan area
	Rest of the country	2020-03-19	2020-05-10	52	2021-05-22	2021-05-30	9	2021-06-05	2021-06-06	2																63	National
Armenia		2020-03-24	2020-05-04	41																						41	National
Australia	Melbourne	2020-03-31	2020-05-12	43	2020-07-09	2020-10-27	111	2021-02-13	2021-02-17	5	2021-05-28	2021-06-10	14	2021-07-16	2021-07-27	12	2021-08-05	2021-10-21	78							263	Metropolitan area
	Greater Shepparton	2020-03-31	2020-05-12	43	2020-08-06	2020-09-16	41	2021-02-13	2021-02-17	5	2021-05-28	2021-06-03	7	2021-07-16	2021-07-27	12	2021-08-05	2021-08-09	5	2021-08-21	2021-09-15	25	2021-10-02	2021-10-09	7	145	Local government area
	Ballarat	2020-03-31	2020-05-12	43	2020-08-06	2020-09-16	41	2021-02-13	2021-02-17	5	2021-05-28	2021-06-03	7	2021-07-16	2021-07-27	12	2021-08-05	2021-08-09	5	2021-08-21	2021-09-09	20	2021-09-16	2021-09-22	7	140
	Greater Geelong	2020-03-31	2020-05-12	43	2020-08-06	2020-09-16	41	2021-02-13	2021-02-17	5	2021-05-28	2021-06-03	7	2021-07-16	2021-07-27	12	2021-08-05	2021-08-09	5	2021-08-21	2021-09-09	20	2021-09-20	2021-09-26	7	140
	Surf Coast Shire	2020-03-31	2020-05-12	43	2020-08-06	2020-09-16	41	2021-02-13	2021-02-17	5	2021-05-28	2021-06-03	7	2021-07-16	2021-07-27	12	2021-08-05	2021-08-09	5	2021-08-21	2021-09-09	20	2021-09-20	2021-09-26	7	140
	Mitchell Shire	2020-03-31	2020-05-12	43	2020-07-09	2020-09-16	70	2021-02-13	2021-02-17	5	2021-05-28	2021-06-03	7	2021-07-16	2021-07-27	12	2021-08-05	2021-08-09	5	2021-08-21	2021-09-09	20	2021-09-20	2021-10-13	24	186
	Mildura	2020-03-31	2020-05-12	43	2020-08-06	2020-09-16	41	2021-02-13	2021-02-17	5	2021-05-28	2021-06-03	7	2021-07-16	2021-07-27	12	2021-08-05	2021-08-09	5	2021-08-21	2021-09-09	20	2021-10-09	2021-10-22	14	147
	Latrobe Valley	2020-03-31	2020-05-12	43	2020-08-06	2020-09-16	41	2021-02-13	2021-02-17	5	2021-05-28	2021-06-03	7	2021-07-16	2021-07-27	12	2021-08-05	2021-08-09	5	2021-08-21	2021-09-09	20	2021-09-29	2021-10-06	7	140	Region
	Rest of regional Victoria	2020-03-31	2020-05-12	43	2020-08-06	2020-09-16	41	2021-02-13	2021-02-17	5	2021-05-28	2021-06-03	7	2021-07-16	2021-07-27	12	2021-08-05	2021-08-09	5	2021-08-21	2021-09-09	20				133	State
	South Australia				2020-11-19	2020-11-22	3	2021-07-21	2021-07-27	7																62
	Southern Tasmania				2021-10-16	2021-10-19	3																			55
	Northern Beaches (NSW)				2020-12-19	2021-01-10	22	2021-06-26	2021-10-11	107																181	Local government area
	Brisbane				2021-01-08	2021-01-11	3	2021-03-29	2021-04-01	3	2021-06-29	2021-07-03	4	2021-07-31	2021-08-08	8										67	Metropolitan area
	Perth				2021-01-31	2021-02-05	5	2021-04-23	2021-04-26	3	2021-06-28	2021-07-02	4													61	Metropolitan area
	Peel				2021-01-31	2021-02-05	5	2021-04-23	2021-04-26	3	2021-06-28	2021-07-02	4													61	Region
	South West				2021-01-31	2021-02-05	5																			57
	Illawarra				2021-06-26	2021-10-11	107																			159
	Greater Sydney				2021-06-26	2021-10-11	107																			159	Metropolitan area
	Darwin				2021-06-27	2021-07-02	5	2021-08-16	2021-08-19	3																57	Metropolitan area
	South East Queensland				2021-06-29	2021-07-02	3	2021-07-31	2021-08-08	8																63	Region
	Townsville				2021-06-29	2021-07-02	3	2021-07-31	2021-08-08	8																63	Metropolitan area
	Alice Springs				2021-06-30	2021-07-03	3																			55	Metropolitan area
	Central West				2021-07-20	2021-07-27	7	2021-08-14	2021-10-11	58																117	Region
	Hunter Region				2021-08-05	2021-10-11	67																			119
	Upper Hunter				2021-08-05	2021-09-16	42																			94
	Muswellbrook				2021-08-05	2021-09-16	42	2021-09-28	2021-10-11	13																107	Local government area
	Armidale				2021-08-07	2021-09-10	34																			87
	Cairns Region				2021-08-08	2021-08-11	3																			55	Region
	Yarrabah				2021-08-08	2021-08-11	3																			55	Local government area
	Richmond Valley				2021-08-09	2021-09-10	32																			84
	Lismore				2021-08-09	2021-09-10	32	2021-09-16	2021-09-23	7	2021-10-03	2021-10-11	8													99
	Byron Shire				2021-08-09	2021-09-10	32	2021-09-21	2021-09-28	7																91
	Ballina				2021-08-09	2021-09-10	32																			84
	Tamworth				2021-08-09	2021-09-10	32																			84
	Dubbo				2021-08-11	2021-10-11	61																			113
	Australian Capital Territory				2021-08-12	2021-10-15	61																			114	Territory
	Regional NSW				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28																			81	Region
	Mid-Coast				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28																			81	Local government area
	South Coast				2021-08-14	2021-10-11	57																			109	Region
