Days 328-354: Timeline Part II

The COVID-19 Timeline: Courtesy of MSNBC

April 1 Spain recorded its deadliest day of the outbreak, as 864 new fatalities were reported in the past 24 hours. The country’s total number of confirmed cases also topped 100,000.

April 1 Wimbledon tennis tournament was canceled.

April 1 Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf placed the entire state under a stay-at-home order, as the number of confirmed cases hit 5,805 with at least 74 deaths. April 1 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order for the entire state after weeks of resistance. Florida reported nearly 7,000 confirmed cases and 87 deaths. April 1 West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced that the state's primary will be delayed until June 9. April 1 The governors of Mississippi and Georgia announced new shelter-in-place orders for their states. April 1 The death of a 6-week-old baby was linked to the coronavirus, in what was thought to be one of the youngest coronavirus-related fatalities of the pandemic. April 1 Chinese officials announced new lockdown guidelines for all villages in the country’s central Jia county, in an effort to avoid a second wave of coronavirus infections. April 2 Spain’s death toll topped 10,000, making it only the second country in the world to reach the grim milestone. Only Italy had more deaths at 13,555. April 2 The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Iran surpassed 50,000. The country’s death toll also rose to 3,160. April 2 The head of the European Commission announced that Italy will be the first country to receive financial help from the European Union to aid with the economic impact from the pandemic. April 2 The U.S. Department of Labor released new figures that showed a record 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits the previous week, a sign of the pandemic’s mounting toll on the U.S economy. Read more April 2 Thailand announced plans for a six-hour curfew, from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. local time, until further notice, in a bid to control the virus’ spread. April 2 Russian President Vladimir Putin extended the country’s nationwide work-from-home guidance until the end of April. April 2 Deaths in New York surpassed 2,000, while confirmed cases rose to 92,381. April 2 The Democratic National Committee postponed its summer convention in Milwaukee from July to the week of August 17. Read more Daniel Acker / Bloomberg via Getty Images file April 2 Coronavirus deaths in the U.S. topped 5,000, as confirmed cases nationwide rose to 232,837. April 2 Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced a statewide stay-at-home order. April 2 The number of coronavirus cases worldwide surpassed 1 million, with more than 51,000 deaths globally, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. April 3 Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced plans to close schools and most workplaces for a month. The country had more than 1,000 confirmed cases and five deaths. April 3 The U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will scrap the oral argument schedule, which included nine cases, for the rest of the term. Read more April 3 Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey ordered residents who aren't essential workers to stay at home unless getting takeout food, groceries or gas. April 3 The White House and the CDC recommended Americans wear cloth face coverings in public to prevent the spread of the virus. Read more April 3 Montana Gov. Steve Bullock issued a directive allowing the state’s June 2 primary to be conducted by mail in an effort to limit the spread of the coronavirus. April 3 Death toll in the U.S. climbed to more than 7,000, as the number of confirmed cases nationwide rose to more than 275,500. April 4 South Korea extended the country’s “strengthened social distance” for two more weeks, ending on April 19. April 4 Egypt’s health officials urged residents to stay at home for a week, until April 10, urging people to not "leave the house for any reason … not even to buy bread." The country had almost 1,000 confirmed cases and 66 fatalities. April 4 New York reported 10,841 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, a record, bringing the state’s total to 113,704. The number of deaths since the previous day also rose by 640, bringing the total number of fatalities to 3,565. April 4 The U.K. reported more than 700 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 4,313, while the number of confirmed cases rose to 41,903. April 4 The Coral Princess cruise ship, which had been stranded at sea with at least 12 people with coronavirus aboard, arrived at Port Miami in Florida. The ship was carrying a total of 1,020 passengers and 878 crew. Marco Bello / Reuters April 4 New Jersey reported 200 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the state’s total number of fatalities to 846. The state, the second worst-hit in the U.S., also recorded 34,124 confirmed cases. April 4 More than 150 crew members of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier whose captain was relieved of command after raising concerns about the coronavirus tested positive. More than 1,500 sailors on the USS Theodore Roosevelt were moved ashore after a letter written by Capt. Brett Crozier was leaked. Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas V. Huynh / U.S. Navy April 4 The total number of coronavirus cases in the United States climbed to more than 300,000, as the number of deaths nationwide topped 8,000. April 4 Dubai entered an extended two-week lockdown, as the UAE reported a total of more than 1,500 confirmed cases. April 5 Italy reported a total of more than 15,000 deaths nationwide, but health officials said the number of new infections seemed to be leveling off after weeks of a countrywide lockdown. April 5 Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II gave a rare address to the nation about the coronavirus pandemic, as deaths in the U.K. surpassed 4,300. Buckingham Palace via AFP - Getty Images April 5 Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani said “low-risk” economic activities would resume on April 11, but schools, universities and religious venues will remain closed until April 19. The country, the worst-hit in the Middle East, had 58,226 confirmed cases and 3,603 deaths. April 5 The daily death toll in Spain fell for the third day in a row, but Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced plans to extend lockdown measures by 15 days until April 26. Spain recorded more than 12,400 deaths from the coronavirus. April 5 Deaths in New York topped 4,000, as the number of confirmed cases in the state rose to 122,031. Read more April 5 U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was taken to the hospital for tests, more than a week after he tested positive for coronavirus. April 5 The number of daily coronavirus deaths in Italy fell to the lowest level in more than a week. Italy reported 525 deaths from the day before, bringing the country’s total number of fatalities to 15,887. April 6 Spain’s coronavirus death toll declined for the fourth day in a row. A total of 637 new deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, the lowest number recorded since April 1. April 6 Austria’s government announced plans to slowly re-open shops, hotels and restaurants as the country attempts to start returning to normal life. The country reported more than 12,000 coronavirus cases and 204 deaths. April 6 Italy’s coronavirus death toll topped 16,000, as 636 new deaths were reported in the country, a spike that brought Italy’s total number of fatalities to 16,523. April 6 Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed an executive order suspending all in-person voting for the state’s April 7 primary and moved the date of the election to June 9. Hours later, the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the governor, siding with the Republican-controlled legislature that had appealed his order. April 6 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was transferred to the intensive care unit at a London hospital after his COVID-19 symptoms worsened. Read more April 6 Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a new executive order extending the state's stay-at-home measures for another 14 days. April 6 South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster ordered the state’s 5 million residents to stay home, becoming the last state east of the Mississippi River to issue such a coronavirus-related mandate. South Carolina had 2,232 confirmed cases and 48 deaths. April 6 The coronavirus death toll in the U.S. surged past 10,000. April 6 France reported its highest 24-hour death toll since the pandemic began. The country recorded 833 new deaths in the past day, bringing France’s total number of fatalities to 8,911. April 6 China reported its first day with no coronavirus deaths since the outbreak began. April 7 Germany, which had maintained a low number of deaths, reported a rise in its fatality rate from 0.5 percent to 1.6 percent. The country’s health officials said the uptick was likely due to an increase in outbreaks in retirement and nursing homes, as well as at risk groups in hospitals. April 7 The Israeli government imposed a complete nationwide lockdown over the Jewish Passover holiday. April 7 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a month-long state of emergency following a sharp rise in confirmed coronavirus cases. April 7 The U.S. reported 1,200 new deaths in one day, bringing the country’s total coronavirus deaths to 10,906. Read more April 7 Wisconsin’s primary election went on as planned despite the state being under stay-at-home orders. Read more Angela Major / Janesville Gazette via AP April 7 New York saw its "largest single-day increase" in deaths, with the state’s fatalities rising by 731 in the past 24 hours. The state had 138,836 confirmed cases and 5,489 total deaths. April 7 The U.K. recorded its highest daily death toll since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak with 786 news deaths recorded in a single day. The country had 55,242 confirmed cases and more than 6,000 total fatalities. April 7 New York City suffered its deadliest 24 hours of the coronavirus pandemic, after a spike of 806 new fatalities brought the city’s total death toll to more than 4,000. April 7 France reported its highest one-day death toll since the coronavirus outbreak began with 1,417 new fatalities, bringing the country’s total number of deaths to 10,328. April 8 Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country, declared a state of emergency due to the nation's coronavirus outbreak. April 8 Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson remained in intensive care, but was "responding to treatment,” according to a spokesperson. April 8 New York suffered its highest single day of deaths with 779 new fatalities in the past 24 hours. Despite the grim milestone, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said there were signs that the state appears to be slowing down the virus' spread. Cuomo also announced that all voters in the state will be able to cast absentee ballots in the June 23 Democratic primary election. April 8 Britain reported a record number of deaths in hospitals, after 938 new fatalities in the past day brought the country’s total to at least 7,097. April 8 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced plans to delay the state's primary elections from June 2 to July 7 due to the coronavirus pandemic. April 9 The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York reached 151,598, more than any country except the United States. Read more April 9 Indonesia reported its biggest daily jump in coronavirus deaths, bringing the country’s total number of fatalities to 280, with 3,293 total confirmed cases. April 9 Another 6.6 million American workers filed first-time unemployment claims for the week ending April 4, bringing the cumulative total to 16 million over the past three weeks. Read more April 9 Second coronavirus vaccine trial began in the U.S. Read more Center for Pharmaceutical Research via AP April 9 Georgia delayed its presidential primary again until June 9. It had been scheduled for March 24 originally and was first pushed back until May 19. April 9 New York reported 799 deaths from coronavirus in one day, its highest daily toll yet in the pandemic, bringing the state’s total number of fatalities to 7,067. April 9 Pennsylvania emerged as a coronavirus hotspot after a surge in new cases. The state reported a total of 18,228 cases statewide and 338 deaths. April 9 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved out of the intensive care unit but remained hospitalized. April 9 California saw its first daily decrease in intensive care hospitalizations during the coronavirus outbreak, in addition to declines in the rate of all virus hospitalizations. April 9 The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended indefinitely the government's March 14 no-sail order for cruise ships. April 9 Spain extended state of emergency measures until April 26. April 10 Turkey’s coronavirus death toll topped 1,000. April 10 The global coronavirus death toll crossed 100,000, according to a tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University. April 10 Apple and Google announced a rare partnership to try to use smartphone technology to trace the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more April 10 The World Health Organization warned that a premature lifting of lockdown restrictions by countries fighting the coronavirus could spark a “deadly resurgence." April 10 The U.K. reported 980 new coronavirus deaths in hospitals, higher than the deadliest day in Italy, bringing the country’s total death toll to 8,958. April 11 The number of coronavirus deaths in Spain fell for a third consecutive day, with 510 fatalities reported in the past 24 hours — the smallest overnight increase since Mar. 23. The country’s total death toll rose to 16,353 and confirmed cases climbed to more than 160,000. April 11 Iran began reopening government offices and businesses after a nationwide lockdown to control the spread of the virus, which killed more than 4,300 people in the country. April 11 The United States surpassed Italy in the number of coronavirus deaths, becoming the worst-hit country in the world. Deaths in the U.S. totaled 18,860 people, compared to 18,849 in Italy, according to a tally from Johns Hopkins University. April 11 Wyoming became the final state to receive a major disaster declaration, meaning such declarations were in effect for every state in the country. April 11 Coronavirus deaths in the United States passed the 20,000 mark, with over a half million confirmed cases nationwide. More than half of the deaths were concentrated in three states: New York, with 8,627; New Jersey with 2,183; and Michigan, with 1,392. April 11 Coronavirus cases spiked aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt more than a week after its captain, Brett Crozier, was relieved of duty for sounding the alarm about an