Portal:Current events
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Topics in the news
- The World Health Organization recognises the coronavirus outbreak (map pictured) as a pandemic, while the Italian government implements a national quarantine.
- In cricket, the Women's T20 World Cup concludes with Australia defeating India in the final.
- Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara win the Pritzker Architecture Prize.
March 16, 2020 (Monday)
Business and economy
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- S&P 500 Futures drop 5%, triggering a trading halt in response to the Federal Reserve's Sunday emergency measures. (ABC News)
March 15, 2020 (Sunday)
Arts and culture
- Fans attend the Vive Latino festival in Mexico City despite coronavirus concerns. (AP News)
Business and economy
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- In an emergency move, less than two weeks after the previous unscheduled intervention, the Fed drops its benchmark rate a full percent. It announces a $700 billion quantitative easing program, sets reserve requirements for thousands of banks to zero and lowers other lending rates. The set of measures appears as its biggest ever in a single day. (CNBC)
Disasters and accidents
- A pipeline explosion causes a fire and destroys dozens of buildings in Lagos, Nigeria, killing at least 15 people. (Reuters)
- European migrant crisis
- Malta's Navy rescues 112 migrants from a sinking boat. (New York Times)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Uzbekistan
- Uzbekistan confirms the Central Asian country's first case of COVID-19, an Uzbek citizen who had recently returned from France. All schools, colleges and universities are ordered to close for three weeks, while all public events are cancelled. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy
- The number of confirmed cases in Italy jumps to 24,747, while the death toll rose to 1,809 people. (Corriere della Sera)
- Notable Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti has died in Milan, at the age of 92, after contracting coronavirus. (Corriere della Sera)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Africa
- The Republic of the Congo reports its first case of coronavirus, a 50-year-old man who arrived in the country on a Ethiopian Airlines flight from Paris. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran
- Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education reports 1,209 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 113 more deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date, bringing the total to 13,938 confirmed cases and 724 deaths. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan declares a state of emergency over the coronavirus pandemic. The presidential decree from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev imposes a national quarantine and restricts both entry and departures from the country to all except diplomats and individuals invited by the government. (RFE/RL)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Argentina
- President Alberto Fernández reinforces security at the borders and bans all travelers from hard-hit countries that spent at least 14 days there. In addition, he says he is considering a national quarantine and suspension of classes. (Buenos Aires Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Israel, 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Palestine
- The Jerusalem Islamic Waqf announces the closure of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock to upend contamination of the holy sites from COVID-19. (Al Jazeera)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Europe
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hungary
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom
- The United Kingdom's Department of Health and Social Care reports 232 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 14 more deaths. The UK government says a "wartime-style" mobilisation will be enforced in the coming weeks to tackle the virus. (ITV)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain, 2020 Spain coronavirus lockdown
- Spain's Ministry of Health reports 2,000 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 105 more deaths, as the country enters a nationwide lockdown. (Business Recorder)
- Pere Aragonès, Vice President of Catalonia, confirms via Twitter he tested positive for the virus. (Europa Press)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the Netherlands
- The Government closes down all schools and Horeca establishments, and the Royal Dutch Football Association suspends all football matches until April 6. (DutchNews)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Austria, 2020 Tyrol coronavirus lockdown
- Günther Platter, the governor of the Austrian state of Tyrol, announces a statewide lockdown set to last for one week, out of concerns of the coronavirus. (The Boston Globe)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Germany
- Germany closes borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg. (BBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Slovenia
- Slovenia closes all schools indefintely and suspends public transport effective midnight as coronavirus cases rise to 219. (Total Slovenia News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Canada
- Canada's public health agency posts an advert for nurses, citing "an urgent need". Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he does not rule out the possibility of closing the borders. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- The Ohio Department of Health reports it now has 37 cases of COVID-19 in the state. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues a recommendation to suspend gatherings of 50 or more people for the next two months. (NPR)