	Bega Valley				2021-08-14	2021-09-16	33																			85	Local government area
	Goulburn–Mulwaree				2021-08-14	2021-10-11	57																			109
	Snowy Monaro				2021-08-14	2021-09-16	33	2021-09-30	2021-10-11	11																96
	Yass Valley				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28	2021-09-14	2021-09-27	14																94
	Albury (NSW)				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28	2021-09-16	2021-09-23	7																87
	Cowra				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28	2021-09-20	2021-10-05	14																94
	Glen Innes Severn (NSW)				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28	2021-09-17	2021-09-24	7																87
	Hilltops (NSW)				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28	2021-09-17	2021-10-01	14																94
	Port Macquarie-Hastings				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28	2021-09-28	2021-10-05	7																87
	Oberon				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28	2021-09-29	2021-10-11	12																92
	Gunnedah				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28	2021-10-05	2021-10-11	6																86
	Casino				2021-08-14	2021-09-10	28	2021-10-02	2021-10-11	9																89	Town
	Rest of the country	2020-03-23	2020-05-15	52																						52	National
Austria		2020-03-16	2020-04-13	28	2020-11-03	2020-11-30	27	2020-12-26	2021-02-07	43	2021-11-22	2021-12-11	20													118
Azerbaijan		2020-03-31	2020-08-30	152																						152
Bangladesh		2020-03-26	2020-05-16	51	2021-04-05	2021-07-14	100	2021-07-23	2021-08-10	18																169
Barbados		2020-03-28	2020-05-03	36																						36
Belgium		2020-03-18	2020-05-04	47	2020-11-02	2020-12-14	42	2021-03-27	2021-04-26	30																119
Bermuda		2020-04-04	2020-05-02	28																						28
Bhutan		2020-08-11	2020-09-01	21																						21
Bolivia		2020-03-22	2020-07-31	131																						131
Botswana		2020-04-02	2020-04-30	28																						28
Brazil	Santa Catarina	2020-03-17	2020-04-07	21																						21	State
	São Paulo	2020-03-24	2020-05-10	47																						47
Bulgaria		2020-03-13	2020-06-15	94	2020-11-28 (de facto)	2021-01-31	65	2021-03-22	2021-03-31	10																169	National
Cambodia	Phnom Penh	2021-04-15	2021-05-05	21																						21	Municipality
	Ta Khmau
Canada	British Columbia	2020-03-18	2020-05-18	61	2020-11-07	2021-01-08	62																			123	Province
	Ontario	2020-03-17	2020-05-14	58				2021-04-03	2021-05-01	28																86
	Ontario - South				2020-12-26	2021-01-23	28	2021-04-08	2021-06-02	55																83	Region
	Ontario - North				2020-12-26	2021-01-09	14																			14
	Quebec	2020-03-18	2020-05-04	47	2020-12-25	2021-01-11	18																			65	Province
Colombia		2020-03-25	2020-06-30	97																						97	National
Congo		2020-03-31	2020-04-20	20																						20
Costa Rica		2020-03-23	2020-05-01	39																						39
Croatia		2020-03-18	2020-05-11	32	2020-12-22	2020-12-29	7																			39
Cyprus		2020-03-24	2020-04-13	20	2021-01-10	2021-01-31	21	2021-04-26	2021-05-09	13																54
Czech Republic		2020-03-16	2020-04-12	27	2020-10-22	2021-03-28	174																			201
Denmark		2020-03-12	2020-04-13	33	2020-12-25	2021-03-01	66																			99
Ecuador		2020-03-16	2020-03-31	15																						15
El Salvador		2020-03-12	2020-04-02	21																						21
Eritrea		2020-04-02	2020-04-23	21																						21
Estonia		2021-03-11	2021-04-11	31																						31	National
Fiji	Lautoka	2020-03-20	2020-04-07	18	2021-04-19																					18	City
	Suva	2020-04-03	2020-04-17	14																						14
France	Nationwide	2020-03-17	2020-05-11	55	2020-10-30	2020-12-15	46	2021-04-04	2021-05-03	29																130	National
	Paris							2021-03-19	2021-04-18	30																131	Region
Finland		2021-03-08	2021-03-28	20																						20	National
Georgia		2020-03-31	2020-04-21	21																						21
Germany	different regionally	2020-03-16	2020-05-30 to 2020-05-11	76	2020-11-02	2021-03-01 to 2021-06-11	119 to 222																			179 to 298
	Berchtesgadener Land				2020-10-20	2020-11-03	14																			43 to 64	District
Ghana	Accra	2020-03-30	2020-04-12	13																						13	Metropolitan area
	Kumasi
Greece	Nationwide	2020-03-23	2020-05-04	42	2020-11-07	2021-03-22	135																			177	National
	Thessaloniki				2020-11-03		139																			181	Regional unit
	Serres
Guernsey		2020-03-25	2020-06-20	87	2021-01-23	2021-02-22	30																			117	National
Honduras		2020-03-20	2020-05-17	58																						58