outbreak on the ship. A U.S. Navy sailor assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt would later die of coronavirus complications on April 13. April 11 Mainland China reported 99 new coronavirus infections, more than doubling from the previous day to reach a one-month high. The country’s number of new, single-day imported cases also hit a record high. April 12 Saudi Arabia’s King Salman extended a nationwide curfew indefinitely, as the country’s confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 4,033, with 52 deaths. April 12 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson left the London hospital where he was being treated for COVID-19 to continue his recovery at home. Read more April 12 The world's first competitive, professional baseball game to be played after the start of the pandemic was held in Taiwan. The game between the Uni-President Lions and the Chinatrust Brothers was played inside an empty stadium. April 12 New York City, the hardest-hit city in the U.S., saw its death toll surge past 6,000. The city’s health officials reported at least 6,182 fatalities. April 13 The Supreme Court announced it would hear half of the remaining cases of the term by telephone conference call — a first in the court’s history — with the justices and the lawyers calling in remotely. April 13 New York state’s coronavirus death toll surpassed 10,000, after the daily fatality count rose by 671. April 13 Italy’s death toll surpassed 20,000. Only the U.S. had more fatalities, with 22,673 nationwide deaths. Spain, the third hardest hit country, reported 20,465 deaths. April 13 The governors of several northeastern states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, outlined the first steps each state will take towards easing lockdown restrictions. The Democratic officials said each state would form a panel of experts to monitor the outbreak in the region and help devise a plan to slowly reopen parts of each state. April 13 Spain’s minister of health said the country reached the apex of the coronavirus outbreak, with nearly 170,000 confirmed cases and more than 20,000 deaths. Though the lockdown remained in effect, the country allowed some non-essential workers to return to work, but only if they could not perform their job duties from home. April 13 French President Emmanuel Macron extended the country’s coronavirus lockdown measures until May 11. France reported more than 98,000 confirmed cases and 14,967 deaths. April 13 The governors of three West Coast states, Washington, Oregon and California, announced that they would work on a shared approach to reopening their economies, April 13 The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that about 80 million Americans will begin to receive their coronavirus payments. William Thomas Cain / Getty Images file April 13 Wyoming reported its first coronavirus-related death, meaning all 50 states had at least one fatality in the pandemic. Nationwide, there were more than 22,000 deaths and more than half a million confirmed cases. April 13 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the first saliva test to diagnose COVID-19. The test initially will be available through hospitals and clinics affiliated with Rutgers University in New Jersey. Read more Rick Bowmer / AP April 14 Some Italian businesses, including bookstores, stationery stores and those selling children’s clothes, were permitted to reopen. Read more Yara Nardi / Reuters April 14 India extended the nationwide lockdown for its 1.3 billion residents until May 3, as the number of confirmed cases in the country surpassed 10,000. April 14 Austria began lifting coronavirus restrictions, allowing shops to open for the first time since mid-March. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz urged others to continue working from home and wearing masks to curb new infection. The country recorded 368 deaths since the outbreak hit Europe. April 14 Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that the Senate will not reconvene until May 4. April 14 President Trump announced plans to halt funding for the World Health Organization, accusing the agency of "severely mismanaging and covering up" the coronavirus crisis. Trump previously threatened to cut off funding after the WHO criticized his response to the epidemic. Read more April 15 South Korea’s parliamentary elections proceeded amid the pandemic, after the government resisted calls to postpone the general election. April 15 The Tour de France, due to start on June 27, was postponed. The sport’s ruling body, The Union Cycliste Internationale, announced that the race will now take place from Aug. 29 to Sept. 20. April 15 Organizers of the Cannes Film Festival announced that the event will not take place this year in "its original form" due to the pandemic. April 15 The number of coronavirus cases around the world topped 2 million, according to a tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University. April 15 Demonstrators in Michigan clogged the streets around the state Capitol, protesting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s stay-at-home orders. A similar demonstration against coronavirus lockdown measures was previously held in Ohio on April 13. Read more Joshua A. Bickel / Columbus Dispatch via USA TODAY NETWORK April 16 President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines for reopening the U.S. that puts the onus on governors for making decisions about their own state economies. Read more April 16 The government in the Chinese city of Wuhan added 1,290 people to its COVID-19 death toll, bringing the number of deaths there now to 3,869. Read more April 16 Aircraft manufacturer Boeing said it would resume plane production starting the week of April 20th at its Washington state facilities in a "phased approach," after operations had been suspended due to the coronavirus epidemic. Read more April 16 Officials across the U.S. are racing to provide coronavirus tests to diagnose infections and to identify recovered patients with antibodies that may help others battle the disease. Read more April 16 Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced his intention to "start opening Ohio back up," saying the first phase of the planned reopening would begin on May 1. April 16 Seven midwestern governors announced they are forming a regional pact to plan for the reopening of their respective economies. April 16 The small business loan program is officially out of cash: The Small Business Administration said in a statement that it had run out of money for the Paycheck Protection Program. April 16 An anonymous tip led to the discovery of 17 bodies crowded into a four-person morgue at one of New Jersey’s largest nursing homes. Read more Stefan Jeremiah / Reuters April 16 Japan extended its coronavirus state of emergency, in place in seven regions including Tokyo and Osaka, to cover the rest of the country, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said. April 16 The president of the European Commission — the executive branch of the European Union — offered an apology to Italy on Thursday, saying the country did not receive adequate help at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. April 16 While hand-washing with soap and water has been advocated worldwide to keep the coronavirus at bay, some 74 million people in the Middle East lack access to a sink, soap or basic water facilities at home, a United Nations report found. April 16 The latest jobless claim numbers were announced: Around 5 million more people filed for first-time unemployment claims in the week ending April 11, as the job market in every sector of the economy continued to be devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. Read more April 17 Serbia instituted a full lockdown for the Orthodox Easter weekend, with residents under a strict curfew. The country had around 5,000 confirmed coronavirus cases. April 17 Comic-Con 2020 was canceled for the first time in its 50-year history. April 17 Health officials in New York City estimated that the city’s coronavirus death toll surpassed 12,000. The city’s death toll jumped in recent days as a result of the inclusion of “probable” fatalities in daily tallies. April 17 NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the league will withhold 25 percent of player pay starting with their May 15 checks. Silver added that games that were not played due to the pandemic will not be rescheduled and said it remains impossible to make any decisions about whether to resume the remainder of the season. April 17 President Trump encouraged anti-lockdown groups in a series of tweets calling to “liberate” Minnesota, Michigan and Virginia. Read more April 17 Hawaii Gov. David Ige ordered the state's beaches to close. The state reported 553 confirmed cases and 9 deaths. April 17 Florida reopens certain beaches, South Carolina reopens certain boat ramps as states begin to loosen restrictions. Read more April 17 A federal judge Friday night ruled that Tennessee has to continue allowing abortions amid a temporary ban on nonessential medical procedures that’s aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. Read more April 18 Deaths mount in certain places: Los Angeles County health officials said Saturday they recorded the largest daily tally of coronavirus deaths, 81. The U.K.'s National Health Service announced that 888 people have died from COVID-19-related issues since Friday. April 18 More than 700,000 people in the United States have tested positive for coronavirus. The U.S. leads all countries in reported deaths with 36,734. April 19 Shake Shack, one of several large restaurant chains that secured federal loans through the coronavirus stimulus law meant to help small businesses, said that it is giving all $10 million back. Read more April 19 The federal agency that oversees nursing homes announced new transparency measures requiring the disclosure of coronavirus cases to patients' families and public health officials. Read more April 19 Europe reached a somber marker, surpassing 100,000 coronavirus deaths across the continent, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. Read more Marco Di Lauro / Getty Images file April 20 UNICEF appealed for an additional $92.4 million to help fight the coronavirus pandemic in the Middle East and North Africa, and to aid children in these conflict-battered regions. April 20 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that children aged 12 and under will be allowed to leave their homes after five weeks under lockdown, but maintained that the country’s strict social-distancing measures would otherwise remain in effect until at least May 9. April 20 Smaller shops in Germany, including bookstores, bicycle shops and car dealerships, began to reopen as the country eased some of its coronavirus restrictions. April 20 Iran lifted some of its lockdown restrictions, allowing some shops and inter-city roads to open. April 20 The Navajo Nation, which sprawls across three states, reported 1,197 positive coronavirus cases, a per capita infection rate 10 times higher than Arizona and the third-highest infection rate in the country behind New York and New Jersey. Read more April 20 Chinese officials spoke out against President Trump's remarks about suspicions that the coronavirus outbreak originated from a laboratory in the city of Wuhan. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang called the remarks irresponsible, and said they spread conspiracy theories and politicize the crisis. April 20 The NYC Pride March was canceled for the first time in a half-century, along with all in-person events leading up to the annual June event. Read more April 20 The Department of Homeland Security announced that it would continue its travel restrictions with Canada and Mexico for another 30 days. April 20 New York’s daily death toll dropped below 500 for the first time since April 2. April 20 Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced he would not extend the state's stay-at-home order and plans on reopening businesses next week. The state reported 7,238 confirmed cases and 152 deaths. April 20 Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced that the first phase of reopening businesses in the state will begin on April 24. There were 18,947 confirmed cases and 733 deaths due to coronavirus in the state of Georgia. April 20 South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced plans to reopen many non-essential businesses effective immediately, and said beaches in the state would reopen the next day. South Carolina reported 4,439 confirmed cases and 124 deaths due to coronavirus. April 20 Oil prices plunged into negative territory as global demand plummeted. Read more April 20 President Trump said that he is temporarily suspending immigration to the United States in response to the coronavirus pandemic and the "need to protect jobs." Read more April 20 Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that a second wave of the coronavirus is bound to be much worse next winter. The comments came during an interview with The Washington Post. April 21 German officials canceled Oktoberfest, which was scheduled to be held from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, amid concerns of spreading the coronavirus. April 21 Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said some coronavirus restrictions could be lifted on May 4. The country, one of the worst hit in the world, had 24,114 deaths and more than 181,000 cases. April 21 Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tightened coronavirus restrictions following a spike of over 1,100 new COVID-19 cases. April 21 Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced that larger shops and service-based businesses like hairdressers will be allowed to reopen on May 1. April 21 Spain's San Fermin bull run was canceled because of the pandemic. The event has only been canceled four other times in history; in 1937 and 1938 for the Spanish civil war, in 1978 following clashes between police and Basque nationalists, and in 1997 after the assassination of a Spanish politician by the ETA separatist group. April 21 Milwaukee’s health commissioner said officials identified seven people who appear to have contracted the coronavirus through activities related to the April 7 election in Wisconsin. Read more Daniel Acker / Reuters file April 21 Hundreds of protesters gathered at state capitols in North Carolina and Missouri to protest stay-at-home orders. Read more Robert Willett / The News & Observer via AP April 21 The Senate passed a nearly $500 billion interim coronavirus bill that includes additional money for the small business loan program as well as for hospitals and testing. Read more April 21 Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said that the state won’t be able to lift many of the stay-at-home restrictions implemented to fight the coronavirus by May 4, when the current directive is set to expire. April 21 Officials in Silicon Valley reported two virus-related deaths that predate a Washington state fatality previously believed to be the first victim of COVID-19 in the United States. Read more April 22 Texas’ ban on abortions prompted by the coronavirus pandemic ended, and clinics said they were resuming services. Read more April 22 A top official at Health and Human Services says he was ousted from his job this week for pushing back on demands that he sign off on a coronavirus treatment that was advocated by the president. Read more April 22 Illinois reported a new daily high in coronavirus cases, 2,000, as experts project the state will peak in mid-May. Illinois has more than 35,000 cases reported in the state, the sixth-most in the country. April 22 Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman offered up her 650,000 constituents as a "control group" against shutdown orders while bitterly complaining that her tourism-reliant city is being economically ravaged. Read more Denise Truscello / Getty Images file April 22 Gov. Kevin Stitt announced plans to reopen businesses across Oklahoma beginning on April 24, using the three-phase plan issued by the White House as its guide. Nate Billings / The Oklahoman via AP April 22 Tyson Foods suspended operations at an Iowa plant that is critical to the nation's pork supply but had been devastated by a growing coronavirus outbreak. Read more Jeff Reinitz / The Courier via AP file April 22 Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government Tuesday accusing it of lying about the danger posed by the coronavirus when it first emerged in late 2019. April 23 President Donald Trump suggested exploring disinfectants as a possible treatment for COVID-19 infections — an extremely dangerous proposition that could kill people, medical experts warn. Read more April 23 The House passed a nearly $500 billion interim coronavirus bill that includes additional money for the small-business loan program, as well as for hospitals and testing, making way for the legislation to become law by the end of the week. Read more April 23 The coronavirus death toll in New York City surpassed 15,000. April 23 New jobless claims numbers showed another 4.4 million Americans filed claims in the week ending April 18th. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 26 million people have requested unemployment benefits. Read more April 24 China’s National Health Commission reported no new confirmed or suspected cases for 20 consecutive days in Hubei province. China also reported no new COVID-19 deaths for the ninth straight day, and the country’s total number of active coronavirus cases was less than 1,000. April 24 The manufacturer for Lysol, a disinfectant spray and cleaning product, issued a statement warning against any internal use after President Trump suggested people could get an "injection" of "the disinfectant that knocks (coronavirus) out in a minute." Read more April 24 Coronavirus cases surged in the central Indian state of Maharashtra, after 778 new cases were recorded in the past day. The country, which has been under lockdown since March 24, had a total of 22,930 confirmed cases. April 24 The Food and Drug Administration cautioned against prescribing hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial touted by President Trump, to COVID-19 patients outside of hospital settings or clinical trials. Buda Mendes / Getty Images April 24 The number of coronavirus deaths in the U.S. topped 50,000. April 24 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said polls will be open for the June 23 primary, but residents will have the option of voting absentee. April 24 President Trump signed a nearly $500 billion interim coronavirus bill that includes additional money for the small-business loan program, as well as more funding for hospitals and testing. April 24 Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee outlined his plans for businesses across the state to reopen starting next week — but he acknowledged that the state will not be enforcing the measures to make sure businesses are following them. April 24 Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam signed an executive order pushing back local elections scheduled for May 5 until May 19. April 24 Hundreds of Amazon tech and fulfillment center employees called out sick, rallying virtually to protest what they say are unsafe and unethical working conditions. Read more Kevin Mohatt / Reuters April 24 Thousands of protestors assembled on the Wisconsin Capitol, expressing opposition to the extended stay-at-home order put in place by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Protesters at the Capitol building in Madison, Wis., on April 24, 2020. Daniel Acker / Reuters April 24 Medical officials in Rio de Janeiro and at least four other major cities in Brazil warned that their hospital systems are on the verge of collapse. President Jair Bolsonaro has downplayed the outbreak despite the country’s nearly 53,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,600 deaths. April 24 Hundreds of people who live in Poland and work in Germany protested in the southwestern Polish border town of Zgorzelec against a mandatory coronavirus quarantine for those who cross the border. Cross-border workers stage protest at Polish-German border demanding to be exempt from the mandatory quarantine during the coronavirus outbreak on Friday. Krzysztof Hadrian / Agencja Gazeta via Reuter April 25 China reported no new coronavirus deaths for the tenth consecutive day. April 25 India and Pakistan eased lockdown restrictions for some businesses. The Indian government allowed a limited reopening of small businesses in residential areas and Pakistan extended its nationwide lockdown until May 9 but allowed some industrial and commercial activities to begin under safety guidelines. April 25 Sri Lanka reimposed a countrywide 24-hour curfew after a surge of 46 new infections. The island country’s total number of confirmed cases was 420, including seven deaths. April 25 The U.K.’s coronavirus death toll surpassed 20,000, making it the country with the fifth-highest virus death toll in the world, after the U.S., Italy, Spain and France. April 25 Hawaii Gov. David Ige extended the state’s stay-at-home order and the mandatory quarantine for visitors through May 31. April 25 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced an easing of lockdown restrictions that allow children under 14 one hour of supervised outdoor activity per day between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., within around a mile of their homes. April 25 China announced that there are no remaining coronavirus cases in the hospitals in Wuhan, the city where the global pandemic began. April 25 The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that there were more than 30,000 reported cases of coronavirus on the continent of Africa. South Africa had the continent’s most COVID-19 cases with 4,361 reported cases, followed by Egypt, Morocco and Algeria. April 26 Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte announced that professional sports teams can resume training on May 18, while individual sports can resume practice on May 4. April 26 The board chairman of Tyson Foods said in a full-page advertisement published in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that "millions of pounds of meat" will disappear from the national supply chain as the coronavirus outbreak forces food processing plants to shutter. April 27 New Zealand announced that it will lift some of its strictest coronavirus restrictions. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said residents will be permitted to reconnect with close family, bring caregivers into the home and some people will be allowed to return to work. April 27 U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to work after recovering from COVID-19. April 27 Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said construction workers and factories will restart in Italy on May 4. Public parks will reopen subsequently, followed by restaurant takeout and delivery services. Conte’s phased plan included shops, museums, exhibitions and public libraries reopening on May 18, and hairdressers, bars and restaurants opening on June 1. Schools in Italy will remain closed until September. April 27 Iran announced plans to loosen restrictions in some parts of the country. Iran, one of the worst-hit countries in the Middle East, had more than 91,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and around 5,800 deaths. April 27 Hospitals in Switzerland reopened for outpatient and non-urgent procedures as the country began easing measures put in place to contain the coronavirus outbreak. April 27 Russia said it surpassed China in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases since the outbreak began. Russia reported a total of 87,147 infections across the country, with significant day-on-day growth over the past two weeks. April 27 The total number of global coronavirus cases topped 3 million, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally. April 27 Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine laid out the mandatory requirements for reopening retail establishments in the state, scheduled to begin May 12. The requirements include rules for both employees and customers to wear masks or other face coverings in consumer and retail establishments. April 27 The CDC expanded the list of recognized COVID-19 symptoms to include chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste and smell. Read more April 27 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he will allow the state’s stay-at-home order to expire on April 30. Retail establishments were also given the green light to resume business on May 1, including restaurants, shopping malls and movie theaters. April 27 Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he is seeking to overturn a ruling by a judge who issued a restraining order against the extension of his stay-at-home order. April 27 President Trump announced a new federal coronavirus testing "blueprint" to aid governors in ramping up capacity as a handful of states begin lifting stay-at-home restrictions. April 27 The head of the World Health Organization warned that the coronavirus pandemic was "far from over," expressing concern about growing outbreaks in Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America and some Asian countries. April 27 JetBlue Airways became the first U.S. airline to announce that all passengers will have to wear a face covering on flights. April 28 The Hong Kong government announced plans to resume public services in phases starting May 4, after no new cases were reported for three consecutive days in the semi-autonomous city. Public services include the reopening of outdoor facilities such as tennis courts and jogging tracks. April 28 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an extension of a nationwide self-isolation order until May 12. April 28 The total number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. reached 1 million, and the nationwide death toll rose to 57,071. April 28 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy reported 402 new coronavirus deaths, a record single-day high for the state. The total number of deaths for New Jersey was 6,442 with 113,856 confirmed cases. Meanwhile, fatalities in the neighboring state of New York continued to drop. April 28 French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe announced that as of May 11, all stores and shops will be able to open, excluding cafes and restaurants. Some students within elementary schools will also be able to return as of May 11, with older students and high schools slated to return later. April 28 Vice President Mike Pence toured the Mayo Clinic's coronavirus testing labs but courted controversy for ignoring the Minnesota hospital's rules that all occupants wear a mask. Vice President Mike Pence tours Mayo Clinic facilities supporting COVID-19 research and treatment in Rochester, Minn., on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 Nicholas Pfosi / Reuters April 28 California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a four-phase plan to reopen the state's economy but did not give specific dates for when the stages might kick in. The first businesses to open under the plan include manufacturing, retail stores where curbside pick up is possible and public spaces including some parks. April 28 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said it will allow movies that debuted on streaming services to be eligible for an Oscar, the first such decision in its history. The temporary change applies for the award ceremony that will be held on Feb. 28, 2021. April 28 Coronavirus deaths in New York City surpassed 17,000, but health officials reported that daily fatalities were falling. April 29 China announced that its Parliament will start its annual session on May 22, offering another sign that life in the country is returning to normal. The session was originally scheduled for March 5. April 29 Spain announced a four-phase plan to return to normality by the end of June. The initial phase, which includes reopening hairdressers and other businesses that operate via appointment, will begin on May 4, though Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said there will be variations between provinces. April 29 Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the risk of a second coronavirus outbreak was "very concrete" as the country emerged from Europe's longest lockdown. April 29 The results of a large study hinted at the potential benefit of an experimental COVID-19 drug called remdesivir. Gilead Sciences, which makes the drug, said full results would be published "in the coming weeks." Read more April 29 New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced that state parks and golf courses will reopen to the public on May 2. The governor also recommended people wear face masks in public. April 29 President Trump said there will be a "fading out" of the federal guidelines aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus that were set to expire on April 30. April 29 Health authorities across six Bay Area counties loosened the shelter-in-place orders, allowing for the resumption of some business and recreational activities under the existing social distancing requirements. April 29 The number of U.S. coronavirus deaths surpassed 60,000. April 29 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a plan to lift the state's stay-at-home orders, slated to go into effect on May 4 in every county except Dade, Palm Beach and Broward counties, where most of the Covid-19 cases in the state have been reported. Read more April 29 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said the city will begin offering free coronavirus tests to all residents no matter if they have symptoms or not. April 29 More than 50 people who voted in person or worked the polls during Wisconsin’s presidential primary tested positive for COVID-19, state health officials announced. April 29 Iraq tightened restriction measures to contain the spread of the virus by expanding its curfew and imposing a fine for those who refrain from wearing masks or ignore social distancing measures.