- The governors of five states: California, Ohio, Illinois, Washington and Massachusetts, order bars and restaurants to close in response to the pandemic. (USA Today)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in New York (state)
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio orders the city's public schools close until April 20. (New York Daily News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Turkey
- Turkey's Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun reports 12 new confirmed cases, with a total of 18. (Daily Sabah)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Guatemala
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Uzbekistan
Politics and elections
- 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 Democratic Party presidential debates
- The first one-on-one debate of the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries takes place between former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders in Washington, D.C. (instead of Arizona as originally scheduled) and without an audience, as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (Reuters)
- 2020 Georgia Democratic primary
- Georgia postpones its primary elections to May 19 after 66 cases of COVID-19 were reported in the state. (ABC News)
- The Royal Household of Spain announces that the King has refused the heritage of his father after emeritus King Juan Carlos I had been involved in a tax haven scandal and money-laundering. His public fund is also withdrawn. (La Vanguardia)
Science and technology
- A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket aborts takeoff shortly after igniting its engines. (CBS News)
Sports
- 2020 NFL season
- National Football League players vote to ratify a proposed CBA rule that changes the NFL playoff format to seven games. (USA Today)
March 14, 2020 (Saturday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- Maghreb insurgency
- Canadian national Édith Blais and her Italian partner Luca Tacchetto are found alive in Mali after escaping from their captors. The pair were abducted in Burkina Faso on December 15, 2018. (CBC)
- Gulf crisis, Camp Taji attacks
- A second rocket attack this week hits the Camp Taji base in Baghdad Governorate, Iraq, wounding three United States troops. (ABC News)
Business and economy
- Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- Apple Inc. is closing all its stores outside China for two weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to its CEO Tim Cook. (The Guardian)
- Solomon Islands bans all travelers from China, South Korea and Japan. Health minister Dickson Mua also says that the country has suspended flights to Brisbane, Australia, and banned all civil servants from overseas travel in an effort to contain COVID-19. (RNZ)
- In Texas, major grocery chain H-E-B limits its store hours to 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., closing early in an effort to maintain product availability and restock empty shelves. (KVUE)
- American Airlines says it will suspend long haul international flights from March 16 until May 6. (Yahoo! News)
- Walmart says all of its stores will reduce their hours to 6:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. local time until further notice in response to the pandemic. Several other chains have already done so. (CNN)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- A group of researchers in the Netherlands have found antibodies that can be used to combat COVID-19.[1]
- Scientists from Imperial College London say that a vaccine could be tested soon. (The Independent)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain
- Javier Solana, former Secretary General of NATO and former High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has been hospitalized since Wednesday after testing positive for coronavirus. (US News)
- Spain's Ministry of Health reports more than 1,500 new confirmed cases of coronavirus in a single day, including over a thousand in the capital Madrid. (Euronews)
- Jet2.com planes return to the United Kingdom after the airline cancelled flights to Balearic Islands and Canary Islands. (BBC)
- María Begoña Gómez Fernández, spouse of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, tests positive for coronavirus. (El Confidencial) (Reuters)
- 2020 Spain coronavirus lockdown
- Spain officially places the entire country in a lockdown for two weeks after declaring a Status Alarm the day before. (Washington Post)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran
- Iran reports 1,365 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 97 more deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date, bringing the total to 12,729 confirmed cases and 611 deaths. (Gulf News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Africa
- Namibia reports its first two cases of coronavirus. President Hage Geingob says he imposes a travel ban to and from Qatar, Ethiopia and Germany for 30 days. (Reuters)
- Rwanda confirms the country's first case of coronavirus, an Indian citizen who arrived in the country on March 8 from Mumbai. (The New Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom
- A newborn baby tests positive for the coronavirus at North Middlesex University Hospital in Edmonton, London, becoming the youngest known victim of the virus in the United Kingdom. The child's mother has also tested positive for the virus. (The Guardian)
- NHS England reports 10 more deaths from the coronavirus, doubling the number of deaths in the UK to 21. All patients were aged over 70 and had underlying health conditions. (Daily Standard)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Indonesia