Hungary		2020-03-28	2020-04-10	13																						13
India	Nationwide	2020-03-25	2020-06-07	74																						74
	Bengaluru				2021-04-27	2021-05-09	12																			12	Region
	Delhi				2021-04-19	2021-05-31	42																			42	Region
	Haryana				2021-05-03	2021-05-10	7																			7	State
	Maharashtra				2021-04-14	2021-06-15	62																			62	State
	Odisha				2021-05-05	2021-05-19	14																			14	State
	Rajasthan				2021-05-10	2021-06-08	29																			29	State
	Uttar Pradesh				2021-04-30	2021-05-10	10																			10	State
Iran		2020-03-14	2020-04-20	37	2021-04-14	2021-04-24	14																			47	National
Iraq		2020-03-22	2020-04-11	20																						20
Ireland	All 26 counties	2020-03-12	2020-05-18	67	2020-10-21	2020-12-01	41	2020-12-24	2021-04-12	119																227
	Kildare	2020-08-07	2020-08-31	24																						24	Regional
	Laois		2020-08-21	14																						14
	Offaly
Israel	Bnei Brak	2020-04-02	2020-04-16	14			30			42																86	City
	Nationwide				2020-09-18	2020-10-18		2020-12-27	2021-02-07																	72	National
Italy	Nationwide	2020-03-09	2020-05-18	70	2020-12-24	2021-01-06	13	2021-03-15	2021-04-30	46																129	National
	Lombardy				2020-11-06	2020-12-03	27	2021-01-17	2021-01-30	13																110	Region
	Piedmont				2020-11-06	2020-12-03																				97
	Aosta Valley				2020-11-06	2020-12-03
	Calabria				2020-11-06	2020-12-03
	Sicily							2021-01-17	2021-01-30	13																83
	Province of Bolzano							2021-01-17	2021-01-30																		Province
Jamaica	Saint Catherine	2020-04-15	2020-04-22	7																						7	Parish
Jordan		2020-03-18	2020-04-30	43	2020-11-10	2020-11-15	5																			48	National
Kosovo		2020-03-14	2020-05-04	51																						51
Kuwait		2020-05-10	2020-05-31	21																						21
Lebanon		2020-03-15	2020-03-28	13	2020-11-14	2020-11-28	14																			27
Libya		2020-03-22	2020-06-27	97																						97
Lithuania		2020-03-16	2020-06-18	94	2020-11-07	2020-11-28	21																			115
Madagascar	Antananarivo	2020-03-23	2020-04-20	28																						28	City
	Toamasina
Malaysia		2020-03-18	2020-06-09	83	2021-01-13	2021-02-10	28	2021-06-01	2021-08-16	76																187	National
Mexico	Nationwide	2020-03-23	2020-06-01	70																						70
	Chihuahua				2020-10-23	2020-12-06	44																			114	State
	Durango				2020-11-03	2020-12-06	33																			103
	Baja California				2020-12-07																					70
	Mexico City				2020-12-19																					70
	State of Mexico				2020-12-19																					70
	Morelos				2021-01-04																					70
	Guanajuato				2021-01-04																					70
Mongolia		2020-03-10	2020-03-16	6	2020-11-17	2020-12-01	15																			21	National
Montenegro	Tuzi	2020-03-24	2020-05-05	42																						42	Municipality
Morocco		2020-03-19	2020-06-10	83																						83	National
Myanmar	Yangon	2020-04-18	2020-07-01	74	2020-09-01	2021-04-10	220	2021-07-08	2021-10-27	111																405	City
Namibia		2020-03-27	2020-05-04	38																						38
Nepal	Nationwide	2020-03-24	2020-07-21	120																						120
	Kathmandu				2020-08-20	2020-09-09	21																			141	City
Netherlands		2020-03-15	2020-04-06	22	2020-12-15	2021-06-05	172	2021-12-19	2022-01-14	26																220	National
New Zealand	Nationwide	2020-03-23	2020-05-13	52	2021-08-18	2021-09-07	21																			73	National
	Auckland				2020-08-12	2020-08-30	19	2021-02-14	2021-02-17	3	2021-02-28	2021-03-07	7	2021-08-18	2021-11-29(TBC)	104										185	Region
Nigeria	Abuja	2020-03-30	2020-04-12	13																						13	City
	Lagos
	Ogun																										State
Northern Cyprus		2020-03-30	2020-05-04	35																						35	National
North Korea	Nationwide	2022-05-12	not set	not set																							National
	Kaesong	2020-07-25	2020-08-14	20																						20	City
Oman	Muscat	2020-04-10	2020-05-29	49																						49	Governorate
	Jalan Bani Bu Ali	2020-04-16	2020-05-29	43																						43	Province
Pakistan		2020-03-24	2020-05-09	46	2021-05-08	2021-05-18	10																			46	National
Panama		2020-03-25	2020-05-31 (downgraded to a night and weekend curfew)	67																						67
Papua New Guinea		2020-03-24	2020-04-07	14																						14
Paraguay		2020-03-20	2020-05-03	44																						44
Peru		2020-03-16	2020-06-30	106																						106
Philippines	Cebu	2020-03-27	2020-05-15 to 2020-05-31	49 to 65																						49 to 65	Province
	Davao Region	2020-03-19	2020-05-15	57																						57	Region