April 30 Russia reported a record 7,099 new coronavirus infections, bringing the country’s total number of cases to more than 100,000. Russia’s total number of fatalities also rose to 1,073. April 30 South Korea reported no new domestic virus cases for the first time since February, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. April 30 Around 3.8 million more workers in the U.S. filed for first-time employment benefits last week, bringing the national jobless total to 30 million — or around 18 percent of the workforce. Read more April 30 Germany continued to ease lockdown measures, after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that church and religious services will be allowed to take place and playgrounds, galleries, museums, and zoos will be allowed to reopen. Concerts and major sporting events, however, will remain closed. April 30 The World Health Organization said it is “urgently” investigating a potential link between the coronavirus and Kawasaki syndrome, an illness of unknown cause that primarily affects children under 5. Read more Desiree Martin / AFP - Getty Images April 30 A Navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, departed New York City, a month after it was sent to relieve stress on local hospitals. The Comfort treated just 182 people as a surge in cases in the city fell short of the worst-case projections. Mike Segar / Reuters April 30 Russia's Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin tested positive for the coronavirus. Mishustin informed President Vladimir Putin of the result during a video conference. April 30 Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said shelter-in-place orders for most of the state will not be extended after they expire at 11:59 pm ET that night. April 30 California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered beaches south of Los Angeles closed after "disturbing" pictures emerged of thousands flocking to Orange County's coast and not social distancing. The city council in Huntington Beach later voted to authorize the city attorney to take legal action against the state for the beach closures. April 30 Hundreds of Michigan residents protested outside the state Capitol building in Lansing, with some pushing inside while the Legislature was debating an extension of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s state of emergency in response to the pandemic. Read more April 30 Hawaii Gov. David Ige said florists in the state will be allowed to open May 1 as the state marks its annual Lei Day, despite statewide stay-at-home restrictions. May 1 Beijing’s parks and museums, including the ancient Forbidden City, reopened to the public. The Chinese city downgraded its level of emergency response to the virus but temperature checks and social distancing remain in force. May 1 Employees of Target, Whole Foods, Amazon, Instacart, FedEx and Walmart staged “sickout” protests over coronavirus safety. The demonstration coincided with International Workers' Day, also known as May Day. Read more Stephanie Keith / Getty Images May 1 The CEO of Gilead Sciences, the maker of an experimental drug for treating COVID-19, said the company is moving very quickly with the FDA on possible emergency authorization to get the drug, remdesivir, to patients. Read more May 1 Russia reported a record number of new coronavirus cases for the third day in a row, with 7,933 new infections confirmed, bringing the country’s total number of cases to close to 115,000. Russia became the eighth hardest hit country in the world in terms of the number of confirmed cases. Nationwide, Russia recorded 1,169 coronavirus deaths, which is low among countries with that many cases. May 1 India extended its nationwide lockdown for another two weeks after it was originally set to end May 4. The country reported more than 35,000 cases and 1,147 confirmed deaths from the virus. May 1 South Africa began easing lockdown restrictions, allowing some sectors, including food deliveries, to restart operations with limited staff. The country reported 5,647 coronavirus cases and 103 deaths. May 1 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that all schools and colleges in the state will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year. Read more May 1 The field hospital at New York City's Jacob K. Javits convention center closed after the facility’s last coronavirus patients were discharged. Nearly 1,100 patients were treated at the convention center to help alleviate strain on the city's hospitals. May 1 The Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for remdesivir, the drug that has shown promise in early clinical trials to help people with severe COVID-19. May 1 The NBA postponed its draft lottery and combine because of the coronavirus pandemic. No new dates were set. Read more May 1 A California Superior Court judge rejected a request to block Gov. Gavin Newsom's directive that beaches in Orange County must remain off-limits during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more Protestors gather in a demonstration in Huntington Beach, California on May 1, 2020. Apu Gomes / Getty Images May 1 Washington Gov. Jay Inslee extended the state’s "stay home, stay healthy" order through May 31, but he also outlined how the state may allow some businesses to reopen. Inslee said businesses and other events will be reopened in four phases, adding that protocols for these efforts would be ready by mid-May. May 1 Mississippi reported its highest single-day increases in coronavirus cases and deaths. The state health department reported 397 new cases of COVID-19 and an additional 20 deaths, bringing the total number of deaths since March 11 to 281. Gov. Tate Reeves was prepared to announce more re-openings of businesses but held off on relaxing rules after the new cases and deaths were reported. May 1 India mandated that all public and private sector employees use a government-backed Bluetooth tracing app and maintain social distancing in offices, as the country's capital New Delhi began easing some of its lockdown measures in lower-risk areas. May 2 Authorities in Singapore announced plans to ease some restrictions over the next few weeks. Select activities such as home-based businesses, laundry services and barbers will be allowed to operate from May 12. Some students will also be allowed to go back to schools in small groups from May 19. May 2 China reported just one new infection and no deaths for the fifth day in a row. May 2 South Korea reported six new coronavirus cases, continuing a month-long streak of fewer than 100 new cases, daily. The new figures brought the country’s total number of cases to 10,780 with 250 virus-related deaths. May 2 Pakistan recorded its highest single day increase in new infections with 1,297 new cases reported, bringing the total in the country of 220 million people to 18,114. May 2 China’s central province of Hubei, where the coronavirus was first detected, lowered its emergency response level from the highest to the second-highest, in the latest relaxation of lockdown restrictions. May 2 Spain's coronavirus death toll surpassed 25,000. The total number of coronavirus cases in the country also rose to 216,582. May 2 The number of reported coronavirus cases on the continent of Africa surpassed 40,000, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. South Africa had the continent’s highest number of coronavirus cases — 6,000 — followed by three North African countries: Egypt, Morocco and Algeria. Lesotho was the only African country with no reported cases. May 2 Protesters carried guns and at least one Confederate flag to the Kentucky Capitol to rally against Gov. Andy Beshear's stay-at-home order and his phased approach to gradually reopening the economy. Similar protests were also held in Ohio. May 2 Eurostar, the high-speed train international rail service, announced that passengers could be refused service unless they wear face masks. May 3 Russia reported 10,633 new cases, its highest ever daily rise in confirmed virus infections, bringing the country’s total to 134,686. The nationwide death toll also rose to 1,280. More than half of the new cases were reported in the country's capital, Moscow. May 3 South Korea reported no new coronavirus deaths for the first time since February. May 3 Travel in China surged as residents flocked to tourist sites during a five-day holiday that began May 1. May 3 Spain’s health ministry reported 164 new coronavirus deaths, the lowest number of fatalities in the country in almost seven weeks. The total number of deaths in the country rose to 25,264, while the total number of confirmed cases rose to 217,466. May 3 Vienna Airport announced that it will offer onsite coronavirus testing to enable passengers entering Austria to avoid having to be quarantined for 14 days. May 3 Italy recorded 174 new coronavirus fatalities, the country’s lowest daily death toll since March 10. The daily number of new cases also declined to 1,389 from 1,900 the day before. Italy's total death toll since the outbreak came to light on Feb. 21 stood at 28,884, the second highest in the world after the United States. May 3 Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro attacked Congress and the courts in a speech to hundreds of supporters, as the number of coronavirus cases in the country surpassed 100,000. May 4 Japan extended its state of emergency until May 31. The country recorded 510 deaths from the virus and more than 15,000 infections. May 4 Swiss drugmaker Roche won emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an antibody test to determine whether people have ever been infected with the coronavirus. Read more May 4 Around 4 million Italians returned to work after Italy eased some conditions of the country’s eight-week lockdown. May 4 Experts from around the globe announced Monday a case definition for a new inflammatory disorder in children, dubbed pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, that is likely linked to COVID-19. A handful of cases had been reported in the New York area and in the U.K. May 4 U.S. regulators pulled back a decision that allowed scores of coronavirus antibody tests to hit the market without first providing proof that they worked. Read more May 4 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that schools in the state will remain closed for the remainder of the academic year. May 4 South Korea's government announced that it will set up 1,000 clinics to treat potential coronavirus patients in the coming months in preparation for a possible second wave of COVID-19 this fall and winter. The country also announced plans to reopen schools starting next week. May 4 Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said he is allowing in-room and outdoor dining at restaurants and relaxing rules about outside gatherings. May 5 The Spanish soccer league, La Liga, said players will begin training this week and the organization aims to restart matches in June. May 5 Russia reported more than 10,000 new cases of the coronavirus for three days in a row, making it the world's second-fastest growing outbreak behind the U.S. The country had 155,370 confirmed cases and 1,451 deaths. May 5 Singapore continued to see a rising number of cases, with most coming from foreign workers living in dormitories. The city-state recorded 18,778 confirmed infections, among the highest caseloads in Asia. May 5 The World Health Organization said that a report that COVID-19 had emerged in December in France, sooner than previously thought, was "not surprising," and urged countries to investigate any other early suspicious cases. May 5 Researchers at Pfizer and New York University said they are working on a never-before-tried coronavirus vaccine that could be available by September. Read more May 5 A federal judge ruled that New York state must hold its Democratic primary in June, which was canceled over coronavirus concerns. The order placed Sen. Bernie Sanders and other former 2020 candidates back on the ballot. Read more May 5 During a visit to a mask factory in Phoenix, President Trump said he plans to wind down the White House coronavirus task force. Read more May 6 The Walt Disney Company announced that Disneyland in Shanghai, China, will reopen on May 11 with limited capacity and advanced reservations. May 6 Some students in Wuhan, China, were allowed to return to school for the first time since the city, where the virus is believed to have originated, was locked down. Students in Wuhan return to their classrooms on Wednesday for the first time since the lockdown began. AFP - Getty Images May 6 A forecast from the European Commission suggested that the European economy will contract by a record 7.5 percent this year in "a recession of historic proportions" brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. May 6 The Indonesian government announced that it had postponed its 2020 regional elections. May 6 President Trump announced that the White House coronavirus task force will now continue indefinitely, a day after he confirmed that he planned to wind the task force down. Read more ....gloves, gowns etc. are now plentiful. The last four Governors teleconference calls have been conclusively strong. Because of this success, the Task Force will continue on indefinitely with its focus on SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN. We may add or subtract people .... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 6, 2020 May 6 German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Germany's Bundesliga will become the first major football league to resume matches later this month after it was suspended in March over coronavirus concerns. May 6 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he will relax some rules put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, allowing curbside retail and opening up trails, but he also said travelers at Los Angeles International Airport will be required to wear masks. May 6 A man held at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center near the U.S.-Mexico border died of coronavirus-related illness, becoming the first coronavirus death among detainees in federal immigration detention. Read more May 6 One of President Donald Trump’s personal valets at the White House has tested positive for the coronavirus. Read more May 6 A 57-year-old man from El Salvador became the first person to die from COVID-19 in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention. Read more May 7 The World Health Organization said that the coronavirus could kill between 83,000 and 190,000 in Africa in its first year if not contained. Read more Jerome Delay / AP May 7 A Pentagon memo says that a COVID-19 diagnosis “permanently” disqualifies recruits from joining the military. Read more Sandy Huffaker / Getty Images file May 7 The luxury department store chain Neiman Marcus filed for bankruptcy protection, the second major retailer after J.Crew to seek reorganization this week as the industry buckles under widespread store closures. Read more Smith Collection/Gado / Getty Images May 7 Around 3 million more workers filed for unemployment benefits for the first time last week, down slightly from 3.8 million the previous week. Read more May 7 Russia's number of total confirmed cases of coronavirus overtook France and Germany, reaching 177,160 infections. Read more May 7 Vice President Mike Pence delivered boxes of personal protective equipment outside a nursing home with COVID-19 patients in Virginia — without wearing any himself. Read more Susan Walsh / AP May 8 The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they are investigating a small but growing coronavirus outbreak centered in a handful of Seoul nightclubs. May 8 China’s National Health Commission said it supports and will participate in the World Health Organization global initiative to develop COVID-19 vaccines. May 8 French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced in a televised address that France will gradually start to ease the country's lockdown on May 11. Paris, as well as several other regions that saw particularly high levels of infections, will remain a "red zone" where many restrictions will remain in effect. May 8 A monthly employment report released by the Department of Labor showed that the U.S. economy lost an unprecedented 20.5 million jobs in April, and the unemployment rate soared to 14.7 percent. Read more Nam Y. Huh / AP May 8 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released guidelines for manufacturers to develop kits for consumers to collect samples at home to be sent off to labs for COVID-19 testing. May 8 President Trump said he will get tested for coronavirus antibodies, after he was believed to have been in close contact with multiple people who have tested positive for the virus, including his personal valet. Read more Evan Vucci / AP May 8 Pakistan’s confirmed cases of coronavirus surpassed 26,000. While the country saw a rapid increase in the number of cases over the past month, with approximately 1,000 new cases reported per day in the last week, the government was moving forward with plans to ease lockdown restrictions. May 8 An aide to Vice President Mike Pence, press secretary Katie Miller, tested positive for the coronavirus, becoming the second administration staffer known to be infected with the virus in the past week. Read more May 8 Amtrak announced that its Acela line, which provides service between Boston and Washington, D.C., will resume on June 1. Passengers will be required to