- Budi Karya Sumadi, the Indonesian Minister of Transportation, tests positive for COVID-19. (Antara News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy, 2020 Italy coronavirus lockdown
- Italy's Ministry of Health reports 250 more deaths from the coronavirus, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date. The Mayor of Bergamo Giorgio Gori says churches are now being used to store dead bodies as the city's morgues are full. (Sky News)
- Air pollution in Northern Italy drops following the coronavirus lockdown. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Syria
- Syria's government closes all schools and cancels public events until April 2, to prevent the spread of the virus. Syrian Minister Imad al-Azab rejects claims the government is covering up cases and says the new measures are "precautionary". (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- U.S. President Donald Trump confirms he has been tested for COVID-19, after coming into contact with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's Press Secretary last week, who has been diagnosed with the disease. President Trump's results were negative. (USA Today) (CNBC)
- A total of 16 U.S. states have closed all of their schools as of this date. (USA Today)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in New York (state)
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo reports his state has confirmed 613 cases of COVID-19, with two deaths today. (WPIX) (WNBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in California
- Contra Costa County bans gatherings over 100 people, effective March 15. This is more than twice as strict as Governor Gavin Newsom's ban of crowds of 250 or more people earlier in the week. (San Jose Mercury News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Michigan
- After 66 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp declares a public health emergency. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Morocco
- Abdelkader Aamara, Minister of Equipment, Transport and Logistics and Deputy tests positive for COVID-19. (Straits Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in New Zealand
- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern imposes a 14 day mandatory quarantine to everyone arriving in New Zealand, including diplomats, tourists and returning citizens, but excluding those coming in from Pacific Island nations, and bans all cruise ships from entering the nation until at least June 30. (News.com.au)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in San Marino
- The Government of the Republic of San Marino orders a nationwide quarantine until 6 April. (San Marino RTV)
Politics and elections
- 2020 United States presidential caucuses in the Northern Mariana Islands, 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders wins the Northern Mariana Islands Democratic caucuses. (CNN)
Sports
- Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on sports
- The Bath Half Marathon is expected to go as planned despite the coronavirus. (BBC)
- 2020 in UFC
- The Ultimate Fighting Championship events will go as planned despite the coronavirus. (SFGate)
- 2020 XFL season
- A player on the Seattle Dragons tests positive for the coronavirus. (Sports Illustrated)
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic in Hubei
- Wuhan Zall F.C. is expected to leave Spain and return to Wuhan, where the coronavirus was originated. (ESPN)
March 13, 2020 (Friday)
Arts and culture
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in France
- The Louvre museum in Paris closes until further notice. (U.S. News & World Report)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Nepal
- The Nepalese government suspends climbing of Mount Everest for tourists and halts visas for visitors until April 30. (BBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in France
Business and economy
- Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- Delta Air Lines says it will cancel all flights to Europe for the next 30 days. (Forbes)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- Uzbekistan suspends flights to and from France, Spain, and Great Britain. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Australia
- Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton is diagnosed with COVID-19, after travelling to the United States earlier in the month. (Brisbane Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan reports its first two confirmed cases of coronavirus; both are Kazakh nationals who recently returned from Germany. (U.S. News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Bulgaria
- Bulgaria declares a state of emergency over the coronavirus. As part of the emergency measures, all schools and universities will be closed, all Bulgarian Football Union matches suspended and police will be given special powers for quarantine enforcement. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain
- Queen Letizia suspends her agenda and self-isolates for an expected two weeks after meeting with an infected Minister. Both the King and Queen have tested negative. (El País)
- For second time in democratic history and the first time of such magnitude, the Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez decrees the Alarm Status in all the country, invoking article 116.1 of the Constitution, for 15 days. (Politico)
- Catalan and Balearic Islands Governments implore national government help to lockdown both regions. (RTVE)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the Czech Republic