	Luzon	2020-03-15	2020-04-30 to 2020-05-15 to 2020-05-31	46 to 61 to 77	2020-08-04	2020-08-18	15	2021-01-25	2021-02-15	21	2021-03-29	2021-09-15	170													61 to 92	Island group
	Soccsksargen	2020-03-23	2020-05-15	53																						53	Region
Poland		2020-03-13	2020-04-11	29	2020-12-28	2021-01-17	20	2021-03-20	2021-04-25	36																85	National
Portugal		2020-03-19	2020-04-02	14	2021-01-15	2021-03-15	59																			73
Qatar	Doha Industrial Area	2020-03-11	2020-06-15	96																						96	Industrial park
Romania		2020-03-25	2020-05-12	48																						48	National
Russia	Moscow	2020-03-30	2020-05-12	43	2021-10-28	2021-11-04	7																			50	Metropolitan area
	Rest of the country	2020-03-28	2020-04-30	33																						33	National
Rwanda		2020-03-21	2020-04-19	29																						29
Samoa		2020-03-26	2020-04-08	13																						13
San Marino		2020-03-14	2020-05-05	52																						52
Saudi Arabia	Jeddah	2020-03-29	2020-06-21	84																						84	City
	Mecca	2020-03-26		87																						87
	Medina
	Qatif	2020-03-09		104																						104	Area
	Riyadh	2020-03-26		87																						87	City
Serbia		2020-03-15	2020-04-21 to 2020-05-04	37 to 50																						37 to 50	National
Singapore		2020-04-07	2020-06-01	56	2021-05-16	2021-06-13	28	2021-07-22	2021-08-09	18	2021-09-27	2021-11-21	56													158
South Africa		2020-03-26	2020-04-30	35	2020-12-28	2021-01-15	18	2021-06-28	2021-07-25	27																80
Spain		2020-03-14	2020-05-09	56																						56
Sri Lanka		2020-03-18	2020-06-21	95	2021-08-20	2021-10-01	42																			137
Switzerland		2020-03-17	2020-04-27	41	2021-01-18	2021-03-01	42																			83
Thailand		2020-03-25	2020-05-31	67																						67
Trinidad and Tobago		2020-03-17	2020-03-31	14																						14
Tunisia		2020-03-22	2020-04-19	28																						28
Turkey		2020-04-23	2020-04-27	4																						4	Only in 30 metropolitan cities and Zonguldak.
	Nationwide	2021-04-29	2021-05-17	18																						18	National
Ukraine		2020-03-17	2020-04-24	38																						38
United Arab Emirates		2020-03-26	2020-04-17	22																						22
United Kingdom	England	2020-03-23	2020-07-04	103	2020-11-05	2020-12-02	27	2021-01-05	2021-03-28	83																213
	Scotland		2020-06-29	98	2020-12-26	2021-04-02	97																			195
	Northern Ireland		2020-07-03	102	2020-11-27	2020-12-11	14	2020-12-26	2021-04-12	107																223	Country
	Wales		2020-07-13	112	2020-10-23	2020-11-09	17	2020-12-20	2021-03-13	83																212
	North West	2020-12-31	2021-03-29	88																						88	Region
	North East	2020-12-31	2021-03-29	88																						88
	East Midlands	2020-12-31	2021-03-29	88																						88
	West Midlands	2020-12-31	2021-03-29	88																						88
	Norfolk	2020-12-26	2021-03-29	93																						93	County
	Suffolk	2020-12-26	2021-03-29	93																						93
	Cambridgeshire	2020-12-26	2021-03-29	93																						93
	Essex	2020-12-26	2021-03-29	93																						93
	London area	2020-12-20	2021-03-29	99																						99	City
	Kent & South East	2020-12-20	2021-03-29	99																						99	Region
	Leicester	2020-06-30	2020-07-24	24																						24	County
	Glasgow				2020-11-20	2020-12-11	21																			21
	East Renfrewshire
	Renfrewshire
	East Dunbartonshire
	West Dunbartonshire
	North Lanarkshire
	South Lanarkshire
	East Ayrshire
	South Ayrshire
	West Lothian
	Stirling
United States	California	2020-03-19	2021-06-15	453																						453	State
	Connecticut	2020-03-23	2020-04-22	30																						30	State
	Illinois	2020-03-21	2020-05-30	70																						70
	Kansas City in Kansas	2020-03-24	2020-04-19	26																						26	City
	Massachusetts	2020-03-24	2020-05-04	41																						41	State
	Michigan	2020-03-24	2020-04-13	20																						20
	New York	2020-03-22	2020-06-13	83																						83
	Oregon	2020-03-24	2020-05-15	53																						53
	Wisconsin	2020-03-24	2020-05-13	50																						50
Venezuela		2020-03-17	2020-05-13	57																						57	National
Vietnam	Nationwide	2020-04-01	2020-04-22	21																						21
	Da Nang				2020-07-28	2020-09-05	39																			60	City
	Hai Duong				2021-02-16	2021-03-02	14																			35	Province, Chi Linh city lockdown began from 28 January.
	Bac Ninh				2021-05-18		23																			23	4 districts and 1 city
	Bac Giang				2021-05-18		23																				6 districts
Zimbabwe		2020-03-30	2020-05-02	33																						33	National
Notes