wear face coverings on board trains and in stations. May 8 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first test that uses saliva, rather than an uncomfortable nasal swab, to diagnose COVID-19. May 8 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the state has 73 cases of children developing symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease, a rare but potentially dangerous complication thought to be linked to the coronavirus. May 8 The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease began a trial looking at the effects of remdesivir combined with a second drug, called baricitinib, on treating COVID-19. May 8 Maine Gov. Janet Mills said retail stores and restaurants could begin reopening with restrictions over the next two weeks in certain rural counties where community transmission of coronavirus was not present. May 8 Dr. Deborah Birx was appointed by the White House to manage the distribution of remdesivir to hospitals nationwide, amid growing frustration among physicians who say they have been unable to access the drug for their sickest COVID-19 patients. Read more A sealed glass capsule of remdesivir during a news conference at the University Hospital Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany, on April 8, 2020. Ulrich Perrey / Pool via Reuters May 8 California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered election officials to mail all registered voters in the state a ballot that can be filled out at home before November’s election. May 8 Hawaii’s Department of Health reported no new cases of the coronavirus for the first time in nearly two months. The number of confirmed cases in the state remained at 629. May 8 The Miss America Organization announced that a competition will not be held this year. May 8 Baseball stadiums opened to a handful of fans in Taiwan. Fans wore masks and were spread sparsely throughout stands to watch a game between the Chinatrust Brothers and the Fubon Guardians. Fans cheer at Xinzhuang Baseball Stadium in New Taipei City, Taiwan, on May 8, 2020. Chiang Ying-ying / AP May 8 Roy Horn, half of the famed magic and entertainment duo Siegfried & Roy, died of complications related to coronavirus at the age of 75. Read more Illusionists Roy Horn, left, and Siegfried Fischbacher pose in this recent promotional photo taken in Las Vegas in 2014. Wayne Seale / NBC file May 8 U.S. Food and Drug Administration Director Stephen Hahn started two weeks of self-quarantine after coming into contact with a person who has coronavirus. May 8 Washington state allowed more businesses to resume, but data from modelers showed the infection rate began to creep back up in April, Gov. Jay Islee said. May 8 A federal court halted the Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s temporary ban on mass gatherings from applying to in-person religious services, clearing the way for Sunday church services. May 8 Government officials said Madrid and Barcelona will progress to the next phase of Spain's exit from one of Europe’s strictest lockdowns, allowing bars, restaurants and places of worship to reopen in some areas starting May 11. May 8 Thousands of cyclists took over streets in the center of the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, to protest coronavirus restrictions put in place by Prime Minister Janez Jansa's government. May 9 South Korea reported 18 new coronavirus cases linked to nightclub-goers. The new infections marked a return to two-digit figures, but the country marked its third day in a row with no new reported deaths. May 9 Pakistan began lifting the weeks-long lockdown that was enforced to curb the spread of the coronavirus, while authorities reported another big jump of 1,637 cases in the past day, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 27,474. May 9 Russia recorded 10,817 new coronavirus cases, marking the country’s seventh day in a row with 10,000 or more new cases. May 9 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced emergency authorization for an antigen test with fast results developed by Quidel Corp. of San Diego. Read more May 9 Two more children in New York state died of an inflammatory syndrome believed to be related to the coronavirus, raising the toll to three. Read more May 9 White House officials said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control, will self-quarantine after possible exposure to COVID-19. Read more May 10 Confirmed coronavirus cases around the world surpassed 4 million, according to John Hopkins University data. The global death toll reached nearly 280,000. May 10 The premier of New South Wales, Australia’s biggest state and home to Sydney, announced that cafes and restaurants, playgrounds and outdoor pools will be allowed to reopen next week. May 10 South Korea reported its highest number of cases in a month, with 34 new infections recorded after a small outbreak emerged in the country’s capital linked to nightclub-goers. May 10 China reported its first double-digit rise in new cases in 10 days. The country's National Health commission announced 14 new cases, 12 of which were domestic infections and two from abroad. May 10 Japan's Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura said the government is looking to lift the state of emergency in “many of 34 prefectures” that are not among the hardest hit by the pandemic before the nationwide deadline of May 31. May 10 Lebanon’s churches welcomed worshippers for the first time in nearly two months, as the country continued to ease restrictions that were imposed in March. A worshipper lights a candle during mass at the Saint Nicolas Church in Beirut, Lebanon, on Sunday. Bilal Hussein / AP May 10 Russia’s coronavirus cases climbed above 200,000 after its highest daily tally of new cases. The country had a total of 209,688 confirmed cases, with 1,915 deaths attributed to COVID-19. May 10 Pope Francis called on leaders of European Union countries to work together to deal with the social and economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Pope Francis celebrating a private morning mass at the Santa Marta chapel in The Vatican on March 31, 2020. Vatican Media / AFP - Getty Images May 10 U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a road map for easing coronavirus lockdown restrictions that includes a five-level alert system. The announcement came as the country's death toll continued to rise to nearly 32,000. Read more May 10 Coronavirus fatalities in the U.S. surpassed 80,000. Among the states hardest hit by coronavirus deaths were New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Michigan, Connecticut and California. May 11 Shanghai Disneyland reopened to a reduced number of visitors after being closed for three months due to the coronavirus outbreak. May 11 A city in northern China, Shulan, went into lockdown after a cluster of 13 cases was reported in the past few days. Wuhan, the original epicenter of the outbreak, also registered its first cluster of cases since lockdown was lifted in April, sparking fears of a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic in the country. May 11 Russia confirmed more than 2,000 COVID-19 deaths, as the country’s outbreak grew to become the world’s third largest. Russia’s total number of confirmed cases rose to 221,344, surpassing Italy and the U.K. May 11 South Korea recorded a spike in new coronavirus infections with 35 new cases, though the country reported no new deaths from COVID-19 for the fifth straight day. May 11 Pakistan began lifting its coronavirus lockdown imposed in late March, as authorities reported another big jump of 1,637 new cases and 24 new fatalities. May 11 A German football club, Dynamo Dresden, sent its entire squad and coaching staff into a two-week quarantine after two players tested positive for coronavirus. The club plays in Bundesliga 2, which along with the first-tier league, is due to restart on May 16. May 11 Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., decided to go into self-quarantine for two weeks at home in Tennessee after one of his staffers tested positive for COVID-19. Alexander will chair the May 12 Senate health committee hearing on the response to the coronavirus by videoconference. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., speaks at a committee hearing on Capitol Hill on May 7, 2020. Anna Moneymaker / Pool via Reuters May 11 More than 80,000 third-year middle school students in Beijing resumed classes as China continued to lift lockdown measures. May 11 Colombia's national airline Avianca filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The 100-year-old airline follows others, including Virgin Australia and Flybe, into bankruptcy. May 11 France began to lift lockdown measures, allowing stores, factories and other businesses to reopen for the first time in eight weeks. Bars, cafes, restaurants, museums and cinemas remained closed. May 11 Parts of Spain eased lockdown restrictions as the number of new fatalities dropped to a near two-month low. Cities such as Madrid and Barcelona that have been particularly hard hit by the epidemic remained closed. May 11 Employees working in the office of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker in Chicago were ordered to work from home after a senior staff member tested positive for the coronavirus. May 11 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced an end to a federally mandated nationwide stay-at-home order, even as Russia was fast becoming Europe’s new COVID-19 hotspot. May 11 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that three upstate regions, Finger Lakes, the Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley, are ready to begin reopening on May 15. May 11 A report published by the CDC estimated that New York City’s death toll from the coronavirus may be thousands of fatalities worse than the tally kept by the city and state. May 11 Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced a four-phase approach to reopening the state's economy. Baker said the goal is to begin this process around May 18. All nonessential businesses have been closed in the state since March 23. May 11 Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he will allow the state’s stay-at-home order to expire on May 15. The first phase of the state's reopening will loosen certain restrictions currently impacting churches, restaurants, salons and gyms. With 2,242 coronavirus deaths, Louisiana was one of the hardest hit states in the U.S. May 11 The WHO warned that summer heat waves that are expected to hit Europe in the coming months will add to the risks facing those already vulnerable to coronavirus outbreak. May 12 China’s education ministry said more than 100 million students are back in classrooms, accounting for almost 40 percent of the country's students. May 12 Italy’s government accelerated plans to relax coronavirus lockdown measures, allowing bars, restaurants, hairdressers and barbers to open in the country from May 18. The government previously planned for these businesses to open on June 1. May 12 Dr. Anthony Fauci and other top Trump administration officials testified at a public Senate hearing about the coronavirus response and plans for people to return to work and school. Testifying by videoconference, Fauci warned of serious consequences if governors reopen state economies prematurely. Read more May 12 Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state news agencies that he has been hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. Peskov followed Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, who announced he was heading to a hospital on April 30 after testing positive. May 12 The Broadway League, an organization that represents theater owners and operators, announced that Broadway theaters in New York City will remain closed through Labor Day. May 12 The New York State Department of Health said it was investigating 100 cases of children experiencing symptoms similar to Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome due to the coronavirus. May 12 Los Angeles County’s public health director said that stay-at-home orders in the nation’s most populous county would be extended for another three months beyond the existing May 15 deadline. May 12 Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey announced that pro sports can resume a limited reopening in the state, but without fans. Read more May 12 USA Gymnastics postponed all "premier events" until 2021 because of the coronavirus epidemic. May 12 The Trump administration signed a $138 million deal with the makers of an innovative syringe designed to be used in developing countries in an effort to ramp up the nation’s capacity to administer a possible COVID-19 vaccine. The goal of the public-private initiative, called Project Jumpstart, is to facilitate the production of 100 million prefilled syringes by the end of 2020 and more than 500 million in 2021 in the event a vaccine becomes available. Read more ApiJect Systems America manufactures inexpensive, plastic pre-filled syringes. The company's CEO Jay Walker explained to NBC News how this technology will improve the U.S.' manufacturing capacity if and when there is a COVID-19 vaccine. NBC May 12 Mexico and Brazil both experienced their deadliest days as South America became a new global hot-spot for the coronavirus. Mexico reported 1,997 new cases and 353 additional deaths. Brazil recorded 881 confirmed new deaths from the virus. May 12 Saudi Arabia annouced that it will enforce a countrywide 24-hour curfew during the five-day Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday later in May to help stem the spread of the coronavirus. May 13 Thousands of people across England returned to work as the government partially eased coronavirus lockdown rules. According to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s reopening strategy, people were permitted to exercise outdoors with no time limit, as well as play golf or tennis, sunbathe, visit garden centers and see one non-household member. May 13 A 28-year-old sumo wrestler became the youngest person to die from the coronavirus in Japan, the country’s Ministry of Health announced. May 13 Dubai, the United Arab Emirates' business and tourism hub, began easing strict social-distancing measures by reopening public parks and allowing hotel guests to access private beaches. Mosques, cinemas and nightclubs remained closed. May 13 Brazil recorded its deadliest day for COVID-19 with 881 new fatalities. The country had more than 178,000 confirmed cases and the nationwide death toll passed 12,000. May 13 The FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's cybersecurity agency issued a stark and unusual warning asserting that China's efforts to hack health care and pharmaceutical companies pose a "significant threat" to the nation's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more May 13 Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said that armed protests at the state's Capitol over her stay-at-home order could lengthen the state's social-distancing restrictions. Read more May 13 Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that the state’s stay-at-home orders will be lifted on May 15, allowing some businesses to partially reopen. May 13 Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said he will let his stay-at-home order expire as scheduled on May 18, though key restrictions will be kept in place to keep up the state’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. May 13 The Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down the state's stay-at-home order as "unlawful, invalid and unenforceable" after finding the state's health commissioner exceeded her authority. Read more May 13 A United Nations report forecasted that the coronavirus pandemic will shrink the world economy by 3.2 percent this year, the sharpest contraction since the Great Depression in the 1930s. May 14 South Korean health authorities said they are aggressively working to increase contact tracing efforts after a recent spike in new coronavirus infections. The country reported 29 new cases in the past day. May 14 Japan lifted its state of emergency around much of the country with the exception of certain areas, including the country’s capital Tokyo. Japan recorded a total of 16,079 confirmed cases. May 14 The United Nations warned of a looming global mental health crisis as the world struggles to cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. May 14 Newly released figures showed that more than 2.9 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment claims last week, bringing the eight-week total to more than 36.5 million. May 14 The first confirmed coronavirus case was detected in a Bangladesh camp, home to more than 1 million Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar. May 14 Delta Air Lines announced that it is retiring its entire fleet of Boeing 777 jets as part of cost-cutting measures. May 14 An experimental coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University appeared to be effective at preventing COVID-19, according to findings from a small study in six monkeys. The preliminary findings were posted on the preprint server bioRxiv. Read more A researcher works on a vaccine against the new coronavirus Covid-19 at the Copenhagen's University research lab in Copenhagen, Denmark, on March 23, 2020. - May 14 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the Jersey Shore will be open by Memorial Day, but “with social-distancing guidelines in place.”