- The Czech Republic declares a state of emergency and announces the closure of its borders to all foreigners starting from midnight on March 16, while Czech citizens will no longer be allowed to leave the country for at least 30 days. (Prague Morning)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Morocco
- Morocco closes its border with Spain. (La Vanguardia)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Brazil
- President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro tests negative for the virus, and decries news outlets that reported he had received an initial positive test result. (Time)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ukraine
- Ukraine's Ministry of Healthcare reports the country's first death from the coronavirus, a 71-year-old woman from Radomyshl. (Kyiv Post)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Guinea
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Sudan
- Sudan confirms its first case and death of coronavirus, a man in his 50s who had recently visited the United Arab Emirates. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ethiopia
- Ethiopia confirms its first case of the coronavirus, a 48-year-old Japanese woman coming from Burkina Faso. (Ethiopia Ministry of Health)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in France
- Guadeloupe confirms its first case of the coronavirus, a 36-year-old woman returning from a cruise with relatives who recently visited Metropolitan France. (RCI)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Kenya
- Kenya confirms its first case of the coronavirus, a 27-year-old Kenyan woman travelling from the United States through London. (Capital News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Pakistan
- Pakistan closes all land borders, shuts down schools for three weeks, limits international flights, and discourages any large public gatherings in an attempt to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (National Post)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Oman
- Oman suspends tourist visas, sporting events, and non-class student activities to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Gulf Business)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Venezuela
- Venezuela suspends all incoming flights from Europe, supends all student activities and public gatherings to slow the spread of the coronavirus after the first two cases in the country were confirmed by the vice president. (Runrun.es)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Guatemala
- Guatemala confirms its first case of the coronavirus, is a Guatemalan who returned from Italy. (Prensa Libre)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Canada
- Quebec company Medicago announces it has found a coronavirus vaccine candidate, and hopes to begin human testing this summer. (Global News)
- Canada will suspend sessions of Parliament until at least April 20. (Politico)
- Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says that his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's symptoms remain "mild" after testing positive for coronavirus. (People)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- U.S. President Donald Trump declares a national emergency in response to the pandemic. This will allow up to $50 billion of federal money for relief efforts. (CNBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Illinois
- After 32 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Illinois, Governor J. B. Pritzker bans gatherings of 1,000 or more people for 30 days. (Chicago Tribune)
- Four hundred United States National Guard and Air National Guard personnel are activated in six states to help contain the coronavirus: Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, New York, Rhode Island and Washington. (The Hill)
- After 41 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Pennsylvania, Governor Tom Wolf orders all K–12 schools to close from March 16–29. (WPVI)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Michigan
- Michigan confirms it now has 25 cases of COVID-19, more than double than reported the previous day. (Michigan Radio)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Andorra
- The Prime Minister Xavier Espot announces in a special public appearance that orders the closure of all public establishments except basic stores, pharmacies and gas stations during two weeks. (Diari d'Andorra) (Govern d'Andorra)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Romania
- After Senator Vergil Chițac tested positive of the virus, becoming the first Romanian high-ranking official with the disease, interim government headed by Prime Minister Ludovic Orban self-isolates for 14 days. (Euronews)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Kosovo
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Poland
- Poland declares a state of epidemic emergency late on Friday, bans all foreigners from entering the country, and Polish citizens returning from abroad will be placed under a 14-day quarantine. The country closes all restaurants, pubs, clubs and casinos. From March 14, gatherings of more than 50 people will be banned. From March 15, international air and rail connections will be suspended. (Radio Poland)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Cyprus
- President Nikos Anastasiadis, in a special televised appearance, announces the closing of all borders except for nationals for 15 days since 15 March. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in New Zealand, aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings
- Ahead of the one-year anniversary of two far-right terror attacks on mosques in Christchurch that killed 51 people, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces the cancellation of a national remembrance service as a precaution due to the coronavirus. (The Guardian)