In Asia

South Korea

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in South Korea

The first confirmed case of the coronavirus was identified with a 35-year-old Chinese woman on 20 January. The first South Korean national to be infected occurred three days later was a 55-year-old man who worked in Wuhan and returned for a checkup with flu symptoms. The two infection reports were publicly released on 24 January. The sixth patient was the first case in South Korea who had never visited Wuhan. The 56-year-old man caught the virus when visiting a restaurant with the third patient.

Coronavirus infection prevention tips banner in Seoul, South Korea

A woman, who had returned from Thailand after a five-day vacation, was tested positive and confirmed as the sixteenth case on 4 February. Three more cases were confirmed on 5 February, bringing the total case count to 19. The seventeenth and nineteenth patients had attended a conference in Singapore and been in contact with an infected person there. The very same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Korea (KCDC) announced that the second patient had been released from hospital after being tested negative in consecutive tests, becoming the country's first coronavirus patient to fully recover.

On 19 February, the number of confirmed cases increased by 20. On 20 February 70 new cases were confirmed, giving a total of 104 confirmed cases, according to the KCDC. According to Reuters, KCDC attributed the sudden jump to 70 cases linked to "Patient No. 31", who had participated in a gathering in Daegu at the Shincheonji Church of Jesus the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony.

On 20 February, the streets of Daegu were empty in reaction to the Shincheonji outbreak. A resident described the reaction, stating "It's like someone dropped a bomb in the middle of the city. It looks like a zombie apocalypse." The first death was reported in a mental ward of Cheongdo Daenam Hospital in Cheongdo County. According to the mayor of Daegu, the number of suspected cases as of 21 February was 544 among 4,400 examined followers of the church. The hospital was suspected as the source of the present outbreak after it was visited by a woman who became the second fatal case of Korea on that day. The infection spread outside via a funeral ceremony attended by members of the church.

All South Korean military bases were on lockdown after tests confirmed that three soldiers were indeed positive for the virus. Airlines cut connections and cultural schedules were being cancelled due to fears of further spread. United States Forces Korea raised the alert level from low to moderate and cut off non-essential travel to and from USFK Daegu. USFK Daegu's school facilities were closed and non-essential personnel were ordered to stay at home while any visitors going there were not allowed to enter. USFK announced that the widow of a retired soldier who was in Daegu was diagnosed to be positive for the virus on 24 February. Camp Humphreys enacted virus detection protocols, including temperature checks and raised the alert level to high. On 26 February, an American soldier based at Camp Carroll was diagnosed to be positive and was quarantined away from bases via off-base housing unit with contact tracing done that showed his movements to Camp Walker.

The near-empty arrival hall of Seoul–Incheon International Airport in South Korea on 6 March

As of 22 February, among 9,336 followers of the church, 1,261 reported symptoms. At the time, 169 confirmed cases involved the church and another 111 came from the Cheongdo Daenam Hospital. 23 February saw another 123 cases with 75 being from Shincheonji and 24 February saw 161 additional cases with 129 being from the religious group. Over 27,000 people have been tested for the virus with 19,127 negative results.

On 24 February 15 countries imposed travel restrictions to and from South Korea. It was also reported that a senior health official overseeing the COVID-19 efforts in Daegu tested positive and was also a member of Shincheonji. Within a few days, a petition to the nation's president urging for the disbandment of the church had over 750,000 signatures. Their headquarters in Gwacheon was raided by law enforcement; government officials said all 245,000 members of the religious group would be found and tested. On 28 February, over 2,000 confirmed cases were reported, rising to 3,150 on 29 February.

North Korea

North Korea: Coronavirus victim shot dead North Korea officially denies any infection within its borders, but news reports estimate at least 180-200 deaths among the army alone, not counting those among the civilian population. There is no estimate of those merely infected. Army commanders are punished for any deaths in the ranks.

India

Main articles: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in India and 2020 India coronavirus lockdown

The Indian government airlifted 324 of its citizens from China on 31 January and 1 February via Air India special chartered flights. After Pakistan's refusal to evacuate its students from Wuhan, the Indian government offered to support them with evacuation along with citizens of other neighbouring countries. On 17 February, India announced a special C-17 Globemaster flight carrying medical supplies to support China in Wuhan and evacuating citizens of India and neighbouring countries. India eventually evacuated 647 people including citizens of Maldives and Bangladesh.

On 15 March, after a video conference of SAARC leaders, PM Narendra Modi allocated ₹74 crore (US$10 million) of funds classified as COVID-19 Emergency Fund for the SAARC countries.

As a precautionary measure, India had closed all of its international land borders as of March 16.

On 22 March, the Government of India decided to completely lockdown 82 districts in 22 states and Union Territories of country where confirmed cases have been reported till 31 March. Essential services and commodities were to continue. 80 cities including major cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur, Varanasi and Raipur were also put under lockdown. On 24 March, the government announced a nationwide lockdown for 21 days, starting from 25 March, till 14 April 2020.

Iran

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran

Disinfection of Tehran subway wagons against coronavirus

Iran reported its first confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections on 19 February 2020 in Qom, where according to the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, both had died later that day.

Early measures announced by the government included the cancellation of concerts and other cultural events, sporting events, and Friday prayers, closure of universities, higher education institutions and schools, and allocated 5 trillion rials to combat the virus. President Hassan Rouhani said on 26 February 2020 that there were no plans to quarantine areas affected by the outbreak, and only individuals would be quarantined. However, Shia shrines in Qom remained open to pilgrims.

Iran became a center of the spread of the virus after China. Amidst claims of a cover-up of the extent of the outbreak in the country, over ten countries have traced their cases back to Iran, indicating that the extent of the outbreak may be more severe than that admitted by the Iranian government. The Iranian Parliament was shut down, with 23 of the 290 members of parliament reported to have had tested positive for the virus on 3 March. A number of senior government officials as well as two members of parliament have died from the disease.

Japan

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Japan

On 27 February 2020, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe requested that all Japanese elementary, junior high, and high schools close until early April to help contain the virus.

The outbreak has been a concern for the 2020 Summer Olympics which is scheduled to take place in Tokyo starting at the end of July. The Japanese government has thus been taking extra precautions to help minimise the outbreak's impact.