May 13 A United Nations report forecasted that the coronavirus pandemic will shrink the world economy by 3.2 percent this year, the sharpest contraction since the Great Depression in the 1930s.

May 14 South Korean health authorities said they are aggressively working to increase contact tracing efforts after a recent spike in new coronavirus infections. The country reported 29 new cases in the past day.

May 14 Japan lifted its state of emergency around much of the country with the exception of certain areas, including the country’s capital Tokyo. Japan recorded a total of 16,079 confirmed cases.

May 14 The United Nations warned of a looming global mental health crisis as the world struggles to cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

May 14 Newly released figures showed that more than 2.9 million Americans filed for first-time unemployment claims last week, bringing the eight-week total to more than 36.5 million.

May 14 The first confirmed coronavirus case was detected in a Bangladesh camp, home to more than 1 million Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar.

May 14 Delta Air Lines announced that it is retiring its entire fleet of Boeing 777 jets as part of cost-cutting measures.

May 14 An experimental coronavirus vaccine from Oxford University appeared to be effective at preventing COVID-19, according to findings from a small study in six monkeys. The preliminary findings were posted on the preprint server bioRxiv. Read more A researcher works on a vaccine against the new coronavirus Covid-19 at the Copenhagen's University research lab in Copenhagen, Denmark, on March 23, 2020. Thibault Savary / AFP - Getty Images file

May 14 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said the Jersey Shore will be open by Memorial Day, but “with social-distancing guidelines in place.”

May 14 The CDC released some of their long-delayed guidance that schools, businesses and other organizations can use as states reopen from coronavirus shutdowns. The “decision tool” documents apply for schools, workplaces, camps, childcare centers, mass transit systems, and bars and restaurants.

May 14 The New York Stock Exchange President Stacey Cunningham announced that the NYSE will reopen on May 26, with a "subset" of brokers — who will wear face masks — allowed back onto the trading floor.

May 14 The CDC issued a health alert to physicians about what has emerged as a rare but potentially deadly condition linked to COVID-19 in children. The illness, known as "multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children" or MIS-C, has been reported in at least 19 states and Washington, D.C. Read more

May 14 U.S. military officials said a Navy hospital ship, the USNS Mercy, will leave Los Angeles on May 15, although some medical personnel will remain in the area to help amid the coronavirus epidemic.

May 14 The FDA issued an alert warning that a common COVID-19 diagnostic test, the Abbott Labs' ID NOW point-of-care test used by hospitals across the country, could be giving inaccurate results. Read more

May 14 The Mississippi Gaming Commission said that casinos in the state can start reopening May 21.

May 14 Disney Theatrical Productions said it was shutting down its Broadway production of "Frozen" for good. The production had 851 performances since 2018 before it was shut down as a result of New York's ban on large gatherings that began on March 12.

May 15 China passed the one-month mark without announcing any new coronavirus deaths.

May 15 A model by the World Health Organization’s regional office for Africa predicted that approximately 22 percent of Africa's one billion population — or around 220 million people — will be infected in the first year of the coronavirus epidemic.

May 15 German states began loosening requirements on travelers entering the country, with North-Rhine Westphalia now allowing travelers from other E.U. states, as well as the U.K., Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway, to forego a 14-day quarantine following arrival.

May 15 Moscow health officials launched an antibody screening program to evaluate the population’s immunity levels. There were more than 260,00 confirmed coronavirus cases reported nationwide in Russia.

May 15 The U.S. Bureau of the Census released new figures showing that April retail sales in the country sank by 16.4 percent to their lowest level on record.

May 15 Chinese officials said all 11 million residents of Wuhan will be tested for the coronavirus, in a bid to avoid a second wave of infections. The country marked one month without any reported deaths from the disease. A medical worker takes a swab sample for COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. AFP - Getty Images

May 15 The medical journal The Lancet published a sharply worded editorial condemning the Trump administration's coronavirus efforts and calling on voters to choose a new president.

May 15 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said beaches in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Delaware will reopen the Friday before Memorial Day. Beaches will only open to 50 percent capacity and social distancing will be enforced.

May 15 President Trump announced a team of two men, Moncef Slaoui, the former head of pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline's vaccines division, and Gen. Gustave Perna, a four-star U.S. Army general, to lead his administration’s effort to develop a coronavirus vaccine, dubbed “Operation Warp Speed.” Read more

May 15 Officials in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, announced that restaurants, retail stores and other businesses will be allowed to reopen beginning May 18.

May 15 Five sailors on the U.S. aircraft carrier sidelined in Guam due to a COVID-19 outbreak tested positive for the virus for the second time and were taken off the ship. Read more

May 15 Researchers in France found evidence that the coronavirus may have been in the country in November, much earlier than anyone thought. The findings could be evidence that the virus was spreading in Europe two months before it had been officially identified in China. Read more

May 15 NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a letter to team executives that facilities can begin reopening May 19 in cities and states that will allow it. The reopening would generally prohibit coaches and players from being at the facilities, and on-site retail and ticket sales aren't yet allowed, Goodell said. Workers must undergo infection control training, and team facilities can only operate at 50 percent capacity, with a maximum of 75 people. Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks just before the NFL football draft on April 23, 2020. NFL via AP

May 15 J.C. Penney, the Texas-based retailer founded more than a century ago, filed for bankruptcy. Read more A parking lot at a JC Penney store is empty in Roseville, Michigan, on May 8. Paul Sancya / AP

May 15 Officials announced that residents of the Navajo Nation will be under the strictest weekend lockdown yet, with grocery stores, gas stations and other businesses closed and essential workers being told to stay home through the weekend. WIth 127 deaths and 3,632 positive cases, the Navajo Nation has been hit harder by the coronavirus than any other Native American reservation.

May 15 The House narrowly passed a $3 trillion coronavirus relief package crafted by Democrats that would include another round of stimulus payments of up to $1,200 per person. Read more Nancy Pelosi at her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday, May 14, 2020. Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images

May 16 Restaurants, pubs and cafes in Australia reopened to the public with limits on capacity and social-distancing measures in place.

May 16 India’s confirmed cases surpassed China’s, as India's Health Ministry reported a spike to 85,940 total infections and 2,752 deaths. In the last 24 hours, India also confirmed 3,970 new cases and 103 fatalities.

May 16 Thailand reported no new virus cases or deaths, as the country began reopening businesses and easing restrictions. It was the second day since March 9 that the country reported no new daily cases.

May 16 The Mayor of London urged people in the capital city to stay home over the weekend, despite a relaxation of lockdown measures across the United Kingdom. The U.K. had more than 238,000 cases and more than 34,000 deaths, the highest death toll in Europe, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

May 16 South Korean health authorities said a virus hotspot linked to a nightclub district in Seoul shows how difficult it is to contain the virus. At least 150 new cases were linked to the city's densely populated Itaewon district after recent easing of lockdowns.

May 16 Italy’s government announced that travel restrictions in the country will be eased, allowing people to move freely in the region where they live. International travel will also be reopened next month, officials said.

May 16 More than 500 beaches were reopened in Greece, but visitors were required to respect distancing rules. Greece had 2,800 confirmed coronavirus cases with 160 deaths.

May 16 The Republican National Committee said it is still planning an in-person convention in August in Charlotte, North Carolina, despite warnings from health officials about the potential risks of mass gatherings this summer. The RNC expects as many as 50,000 visitors to gather to re-nominate President Trump.

May 16 Thailand extended a ban on international passenger flights until the end of June. The country had 3,025 confirmed cases of the virus and 56 fatalities.

May 16 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state will reopen its horse-racing tracks on June 1, but events at all the tracks will be without fans.

May 16 Former President Barack Obama criticized “the folks in charge” for their response to the coronavirus pandemic in a commencement address, offering some of his most pointed condemnation of President Donald Trump’s administration.

May 16 Mexico reported 47,144 cases of coronavirus, with the country's death toll rising to 5,045, health authorities said.

May 16 New Orleans began loosening two months of restrictions on businesses, restaurants and houses of worship. The city restricted buildings to 25 percent of capacity and required restaurants, nail salons and other businesses to only take customers by reservation. Malls and retail stores could reopen, but casinos, video poker, live entertainment and bars remained closed.

May 16 Brazil's confirmed coronavirus cases surpassed those of Spain and Italy, making Brazil's outbreak the fourth largest in the world, according to official figures. Brazil’s Health Ministry registered 14,919 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 233,142, behind only the U.S., Russia and the U.K.

May 16 China reported five new cases of the virus, as the commercial hub of Shanghai announced the reopening of some schools and airlines revived flights.

May 16 Pakistan resumed domestic flights between major cities for the first time in nearly two months. International flights will remain suspended till May 31.

May 16 Sri Lanka reimposed a strict 24-hour curfew over the weekend even though the government had begun easing the two-month coronavirus lockdown. Private businesses and government offices reopened last week, but authorities imposed a new curfew in an apparent move to restrict people’s movements over the weekend. Sri Lanka had 960 confirmed cases and nine deaths.

May 17 South Korea reported 13 new virus cases, raising hopes that a new outbreak linked to nightclubs in Seoul may be waning. The updated figures brought the national total to 11,050, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No new deaths were recorded, leaving the death toll at 262.

May 17 The number of coronavirus deaths in the United States surpassed 90,000. Confirmed cases in the country also rose to nearly 1.5 million.

May 18 Japan's economic growth plunged into recession in the first quarter as the coronavirus pandemic squelched production, exports and spending. The country’s Cabinet Office reported a drop of 3.4 percent annual pace in seasonally adjusted real GDP, the total value of a nation's goods and services, for the January-March period, compared to the previous quarter.

May 18 Restaurants and shops reopened in Italy, the former epicenter of the pandemic in Europe.

May 18 Russia reported the lowest growth in confirmed COVID-19 cases since May 1, recording 8,926 new infections and marking the third consecutive day that growth has been recorded below 10,000 per day.

May 18 Kuwait’s health ministry said people found not to be covering their nose and mouth in public could go to jail for up to three months and be fined a maximum penalty of the equivalent of more than $16,000. Mask-clad residents walk in Kuwait City on May 12. Yasser Al-Zayyat / AFP - Getty Images

May 18 A COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by Moderna showed it can prompt an immune response in the human body, and was also found to be safe and well-tolerated in a small group of patients. Read more

May 18 India began evacuating thousands of villagers and halted port operations ahead of a cyclone that was expected to make landfall in the coming days. Read more

May 18 China pledged $2 billion at the World Health Organization's assembly to aid "economic and social development" in developing countries hit badly by COVID-19. During the virtual summit, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar blamed the WHO for a failed response to the pandemic that "cost many lives." Read more

May 18 Italy announced its lowest daily toll of deaths from COVID-19 since the start of the country’s lockdown on March 9. Over the weekend, 99 fatalities and 451 new cases were reported. The country’s nationwide death toll since Feb. 21, when the outbreak started, stood at 32,007.

May 18 One week after a third of French schoolchildren went back to school in an easing of the coronavirus lockdown, a flareup of about 70 COVID-19 cases linked to schools was reported. Read more Children practice social distancing in a classroom at Saint-Tronc Castelroc primary school in Marseille, France, on Thursday, May 14, 2020. Daniel Cole / AP

May 18 California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that if coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to decline in the state, professional sports may be given the green light to return as soon as June.

May 18 Oregon Gov. Kate Brown vowed to appeal a court ruling to the state's Supreme Court after a judge ruled her executive orders on social distancing guidelines "null and void."

May 18 President Trump said he has been taking hydroxychloroquine, an unproven treatment for COVID-19 that he has vigorously promoted.

May 18 The Trump administration said in a statement that before a nursing home can reopen it recommends — but does not require — that all residents and staff at the facility should get a diagnostic test to see if they are positive for COVID-19.

May 18 Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, said that the Democratic National Committee will likely host a virtual convention amid the coronavirus pandemic.

May 18 More than 130,000 autoworkers returned to factories across the U.S. for the first time in nearly two months, in one of the biggest steps yet to restart American industry.

May 18 Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced that restrictions will be relaxed on beachgoers in Virginia Beach ahead of the Memorial Day weekend. Northam said he will allow the beaches to open under modified conditions including sunbathing and surfing.

May 18 Texas Gov. Greg Abbott eased more restrictions on restaurants and announced that he will allow summer school as soon as June 1.

May 18 President Donald Trump threatened to make the freeze on U.S. funding for the World Health Organization permanent. Read more Tom Brenner / Getty Images file

May 18 The Trump administration signed a $354 million contract with Phlow Corp., a generic drug maker based in Virginia, that would create the nation's first strategic stockpile of key ingredients needed to make medicines. Read more

May 18 Mexicans Against Corruption issued a report based on a registry of death certificates in Mexico City that suggests there have been 4,577 cases in which doctors mentioned coronavirus or COVID-19 as a possible or probable cause of death, more than three times the official count.

May 19 Italy reported fewer than 100 coronavirus deaths in a 24 hour period for the first time in nearly 10 weeks.

May 19 Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin was reinstated at his post nearly three weeks after he was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

May 19 Coronavirus cases in India topped 100,000 as the rate of growth of new infections showed little sign of slowing. The country reported 4,970 new cases over the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide total to 101,139, while deaths rose by 134 to 3,163.