Politics and elections
- Politics of Greece
- Katerina Sakellaropoulou is sworn in President of Greece in the Hellenic Parliament and becomes the first woman to hold the office, succeeding Prokopis Pavlopoulos. Amid the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Greece, she suspends the protocol ceremony for the inauguration scheduled for Saturday 14 and no handshakes are allowed. (ABC News) (US News)
- 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries, 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- 2020 Louisiana Democratic primary
- After 36 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Louisiana, Secretary of State R. Kyle Ardoin postpones its primary elections from April 4 until June 20. (CNBC) (KATC)
- Florida, Arizona, Illinois, and Ohio will proceed having Democratic Party primaries despite the coronavirus outbreak. Ohio Democratic Party chairman David Pepper said that the Ohio primaries will go on as planned. (Straits Times) (The Hill)
- 2020 Louisiana Democratic primary
Science and technology
- Planets beyond Neptune
- Astronomers discover 139 new "minor planets" in the Solar System that are beyond the orbit of Neptune, which helps boost odds of finding Planet Nine. (NBC News)
Sports
- Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on sports
- 2020 Formula 1 season
- Formula 1 officially cancels the 2020 Australian Grand Prix, then later announces the postponement of the Bahrain and Vietnam Grands Prix. (RACER) (Formula 1)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom
- The Premier League holds an emergency meeting after Arsenal F.C. manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea F.C. player Callum Hudson-Odoi both test positive for COVID-19. The current season is suspended until April 3, along with the English Football League and FA Women's Super League. (The Guardian) (TalkSPORT)
- 2020 Masters Tournament
- Augusta National Golf Club postpones the 2020 Masters Tournament. (ESPN)
- 2020 IndyCar Series
- IndyCar, the organizer of the IndyCar Series, cancels all events through the end of April. (Road & Track)
- 2020 Boston Marathon
- Mayor Marty Walsh announces that the 124th annual running of the Boston Marathon, originally scheduled for April 20, will take place on Monday, September 14 instead. (New York Times)
- 2020 Formula 1 season
March 12, 2020 (Thursday)
Arts and culture
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Australia, Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on cinema
- Actor Tom Hanks reports that he and his wife Rita Wilson have been diagnosed with COVID-19 after visiting Australia where he was filming Elvis. (The New York Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in New York (state), Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on American television
- It is announced that all Broadway theatres will go dark until the week of April 13, by order of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. The ban also affects several television shows which film with live audiences in New York City. (Playbill) (The New York Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in New York (state), Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on American television
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Australia, Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on cinema
Business and economy
- Black Thursday; socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- All three major United States trading indexes fall 7% during early trading, leading to a 15-minute trading halt. They all closed over 9% down. (Business Insider)
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 10%, the largest one-day percentage drop since Black Monday in 1987. (CNBC)
- Spain's IBEX 35 falls 14%, its worst drop in history in a single day. The UK FTSE falls by 11%, the German DAX and French CAC 40 by 12% and Italy's MIB by 17%. (El Comercio)
- OMV, the giant Austrian oil and gas concern, is selling $2.3 billion in assets to buy a majority interest in Borealis AG, which will make it a major player in the production of polymers. (Reuters)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in India
- India's first coronavirus death is confirmed in Karnataka. (Hindustan Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Poland
- Poland suspends all schools and universities, closes all theatres, operas, cinemas and museums for two weeks in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Mass events are also banned, and the Polish Football Association announces that the two friendly matches scheduled later this month with Finland and Ukraine will be played behind closed doors. (PAP) (Daily Mail)
- Poland reports the country's first death from COVID-19 in the city of Poznań. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Greece
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Cuba
- Cuba has confirmed its first three cases of the coronavirus. (Miami Herald)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain
- Spain's Ministry of Health reports 828 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 36 more deaths, bringing the total number of fatalities in the country to 84. (News18)
- Irene Montero, Minister of Equality and Deputy, tested positive for coronavirus. Her domestic partner, Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain Pablo Iglesias, self-isolates and all the government undergo tests. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also undergo tests after the Queen was in contact with Montero on March 6. (El Mundo)