Philippines

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the Philippines

The first COVID-19 death outside China occurred in the Philippines on 21 January.

On March 9, 2020, President Rodrigo R. Duterte suspended classes in all levels in Metro Manila from 10 to 15 March. The class suspension in Metro Manila was extended to April 12, following the decision of concerned authorities to raise the COVID-19 alert level in the country to Code Red Sublevel 2. Work in the executive branch of the government was also suspended for the same period as part of the Stringent Social Distancing Measures in the National Capital Region (NCR), with the directive for the concerned government agencies to form skeletal forces to ensure the delivery of basic services. Congress and the Judiciary were encouraged to do the same. Agencies providing law enforcement services, health services, and emergency services were enjoined to continue to operate at full capacity.

Other salient directives, contained in a resolution adopted by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and announced by the Philippine President on March 12, at the Heroes Hall in Malacañan Palace, included, the prohibition of mass gatherings that could strain the resources of the host community, imposition of community quarantine over Metro Manila, and encouragement of flexible work arrangements for the private sector among others.

A memorandum containing the guidelines for stringent social distancing measures and the management of COVID-19 in the National Capital Region was issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea by order of the president on March 13. Among the directives embodied in the memorandum were suspension of classes and all school activities until April 14, prohibition of mass gatherings, imposition of strict social distancing during essential meetings and religious activities, and provisions for alternative and/or flexible work arrangements.

On March 16, the president signed Proclamation No. 929 declaring a state of calamity throughout the country for a period of six months, bringing into effect the price control of basic needs and commodities, granting of interest-free loans, distribution of calamity funds and hazard allowance for public health workers and government personnel in the fields of science and technology.

President Duterte also placed the island of Luzon under "enhanced" community quarantine on March 16 that further restricted the movement of people through the suspension of mass public transport and the closure of non-essential establishments. Business Process Outsourcing and export-oriented businesses were allowed to continue operation subject to certain conditions. Relevant government agencies were ordered to provide social amelioration measures. Following the sharp increase of confirmed cases, President Duterte called Congress to a special session to "authorize the President to exercise powers necessary to carry out urgent measures to meet the current national emergency related to the Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19).”

In Europe

Italy

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy

Civil Protection volunteers carrying out health checks at the Guglielmo Marconi Airport in Bologna

The outbreak was confirmed to have spread to Italy on 31 January 2020, when two Chinese tourists tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in Rome. In response, the Italian government suspended all flights to and from China and declared a state of emergency, with Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stating that Italy is the first EU country to take this precautionary measure. On 31 January, the Italian Council of Ministers appointed Angelo Borrelli, head of the Civil Protection, as Special Commissioner for the COVID-19 Emergency. A unassociated cluster of COVID-19 cases was later further detected starting with 16 confirmed cases in Lombardy on 21 February, an additional 60 cases on 22 February, and Italy's first deaths reported on the same day.

The Ministry of Health announced new guidelines for reporting cases on 27 February in response to the previous blanket testing that caused case numbers to surge and inflamed public panic. It would no longer report asymptomatic cases (swabs taken from patients which tested positive but were not showing symptoms) which counted as 40 to 50% of all reported cases at the time. These people would undergo isolation at home and would be followed up with new tests until they were negative.

On 22 February, the Italian Council of Ministers announced a new decree law to contain the outbreak, including quarantining more than 50,000 people from 11 different municipalities in northern Italy. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said "In the outbreak areas, entry and exit will not be provided. Suspension of work activities and sport events has already been ordered in those areas." Punishments for violating of the lockdown range from a fine of 206 euros to 3 months imprisonment. Italian military and law enforcement agencies were instructed to secure and implement the lockdown.

On 3 March, Chinese authorities reported that on March first and second, eight virus victims who had returned to the county of Qingtian, in East China's Zhejiang province, were suffering from the virus. All eight appear to have acquired Covid-19 in the northern town of Bergamo, Italy, a virus-ravaged municipality, where they had worked at a restaurant, Qingtian officials said. Chinese authorities called these "backflow cases" — virus carriers who contract the disease outside China, then bring it back to their homeland.

On 4 March, the Italian government ordered the full closure of all schools and universities nationwide as Italy reached 100 deaths. Additionally, all major sporting events, including Serie A football matches, would be held behind closed doors until April. On 9 March, all sport was suspended completely for at least one month.

Main article: 2020 Italy coronavirus lockdown

On 21 February, at least ten towns in the Lombardy and Veneto regions of Italy, with a total population of 50,000, were locked down in quarantine procedure following an outbreak in Codogno in Lombardy. Police mandated a curfew closing all public buildings and controlling access through police checkpoints to the so-called 'red zone' which is enforced by penalties for violations ranging from a €206 fine to three months of imprisonment against trespassers who are not health or supply workers. The government of Giuseppe Conte said that sending in the armed forces to enforce the lockdown was a possibility. The governor of Basilicata, Vito Bardi, instituted a mandatory 14-day quarantine for people arriving from areas in northern Italy affected by the outbreak on 24 February. On the same day, 500 extra police officers were assigned to patrol the quarantined areas in Lodi and Veneto.

On the morning of 8 March 2020, Conte said that much of Italy's northern territories, including Milan and Venice, would be quarantined within their region. Conte said the country was locking down all of the populous Lombardy region, with movement restrictions applying to about 16 million people. This will be the most aggressive response taken in any region beyond China, and will paralyse the wealthiest parts of the country as Italy attempts to constrain the rapid spread of the disease. On 8 March 2020, there have been 7,375 confirmed cases, and 366 deaths in Italy.