May 19 The World Health Organization's annual meeting came to a close, ending amid tensions between the United States, China and the WHO itself. In a letter to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, President Trump threatened to make permanent a temporary funding freeze on American donations as he accused the agency of helping China cover up the coronavirus outbreak. Read more Tedros speaks at the assembly Monday. Christopher Black / AFP - Getty Images

May 19 Home goods retailer Pier 1 Imports announced it is seeking bankruptcy court approval to wind down its business after it was not able to find a buyer due to the coronavirus pandemic. Read more Kristoffer Tripplaar / Sipa USA via AP file

May 19 The Lancet, a British medical, rebutted claims by President Trump that the World Health Organization consistently ignored reports of the virus spreading in China in early December. Read more The headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva during the World Health Assembly on Monday, May 18, 2020. Denis Balibouse / Reuters

May 19 CDC officials said the agency is planning a nationwide study of up to 325,000 people in 25 metropolitan areas to track how the coronavirus is spreading across the country. The study is expected to launch in June or July. Read more

May 19 A federal appeals court ordered that New York’s presidential primary be reinstated, and that the names former presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Bernie Sanders be among those allowed on the presidential primary ballot.

May 19 Florida reported more than 500 new cases of COVID-19 and 54 additional deaths in the past day, bringing the statewide number of confirmed cases to nearly 47,000 and the death toll to 2,052.

May 19 Annie Glenn, who was the widow of late astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn and a communication disorders advocate, died at age 100 of COVID-19 complications. Read more Lt. Col. John H. Glenn Jr., first American to orbit the earth, and his wife Annie, look over the sights at Rockefeller Plaza, from alongside the statue of Prometheus, in New York, Sept. 19, 1963. Marty Lederhandler / AP file

May 19 Extradition for convicted rapist Harvey Weinstein to Los Angeles was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Weinstein faces sex crimes charges from three separate incidents that allegedly occurred in L.A.

May 19 Officials announced that the Belmont Stakes, traditionally the third jewel of thoroughbred horse racing's Triple Crown, will run on June 20 in front of empty grandstands. Read more

May 19 Los Angeles officials said they are aiming to reopen the country's most populous county on July 4.

May 19 The U.S., Canada and Mexico extended their agreements to keep their shared borders closed to non-essential travel until June 21.

May 19 A federal judge ruled that Texas voters afraid of contracting the coronavirus can cast their ballots by mail in upcoming elections. Read more

May 19 Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced that all businesses and other activities will be allowed to fully reopen on May 22. The state had 399 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths.

May 19 Brazil's daily death toll from the coronavirus jumped to a record 1,179 as U.S. President Donald Trump said he is considering a travel ban. The country reported 271,628 confirmed cases and 17,971 deaths nationwide.

May 20 Confirmed coronavirus cases in Russia surpassed 300,000, as the outbreak appeared to shift beyond Moscow.

May 20 Connecticut’s statewide stay-at-home order expired, meaning all 50 states had begun lifting some lockdown measures imposed to suppress the coronavirus pandemic.

May 20 Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced that people were required to wear masks in workplaces and in stores from the end of May, after the country recorded 720 new cases in one day this week.

May 20 President Trump threatened to withhold federal funding for Michigan and Nevada over their pursuit of mass mail-in voting amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read more State of Nevada “thinks” that they can send out illegal vote by mail ballots, creating a great Voter Fraud scenario for the State and the U.S. They can’t! If they do, “I think” I can hold up funds to the State. Sorry, but you must not cheat in elections. @RussVought45 @USTreasury — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 20, 2020

May 20 More than 100,000 cases were reported to the World Health Organization in 24 hours, the Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a news conference. The announcement came as the total number of coronavirus cases worldwide neared 5 million. Read more

May 20 The State Department announced that the U.S. government has pledged an additional $162 million in foreign aid to fight the coronavirus, bringing the total to more than $1 billion.

May 20 State officials said New York City's low-income neighborhoods with large minority populations have been hit the hardest by the coronavirus pandemic.

May 20 Weeks after a draft of guidelines for reopening businesses across the U.S. were leaked from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the final plans were released. The 60-page guidelines included details about what child care facilities, schools, restaurants and businesses need to do to keep people safe.

May 20 Hundreds of people protested Michigan's stay-at-home order by getting free haircuts outside of the state Capitol in Lansing. Read more

May 20 New Zealand’s prime minister urged employers to consider switching to a four-day work week as a way to promote tourism, which has been hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

May 20 The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt returned to sea for a two-week mission, its first since being moored in Guam in late March following the coronavirus outbreak. Read more

May 20 The number of COVID-19 cases around the world passed 5 million, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

May 20 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro unveiled rules expanding the prescription of chloroquine — the predecessor of an anti-malaria drug promoted by President Trump — for coronavirus patients despite a lack of clinical proof that it is effective.

May 20 International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said he agreed that the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympics would have to be cancelled if the Games cannot take place in summer 2021.

May 20 The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus pandemic was first detected, implemented a five-year ban on the trade of illegal wildlife and the consumption of wild animals.

May 21 The U.S. National Park Service said Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim will be open to the public starting May 22 to May 25 for “limited entry and recreational access,” following guidance from the White House, CDC, and state and local public health authorities.

May 21 British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca received more than $1 billion in funding from the U.S. Health Department’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to develop a coronavirus vaccine in collaboration with the University of Oxford.

May 21 Another 2.44 million Americans filed for initial unemployment benefits the week before, bringing the total number of people who lost their job so far during the coronavirus pandemic to almost 40 million.

May 21 A huge spike in coronavirus cases in the Middle East, where many were observing the Islamic month of Ramadan, led countries to extend and reinforce lockdown measures to prevent its spread during the Eid holiday. Read more Children play in Dubai. Karim Sahib / AFP - Getty Images

May 21 Confirmed cases in Pennsylvania surpassed 65,000, as the state’s death toll rose to 4,869.

May 21 President Trump announced on Twitter that about $300 million was heading to New York's struggling Metropolitan Transit Authority, part of the $3.9 billion that's been allocated for New York under coronavirus stimulus legislation passed by Congress. Another $298M heading to @MTA, adding up to over $2B in federal funding from @USDOT so far, part of the $3.9B total from the CARES Act. This is critical to keeping essential personnel moving and aiding metro NYC in recovery. We are here for the people of New York! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 21, 2020

May 21 Amazon confirmed that another warehouse worker died from COVID-19, bringing the total known deaths to eight employees. Read more

May 21 The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus surpassed 2,000 in Los Angeles County.

May 21 Brazil recorded another new record for daily coronavirus deaths after 1,188 new fatalities were reported in the past 24 hours. Brazil’s total number of fatalities passed 20,000 and the number of cases nationwide rose to 310,087.

May 21 The European Union Aviation Safety Agency updated their recommendations for airports and airlines. The new guidelines recommended that all passengers should wear face masks and that access to airport terminals should be limited to only passengers, crew members and staff.

May 22 An experimental coronavirus vaccine under development at the University of Oxford progressed to advanced stages of human trials. Read more Professor Adrian Hill speaks to members of the media at the Jenner Institute in Oxford, England. Eddie Keogh / Reuters file

May 22 The Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would begin distributing $4.9 billion in CARES Act funding to nursing homes in an effort to help the hard-hit facilities curb the spread of the coronavirus.

May 22 A new study published in The Lancet found that hydroxychloroquine, a drug that President Trump said he was taking as a preventive strategy and has publicly touted, does not help COVID-19 patients, and may increase deaths. Read more A pharmacy technician pours out pills of hydroxychloroquine at the Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on May 20, 2020. George Frey / AFP - Getty Images

May 22 Two children in Washington State were diagnosed with a rare and potentially deadly COVID-19-linked condition known as Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C.

May 22 President Trump announced that places of worship are "essential" and should open over the weekend, a move that threatened to override governors who have ordered churches, synagogues and mosques not to reopen in the coming days. Read more

May 22 The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published long-awaited results of its first study of remdesivir, an antiviral medication that Dr. Anthony Fauci previously said has a "clear-cut, significant, positive effect" on patients with COVID-19.

May 22 The Justice Department filed a statement of interest backing a lawsuit challenging the pandemic-related stay at home restrictions in Illinois. Read more Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker answers questions from the media during his daily press briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic from his office at the Illinois State Capitol, in Springfield, Ill. on May 22, 2020. Justin L. Fowler / The State Journal-Register via AP

May 22 Rental car company Hertz filed for bankruptcy protection after more than 100 years in the business. Read more Patrick T. Fallon / Bloomberg via Getty Images file

May 22 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order allowing groups of 10 people or fewer to congregate. Social distancing, cleaning and disinfection protocols must be followed as required by the state's Department of Health, according to the order.

May 22 Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak set a tentative June 4 date for reopening the state’s shuttered casinos.

May 22 Brazil surpassed Russia in total number of confirmed coronavirus cases, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Brazil had 330,890 confirmed cases, making it second in the world behind the U.S., which had 1.6 million cases.

May 23 The Australian state of Queensland postponed work on its bid for the Olympic 2032 Games to focus on the coronavirus outbreak.

May 23 China reported no new confirmed infections or deaths in the past 24 hours, marking the first time the country registered zero new infections of the virus since they began reporting data in January.

May 23 South Korea reported 23 new coronavirus cases, mostly from the densely-populated Seoul metropolitan area where authorities had shut down thousands of nightclubs, bars and karaoke rooms in an attempt to stem transmissions.

May 23 Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced plans to reopen the country to international tourists in July.

May 23 New cases of the coronavirus in India topped 6,000 for a second consecutive day, marking another record jump for the South Asian country in a 24-hour period.

May 23 President Trump visited his private golf course in Virginia, marking his first time back at one of his private golf courses in 75 days. The visit came as the White House pushed states to lift stay-at-home orders and for the economy to reopen. Read more At right: U.S. President Donald Trump participates in a round of golf amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Sterling, Virginia, U.S., May 24, 2020. Tom Brenner / Reuters

May 23 Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York saw the lowest number of daily coronavirus deaths since the state became the epicenter of the virus.

May 23 An NBA spokesperson said the league was in "exploratory" talks with the Walt Disney Co. to possibly restart its season at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida in late July. Read more

May 23 Former Vice President Joe Biden won Hawaii's Democratic presidential primary in an election that was all vote-by-mail because of the coronavirus pandemic. Read more

May 23 The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld California Gov. Gavin Newsom's ban on gatherings at houses of worship, denying an emergency motion that sought to resume in-person services while the case is appealed.

May 23 More than 100 workers at a Los Angeles-area meat plant tested positive for the coronavirus, the Los Angeles County public health department announced.

May 24 China confirmed three new COVID-19 cases, just 24 hours after no new cases were reported in the country for the first time since the outbreak began in the central city of Wuhan in December 2019.

May 24 Thailand reported no new coronavirus cases and no new deaths, maintaining the country’s total of 3,040 confirmed cases and 56 fatalities since the outbreak began in January.

May 24 A senior adviser to Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced calls for his resignation after reports that he drove 250 miles to his parents house while his wife showed virus symptoms, breaching lockdown regulations. Dominic Cummings, chief adviser to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, leaves his home in London on Sunday, May 24, 2020. Peter Summers / Getty Images

May 24 The Vatican announced that the Vatican Museums will reopen on June 1 after a three-month lockdown that had drained the Holy See's finances.

May 24 Russia reported 153 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, its highest daily toll yet, raising total casualties in the country to 3,541.

May 24 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that professional sports teams can begin training in the state as coronavirus restrictions start to loosen.

May 24 Muslims around the world began celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, with millions under strict stay-at-home orders. Read more A man wearing a protective face mask prays in a space to enforce social distancing ahead of the Eid Al-Fitr prayer at the Grand Mosque in Durres, Albania, on May 24, 2020. Gent Shkullaku / AFP - Getty Images

May 24 The White House announced a travel ban with Brazil that would bar anyone from entering the United States who had been in that country for the prior two weeks.

May 24 Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the coronavirus could cost as many as 1 million jobs in the country as many industries considered not essential remained shut.