- The Catalan government orders the confinement of the city of Igualada and the towns of Vilanova del Camí, Òdena and Santa Margarida de Montbui after Igualada Hospital became a contagion focus. This first measure in Spain will affect 70,000 people during 14 days. (El País)
- Spanish Minister of Territorial Policy and Civil Service Carolina Darias and Santiago Abascal, Deputy and leader of the third political force Vox, had tested positive in the disease. (ABC.es)
- The closure of schools and universities extends to the entire country for two weeks affecting 9.5 million students. (El Mundo)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Lithuania
- The Vilnius City Municipality announces that from March 13 until the end of the Easter holidays all educational facilities in the city will remain closed to contain the spread of the virus. (LRT)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ireland
- Ireland suspends all schools, colleges and childcare facilities until March 29 in response to the coronavirus, while indoor gatherings of more than 100 people and outdoor gatherings of more than 500 people should be cancelled until further notice, according to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. (The Irish Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Austria
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Slovakia
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the Philippines
- President Rodrigo Duterte announces "community quarantine" in Metro Manila, Philippines, implementing travel restrictions to and from the metropolitan area. (GMA News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Canada
- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire self-isolate after she shows flu-like symptoms. They are both tested for the COVID-19, with Sophie later testing positive. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Andorra
- Andorran authorities confirms the second case in the country. (El Periòdic)
- The Government announces that it will close all schools from March 16. (Diari d'Andorra)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- After 10 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Washington, D.C., the U.S. government closes The White House and Capitol building to visitors until the end of the month. (U.S. News and World Report)
- Washington Governor Jay Inslee closes all schools in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties until April 24. (The News Tribune)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in New York
- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo bans gatherings of 500 or more people due to the pandemic.
- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declares a state of emergency. (The New York Times)
- United States Senators Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz announce that they will temporarily close their offices. (The Hill)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in California, Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on American television
- California Governor Gavin Newsom bans gatherings of more than 250 people. The ban puts several television shows filmed in the Los Angeles metropolitan area with live audiences on hiatus. (New York Post)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Michigan
- After 12 cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer orders all K–12 schools in the state to close from March 16–April 5 as well as banning gatherings of over 250 people. (MLive.com)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ohio
- After five cases of COVID-19 are confirmed in Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine orders all K–12 schools to close from March 16–April 5. (Cleveland Plain Dealer)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Bolivia
- Interim President of Bolivia Jeanine Áñez announces the suspension of all flights to Europe from March 14. (EFE)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Malta
- Prime Minister of Malta Robert Abela calls for the closing of all educational centers for one week from March 13. (Times of Malta)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Portugal
- Portuguese Government calls for the closure of all schools and night clubs. (USNews)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Israel
- The Israel Institute for Biological Research announces it is working on a vaccine. (Haaretz)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom
- The first case of coronavirus is found in the Cayman Islands. (Loop Cayman)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Armenia
- Armenian Government orders the shut down of all schools until 23 March. (Armen Press)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in India
Politics and elections
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- Mitch McConnell announces that the United States Senate will not have recess to work on a bill to contain the coronavirus. (CNN)
Sports
- Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on sports
- The NCAA, which had previously ordered that all of its winter championship events, most notably the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, would be played with no spectators, cancels all championship events until the 2020–21 academic year. This affects more than 70 of the NCAA's 90 championship events in all three of its competitive divisions. (NCAA)
- The YMCA Short Course Nationals swim meet is canceled in the United States for the first time since 1947. (Swim Swam)
- 2020 Summer Olympics torch relay
- The Olympic torch relay begins in Olympia, Greece, without public attendance. (CTV News)
- The 12 Hours of Sebring is postponed until November 11–14. This follows an announcement that the companion event 1000 Miles of Sebring would be cancelled. (Road & Track) (RACER)