On the evening of 9 March 2020, the quarantine was expanded to all of Italy.

France

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in France

On 24 January 2020, the first case of COVID-19 in France was confirmed in Bordeaux.

On 16 March 2020, President Macron announced a nationwide lockdown for 15 days starting on 17 March midday, through a decree prohibiting all but essential outings.

Germany

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Germany

At the end of January 2020, the first cases occurred in Bavaria in direct connection with the outbreak in Wuhan, China. After initial stagnation, several other cases were reported in different locations. During carnival in February, Heinsberg in Northrhine Westfalia was most affected, and case numbers steadily increased. By the second week of March, all federal states were affected and the first fatality was reported. As of March 28, 2020 the incidence was highest in the city state of Hamburg, followed by Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The Robert Koch Institute recommended an initial strategy of containment, until more cases would occur than could be traced back to an known case. The next phase of the epidemic, namely community transmission, was assumed to have begun first in Heinsberg, where a strategy of protection of vulnerable groups was adopted.

Greece

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Greece

On 26 February, the first case in Greece was confirmed, a 38-year-old woman from Thessaloniki who had recently visited Northern Italy. Within the next days, health and state authorities issued precautionary guidelines and recommendations, while measures up to that point were taken locally and included the closure of schools and the suspension of cultural events in the affected areas (particularly Ilia, Achaea and Zakynthos). Various municipalities around the country began disinfecting schools. The Greek National Public Health Organization (NPHO), in collaboration with local authorities and doctors, is tracking and testing everyone who came in close contact with the confirmed carriers.

By 10 March, with 89 confirmed cases and no deaths in the country, the government decided to suspend the operation of all schools, universities, daycare centers and all other educational establishments nationwide and then, on 13 March, to close down all cafes, bars, museums, shopping centres, sports facilities and restaurants in the country. On 16 March, all retail shops were also closed and all services in all areas of religious worship of any religion or dogma were suspended. Supermarkets, pharmacies, food outlets that offer take-away and delivery only as well as some other businesses remained open. On 18 and 19 March, the government announced a series of economic measures of more than 10 billion euros to support the economy, businesses and employees.

On 22 March, the Greek authorities announced significant restrictions on all nonessential transport and movement across the country, starting from 6 a.m. on 23 March. Movement outside the house is permitted only for specific reasons that include moving to or from the workplace, shopping for food or medicine, going to the bank, visiting a doctor or assisting a person in need of help and walking a pet or exercising outside individually or in pairs. Citizens leaving their home are required to carry their police ID or passport, as well as some type of attestation depending on the purpose of travel.

Spain

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain

On 31 January 2020, the first case was confirmed when a tourist tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 in La Gomera, Spain. On 14 March, due to the increased number of cases, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared a state of alarm, placing all citizens in quarantine except for those working in healthcare or other vital activities, closing all non-critical businesses, and only allowing citizens to go outside for activities such as grocery shopping or walking a pet.

United Kingdom

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom

On 24 March 2020, the United Kingdom brought in "some of the most far-reaching curbs on personal freedom ever introduced" in peacetime, including a three-week lockdown of the country. This included a ban on public gatherings of more than two people (excluding those one lives with) and the closing down of all non-essential businesses.

In the Americas

United States

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States

On 28 January 2020, the American government made public the approach to COVID-19 testing which it developed. Despite doing so, the United States proceeded to have a slow start in testing, which obscured the true extent of the outbreak at the time. The American federal government produced 160,000 test kits in February, but many were found to be defective and thus not utilized. Although academic laboratories and hospitals had developed their own tests, they were not allowed to use them until February 29, when the FDA started issuing approvals for them and private companies. Furthermore, restrictive criteria on who would be eligible for COVID-19 testing were put in place until early March. Those eligible were (a) people who had recently traveled to certain countries affected by the outbreak, or (b) people with respiratory illness serious enough to require hospitalization, or (c) people who have been in contact with a person confirmed to have COVID-19. Only on March 5 did the CDC relax the criteria to allow doctors discretion to decide who would be eligible for tests. By February 27, fewer than 4,000 tests were conducted in the United States, reported The Washington Post. By March 13, the number was fewer than 14,000, reported The Atlantic.

On 31 January 2020, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation limiting entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of all aliens who were physically present within the People's Republic of China, excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States.

In the Pacific Northwest state of Washington, the first six confirmed deaths in the United States were reported in late February 2020, with two deaths and an outbreak at a Life Care Centers of America elderly care in Kirkland, Washington, affecting residents, staff, firefighters, and nursing students. Washington governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency on 28 February after a man there died of COVID-19, the first such reported death in the United States. Florida governor Ron DeSantis also declared a state of emergency. On 4 March, California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency after the first death within state borders, in addition to 53 confirmed cases within the state.

Major US corporations have imposed employee travel restrictions. Twitter "suspend[ed] all non-critical business travel and events". Facebook cancelled its F8 developer conference. Goldman Sachs cancelled all "non-essential" travel and put in place specific restrictions on travel to China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran. Amazon, who confirmed an employee in the Seattle area tested positive for COVID-19, banned nonessential employee travel. Nike closed its Oregon headquarters and its European headquarters in Amsterdam "out of an abundance of caution". As required by regulation, large American banks are reviewing emergency plans to ensure that they can continue to operate if conditions worsen; contingency plans include having employees work from their homes, transferring staff to backup offices and even sending staff to offices in other cities. Some companies, including Microsoft, GitHub, and Square, Inc., have also encouraged employees to work from home.