May 24 The Republican National Committee and other GOP groups filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom, arguing a move to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic is illegal. Read more

May 25 Russian health authorities reported 8,946 new confirmed cases of COVID-19, bringing the nationwide total to more than 350,000 cases since the start of the outbreak. Russia had the third highest number of reported cases in the world, behind only the U.S. and Brazil.

May 25 U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced rising anger among lawmakers in his own party, bishops and the public at large after he supported an aide who drove hundreds of miles out of London during the lockdown.

May 25 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced plans to lift a state of emergency for Tokyo and four remaining areas but said that it could be reimposed if the pace of infections picked up.

May 25 Syria reported 20 new coronavirus cases, the country’s largest single-day increase to date.

May 25 Spain’s government announced plans to lift a requirement for foreign tourists to undergo a two-week quarantine beginning July 1.

May 25 League officials announced that Japan’s professional baseball season will begin on June 19 with no fans in attendance.

May 25 President Trump threatened to move the Republican National Convention from Charlotte, North Carolina, if there is a chance the venue might not be filled there later this summer due to virus-related restrictions. I love the Great State of North Carolina, so much so that I insisted on having the Republican National Convention in Charlotte at the end of August. Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 25, 2020

May 25 Doctors in Austria announced that they completed a lung transplant on a COVID-19 patient, the first to be done in Europe.

May 25 Iceland eased its national alert against the coronavirus, allowing for public gatherings of up to 200 people and night clubs and gyms to reopen.

May 25 President Trump said he had "just finished" taking a two-week course of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine, the medication he has vigorously promoted as a preventative or curative treatment for coronavirus, even as evidence piles up that the drug may cause more harm than good. Read more

May 25 The World Health Organization announced that it was suspending a trial of hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19, saying fears of the drug's potential danger is causing it to "err on the side of caution." Read more

May 25 Joe Biden appeared in public for the first time in more than two months, laying a wreath to honor the fallen at a Delaware war memorial on Memorial Day. Read more Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, lay a wreath at the Veterans Memorial Park at the Delaware Memorial Bridge on May 25, 2020. Patrick Semansky / AP

May 25 The NHL announced plans to allow small groups of players, no more than six, to gather for workouts in early June, with an eye toward restarting play and resuming its coronavirus-halted season.

May 25 A second person in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody died from COVID-19 complications.

May 25 The World Health Organization warned that countries where coronavirus infections were declining could still face an "immediate second peak" if they let up too soon on measures to halt the outbreak. Read more

May 25 California's state health department announced that counties can reopen places of worship for religious services, with restrictions that include limiting gatherings to 100 people or less.

May 25 The U.S. Department of Justice sent a stern letter to Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak warning that the department had civil rights concerns over the state's ban on gatherings of 10 or more people for religious worship services.

May 25 The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said that following an investigation of the animals at the Wuhan Seafood Market — where the first cases of COVID-19 were initially reported — it has ruled the site out as the origin of the outbreak.

May 26 Saudi Arabia announced that it will amend its curfew times and lift a ban on domestic travel, with the exception of the holy city of Mecca starting May 28.

May 26 Australia’s Prime Minister said that he will not open the country’s borders “anytime soon,” but would continue to discuss the possibility of establishing a safe travel zone with neighboring New Zealand.

May 26 Russian authorities reported a record 174 COVID-19 fatalities as cases continued to climb at a flat rate nationwide. There were more than 360,000 reported infections in the country.

May 26 Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, reopened to worshipers and tourists as Palestinian authorities eased coronavirus restrictions in the West Bank.

May 26 The New York Stock Exchange’s famous trading floor partially reopened. Read more New York Stock Exchange employees wait to enter the building as the trading floor partially reopened on Tuesday. Mark Lennihan / AP

May 26 Italy’s famed archaeological site Pompeii reopened to the public for the first time since the beginning of the country’s lockdown.

May 26 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that professional sports teams in the state would be allowed to practice and play in games or matches.

May 26 Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said Virginians will be required to wear face coverings "inside at a public place,” beginning on May 29.

May 26 The CDC reported that more than 62,000 doctors, nurses and other health care providers on the front lines of the U.S.'s COVID-19 crisis had been infected, and at least 291 had died. Read more

May 26 California gave the green light for hair salons and barber shops to reopen in parts of the state that are seeing fewer coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths.

May 26 Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak canceled a press briefing after learning of a possible exposure to COVID-19.

May 26 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said customers would be welcome back inside retail businesses, and houses of worship could resume in-person services.

May 26 Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said the city will allow dine-in eating to resume at restaurants, but with restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus.

May 26 Sweden’s government defended its response to the COVID-19 global pandemic despite the Scandinavian country reporting one of the highest mortality rates in the world with 4,125 fatalities, or about 40 deaths per 100,000 people.

May 26 Chilean authorities said intensive care units in the country’s hospitals are nearly at capacity amid a flood of coronavirus patients.

May 26 The World Health Organization said the Americas had emerged as the new epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.

May 27 More than 2 million students returned to school in South Korea, as the country recorded the highest number of new infections in more than a month.

May 27 The Egyptian Medical Syndicate, the main union for doctors in Egypt, released a statement warning that the country’s health system could “completely collapse” if the government continues to provide inadequate personal protective equipment to health care workers.

May 27 Boeing announced plans to lay off 6,770 workers, as the coronavirus crisis continued to hammer the aircraft manufacturer. Read more Boeing has been battling its biggest crisis ever, with the coronavirus pandemic aggravating the company's woes after two fatal crashes led to the grounding of its best-selling 737 Max jet. Elaine Thompson / AP

May 27 A large federal trial of remdesivir entered its next phase to test the effects of combining the antiviral drug with a pill to bring down inflammation. Read more

May 27 The Walt Disney Company announced plans to begin a phased reopening of some of its Orlando, Florida, parks. Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are planning to open July 11. Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios are set to open July 15.

May 27 Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said he tested negative for coronavirus after possible exposure during a visit to an employment center.

May 27 The United States surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths. Read more

May 27 Wisconsin saw a record number of new coronavirus cases and deaths reported in a single day, two weeks after the state’s Supreme Court struck down its statewide stay-at-home order.

May 28 India reported another record single day jump of more than 6,500 cases, bringing the country’s total number of confirmed cases to 158,333, even as the two-month lockdown was due to ease on May 31.

May 28 South Korea reported its biggest spike in coronavirus cases in more than 50 days, marking a setback after the country won praise for initially bringing its epidemic under control. The resurgent spike of 79 new cases was linked to workers at a massive logistics warehouse in Seoul, operated by a local e-commerce giant.

May 28 The World Health Organization announced the creation of a foundation for new sources of funding. WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said it would ease a potential financial shortage and that funds will go towards all of the agency’s projects, including vaccine research and preparing for future pandemics.

May 28 Coronavirus cases in Iraq surpassed 5,000, with the vast majority of new cases recorded in Baghdad. The country also reported 175 coronavirus deaths.

May 28 The coronavirus death toll in Russia passed 4,000. Despite the increasing number of deaths and infections, from June 1 Moscow planned to begin "Phase 1" of easing its lockdown, with some non-food stores and businesses re-opening.

May 28 The Texas Supreme Court blocked an effort by Democrats in the state to expand voting by mail, ruling that lack of immunity to COVID-19 does not qualify a person to apply for a mail-in ballot. Read more A voter walks to the polls in Houston on March 3, 2020. Mark Felix / AFP - Getty Images file

May 28 Data released by the Department of Labor showed that more than 2.1 million Americans filed for unemployment benefits for the first time last week, the 10th straight week that jobless claims have been in the millions. Read more

May 28 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that he is signing an executive order authorizing businesses to deny entry to people who do not wear a mask or face covering.

May 28 The Premier League announced that its 2019-20 season will resume on June 17 after a 100-day hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic.

May 28 Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a plan to further relax England’s coronavirus restrictions, allowing some outdoor vendors to reopen and increasing the number of people those in England can meet in parks or private gardens.

May 28 Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the city will begin reopening on June 3. Child care centers, libraries, hotels, hair salons and barber shops, dentist offices and other health care centers and non-essential retail businesses will be among those allowed to open as long as safety guidelines are followed. Restaurants and coffee shops will be open for outdoor dining only.

May 28 The Boston Athletic Association announced that the Boston Marathon will be held as a virtual event this year.

May 28 Missouri Gov. Mike Parson delayed rolling out the second phase of the state’s reopening plan, saying the extension would give some communities “more time to prepare.”

May 28 San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced an order requiring nearly everyone to wear a mask when they're not at home — including runners, people on bicycles and generally anyone who is within 30 feet of another person not in their household.

May 28 The United Nations confirmed that its annual climate summit, COP 26, will be pushed back to November 2021, delayed by one year, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

May 28 French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that most restaurants, parks and schools will progressively reopen from June 2, after nearly two months in lockdown.

May 28 The Philippines saw its highest daily spike in coronavirus cases, but President Rodrigo Duterte pressed ahead with easing one of the world's toughest and longest lockdowns.

May 29 New Zealand celebrated one week without a new coronavirus case in the country.

May 29 Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority said it will allow international flights to resume on May 30, after largely closing its airspace to commercial flights in March to curb the coronavirus outbreak.

May 29 The CDC reported that the coronavirus began quietly spreading in the U.S. as early as late January — before President Trump blocked air travel from China and a full month before community spread was first detected in the country. Read more Medics load a person into an ambulance at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, the long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases in the state, in Kirkland, Wash., on March 4, 2020. David Ryder / Reuters file

May 29 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York City is on track to begin Phase I reopening on June 8.

May 29 New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that he will be signing an executive order allowing child care services, non-contact organized sports, and youth day camps to resume over the next several weeks. Child care centers will be able to reopen on June 15, non-contact sport activities can restart on June 22, and summer programs can begin on July 6, he said.

May 29 Italy’s government said it will allow inter-regional travel starting on June 3, as the country’s health ministry reported no critical virus infection spikes in any region of the country.

May 30 Taiwan's government said that it had approved Gilead Sciences' potential COVID-19 treatment, remdesivir, to treat the illness caused by the coronavirus.

May 30 Government employees in Iran returned to work as President Hassan Rouhani announced that mosques can resume daily prayers throughout the country, even though some areas are seeing high levels of virus infections.

May 30 The European Union called on the U.S. to reconsider the decision to sever ties with the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

May 30 India registered another record single-day jump of 7,964 virus cases and 265 deaths, a day before the two-month lockdown was set to end. The Health Ministry put the total number of confirmed cases at 173,763 with 4,971 deaths.

May 30 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said that all of the city's COVID-19 testing centers were closed as of 3 p.m. local time due to protests in the city.

May 30 The mayor of Colombia’s capital announced plans to shut down one of the city’s largest neighborhoods as cases there continue to rise. Mayor Claudia Lopez said that starting June 1 the working-class Kennedy area of Bogota — home to nearly 1.5 million people — will be under a strict quarantine.

May 31 As thousands of Americans gathered in cities across the country to protest the in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, infectious disease experts worried that the large crowds and lack of social distancing could cause catastrophic setbacks for controlling the spread of the coronavirus. Read more Protesters demonstrate against the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 30, 2020. Scott Olson / Getty Images

May 31 Global coronavirus cases surpassed 6 million, according to Johns Hopkins University data, as the death toll worldwide neared 370,000.

May 31 Rwanda's ministry of health reported the East African nation's first death caused by the coronavirus. The country had 359 confirmed cases nationwide.

May 31 China reported two new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total to 83,001. Both cases were imported ones in the Shandong province, south of Beijing. No new domestic cases had been reported for a week, and the country’s official death toll remained at 4,634.

May 31 Pope Francis delivered his first address in three months from his window overlooking St. Peter's Square, as Italy's lockdown drew to an end. Francis said that people are more important than the economy, as countries decide how quickly to reopen their countries from coronavirus lockdowns.

May 31 Florida reported more than 2,100 positive coronavirus cases in two days, bringing the state's total number of cases to 55,424. The state’s death toll as a result of the virus was 2,447.

May 31 South Korea reported 27 new cases, 21 of which were recorded in the densely-populated Seoul metropolitan area where officials have been working to stem transmissions linked to nightclub-goers and warehouse workers.

Continue to June, 2020 in the next post...

Prepare, don't panic,

-Allison