- 2019–20 NHL season
- The National Hockey League announces the suspension of its season. (NHL)
- 2020 Major League Soccer season
- Major League Soccer announces it will suspend its season for thirty days. (ESPN)
- 2020 Major League Baseball season
- Major League Baseball announces the cancellation of all remaining spring training games and the delay of Opening Day of the regular season by at least two weeks. (MLB)
- 2020 LPGA Tour and 2019–20 PGA Tour
- The LPGA announces that the first three events of its season—including the ANA Inspiration, the season's first major championship—have been postponed due to the coronavirus. (CBS Sports)
- The PGA Tour cancels The Players Championship and the next three tour events. (New York Post)
- Chinese Professional Baseball League Commissioner John Wu announces that the opening game of the 2020 season will be postponed until 11 April. (FTV)
March 11, 2020 (Wednesday)
Armed conflicts and attacks
- War in Afghanistan, Afghan peace process
- The Taliban rejects the government's conditional prisoner release order announced by President Ashraf Ghani. The Taliban demand 5,000 Taliban prisoners held by the government be released before intra-Afghan dialogue can be initiated. (Al Jazeera)
- 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis, 2020 Camp Taji attack
Business and economy
- Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic; aftermath of Black Monday
- The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunges 1,400 points and enters a bear market. (Fox News)
- The bond market falls, in the first time since the financial crisis of 2007–08 that the stock and bond markets moved in the same direction, indicating a massive sell-off of portfolios as investors seek cash. (NY Times)
- The world's largest annual video game industry event E3 2020 is officially cancelled due to concerns over the coronavirus. The highly anticipated event was scheduled to take place on June 9, ahead of major console launches for Microsoft and Sony. (BBC)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- The World Health Organization officially declares the outbreak as a pandemic. (CBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy
- The patient zero in Italy has been identified as a man from Germany who arrived in the country at the end of January. (Tgcom24)
- The death toll in Italy rises to 827, as nearly two-hundred more people were confirmed dead today, the largest daily increase in deaths since the outbreak began, while the number of confirmed cases rises to 12,462, according to Protezione Civile. (National Post)
- Juventus footballer Daniele Rugani has tested positive to coronavirus. (La Repubblica)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom
- British MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Health Ministry Nadine Dorries becomes the first UK MP to test positive for COVID-19. (BBC)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Belgium
- Belgium reports its first death resulting from the coronavirus; a government statement said the patient was 90 years old. (The Straits Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Moldova
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Indonesia
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ukraine
- Ukraine bans mass gatherings and closes all schools for three weeks in response to the global coronavirus outbreak. The government says some sporting events might still go ahead but without any spectators. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in South America
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Argentina
- President Alberto Fernández issues an order saying that all people coming from hard-hit countries will have to self-quarantine for 14 days; failure to do so will be considered a crime. In addition, he analyses the possibility of banning all mass gatherings. (Infobae in Spanish)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Argentina
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Hungary
- Hungary declares a state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, closing all university campuses and banning large gatherings, while anyone from Italy, China, South Korea and Iran will be refused entry into the country. Senior minister Gergely Gulyás says "These measures are unprecedented in the three decades since the fall of communism". (Bloomberg)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran
- Iran's Ministry of Health and Medical Education reports 958 new confirmed cases of coronavirus and 63 more deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date. All Iranians are now warned to stay indoors. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cancels his annual speech marking the Iranian new year on March 20. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain
- Second Vice President of the Congress of Deputies, former Speaker and former Minister Ana Pastor had tested positive of the coronavirus and becomes the highest-ranking official infected. (La Vanguardia)
- Spanish Ministry of Culture orders in Madrid the closing of all ministry dependent centers, including the museums of El Prado, Reina Sofía, Royal Palace, National Library and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. (El País)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Sweden
- Sweden reports its first death from the coronavirus, a person in their 70s. (SVT Nyheter in Swedish)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Ireland
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Qatar
- Qatar announces 238 new cases of confirmed coronavirus in a single day. (Al Jazeera)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United States