Over a dozen schools in the Seattle area cancelled classes on 3 March for disinfection and other precautionary measures. On 6 March, the University of Washington cancelled in-person classes. The Seattle-based university is home to 50,000 students. Multiple public and private schools outside New York City have closed as a result of the virus, including the Westchester County public school districts of Hastings-on-Hudson, Mount Vernon, Yonkers, etc. All schools within the Elk Grove Unified School District in the Sacramento area shut down on 7 March after a case of the virus appeared in Elk Grove.

By 8 March 2020, the number of deaths in the US had risen to 22, with over 500 cases reported.

Some Americans seem resentful at being asked to worry, and believe that COVID-19 appears no worse than the flu.

Costa Rica

Since the start of the pandemic, the Ministry of Health, together with the Government, were in charge of informing the general population through a daily press conference. By March 6, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 is registered after several results obtained by INCIENSA (Costa Rican Institute of Research and Teaching in Nutrition and Health). The 49-year-old American woman was isolated, along with her husband in a San José lodging. There were 2 previous suspected cases under investigation. The positive patient arrived with her husband on Sunday, March 1 without symptoms, at the Juan Santamaría airport, they visited Alajuela and Puntarenas, so investigations were carried out from these areas to follow up on contacts, as well as 152 people traveling on the flight that brought them to the country.

On March 9, Due to the nine confirmed cases of COVID-19, the Ministry of Health in coordination with the National Emergency Commission (CNE) reported that from March 10, events and concentration activities are canceled massive, both free and paid, while teleworking for public institutions is instructed through the Presidential Directive.

The President Carlos Alvarado and the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas announced, on March 12, preventive closings to educational centers at risk, the reduction in 50% of the approved capacity of public meeting spaces and suspension of trips abroad for public employees. A telephone line is created for inquiries about COVID-19.

On March 15, the Ministry of Health made the decision to instruct a total lockdown placing all citizens in quarantine except for those working in healthcare and delivery restaurant and food services. The closure of bars, clubs and casinos and the amusement park was informed. By this date 35 confirmed cases of COVID-19 are registered in the nation.

On March 16, The Government declares a state of National Emergency, prevents the arrival of foreigners and lessons are suspended in all schools. Costa Ricans and residents who entered the country will have to carry out mandatory preventive isolation for 14 days. 41 cases are confirmed.

The first death of a patient confirmed by COVID-19 is recorded by March 18. This is an 87-year-old man who was hospitalized in intensive care at the Alajuela Hospital.

By March 31, were registered 8 in intensive care and 347 people were infected. 4 people recovered.

In Oceania

Fiji

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Fiji

At the beginning of February, the Government of Fiji announced a travel ban to China. As the disease started spreading to other countries, Fiji extended the travel ban to Italy, Iran and South Korea.

However, on 19 March, Fiji confirmed its first case of COVID-19 in Lautoka. As a precautionary measure, the Government of Fiji announced the lockdown of the city until 7 April 2020 and the travel ban was further extended to the United States and the whole of Europe including the United Kingdom. Later on 2 April, the Government announced a lockdown of Suva, after confirmed cases in the capital.

As the cases rose, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama announced a nationwide curfew from 8pm to 5am and social gatherings was banned. Schools and non-essential services was closed and the public was advised to stay at home and practice good hygiene.

New Zealand

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in New Zealand

On 28 January, the Ministry of Health set up the National Health Coordination Centre (NHCC) in response to the outbreak. On 3 February, the New Zealand Government announced that foreign travellers who left from China would be denied entry to New Zealand, with only New Zealand citizens and permanent residents and their family being allowed to enter.

New Zealand confirmed its first case of Covid-19 on 28 February, a New Zealand citizen in his 60s who had recently visited Iran. The travel ban was extended to include Iran on the same day.

17 March: Health Minister David Clark announced that the Government would deport foreign tourists who flout self-quarantine restrictions. Immigration New Zealand placed two foreign tourists into forced quarantine for defying Government requirements to self-quarantine for two weeks. Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced a NZ$12.1 billion Covid-19 business package. Logan Park High School in Dunedin closed for 48 hours after one of its students tested positive for the coronavirus.

18 March: The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association announced that all Anzac Day services, scheduled for 25 April, would be cancelled.

19 March: The government required the cancellation of mass indoor events with more than 100 people. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the closure of New Zealand's borders to all but New Zealand citizens and residents, with effect after 11:59 pm on Thursday night.

21 March: Local councils in New Zealand's main centres announced the closures of public facilities including swimming pools, libraries, recreation centres, community centres, art galleries, and museums.

23 March: Prime Minister Ardern raised the Covid-19 alert level from two to three and announced the closure of all schools beginning on that day. The Government also announced that they would raise the national alert level to four at 11:59pm on 25 March, which would lead to a nationwide lockdown, for a period of four weeks. While all sporting matches and events as well as non-essential services such as pools, bars, cafes, restaurants, playgrounds are required to close in 48 hours, essential services such as supermarkets, petrol stations, and health services will remain open.

In Africa

South Africa

Main article: 2020 coronavirus pandemic in South Africa

Greenmarket Square in Cape Town, South Africa seven days before (left) and on the first day (right) of the COVID 19 national lockdown. After the lockdown the market stall traders that normally setup on the square everyday are not present and only people exempt from the lockdown (security personnel and municipal employees) can be seen.

President Cyril Ramaphosa declared that South Africa would undergo a national lockdown, for a period of 21 days, from 26 March to 16 April 2020. This drastic measure was intended to help keep the viral infection rate as low as possible and save lives.

See also

Coronavirus disease 2019 portal

• Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on sports
• Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on religion
• Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on education