- President Donald Trump gives a prime-time statement about the coronavirus during which he announces a 30-day ban on travel from European countries with the exception of the United Kingdom. (ABC News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Honduras
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Guyana
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Bolivia
- The Government declares the national emergency after reporting a third case and presidential election rallies suspended. (TeleSur TV) (USNews)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Denmark
- Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen orders the closing of all education centers for two weeks. (Daily Mail)
Law and crime
- Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases
- American film producer Harvey Weinstein is sentenced to 23 years in prison for two felony sex crimes. (The Hollywood Reporter) (The New York Times)
Science and technology
- 2020 in archosaur paleontology
- Oculudentavis khaungraae, the world's smallest dinosaur, is discovered by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. (Newsweek)
- Discoveries of exoplanets
- Scientists discover WASP-76b, an exotic planet that has a 100% chance of having hot liquid iron. (NBC News)
Sports
- Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on sports
- Spain's top association football division La Liga and France's Ligue 1 announce that all matches will be played behind closed doors until April 15 in response to the coronavirus. (BBC)
- 2019–20 Scottish Premiership
- St Mirren F.C. asks fans who are suffering symptoms from influenza-like symptoms or the coronavirus to not attend their upcoming game against Heart of Midlothian F.C.. (BBC)
- 2020 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament
- The NCAA announces that all postseason tournaments in its winter season—not only the college basketball tournaments, but also its bowling, fencing, gymnastics, ice hockey, rifle, skiing, swimming & diving, track & field, and wrestling championships—will be held without fans in attendance. (The Washington Post)
- 2019–20 NBA season
- The NBA has announced that its 2019–20 season is on hiatus "until further notice" after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested a presumptive positive.(ESPN)
- The 2020 Japanese High School Baseball Invitational Tournament is cancelled in order to prevent players and related persons from having COVID-19. (Mainichi Shimbun)
March 10, 2020 (Tuesday)
Arts and culture
- The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, is postponed for the first time ever. The festival has been moved from April 2020 to October 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Los Angeles Times) (The New York Times)
Business and economy
- Black Monday
- Socio-economic impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announces an European 25 bilion euro fund to face the coronavirus crisis. (Euronews)
Health and environment
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy, 2020 Italy coronavirus lockdown
- Italy enters the first day of the nationwide lockdown as the number of infected reaches 10,149. (BBC)
- Roberto Stella, the president of the medical guild in Varese, Lombardy, has died at the age of 67 after contracting the virus. (Ansa)
- Riots continue for the third day in Italian prisons after family visitations were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Four more inmates died in the incidents, bringing the death toll to 12. The 22 inmates that escaped in Foggia, Apulia, are still wanted. (Il Fatto Quotidiano)
- President of the European Parliament David Sassoli self-isolates after visiting Italy. (Politico)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Japan
- The Cabinet of Japan passes a bill that allows Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to declare a state of emergency over the coronavirus if necessary. (NHK)
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic in mainland China
- Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping visits Wuhan, the epicentre and origin of the pandemic, after an unprecedented lockdown of the central city of 11 million people. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Moldova
- Moldova bans all foreigners from entering the country via plane who have been to any country with confirmed cases of coronavirus. (The Straits Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Spain
- Member of the Congress of Deputies and Madrid's city councilor Javier Ortega Smith becomes the first of Spain's high profile infected by the coronavirus. He participated in a political event on Sunday with 9000 people. The Board of the Congress suspends this week's plenary activity after the 52 lawmakers of Vox are called to stay at home. (La Vanguardia) (El Periódico)
- Community of La Rioja suspends all classes for two weeks. (el diario.es)
- The Ministry of Transports announces the cancellation of all flights between Spain and Italy. (El Mundo)
- Argentine saxophonist Marcelo Peralta has died in Madrid after contracting coronavirus. (Radio Mitre)
- UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage of humanity of Les Falles of Valencia are postponed for the fifth time in its history. (El Periódico)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Iran
- Iran reports 881 new confirmed cases and 54 more coronavirus deaths, the highest number of deaths in a single 24-hour period in the country to date, bringing the total to 8042 cases and 291 deaths. (TRT World)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the Czech Republic
- The Czech Republic suspends all schools and bans all events hosting more than 100 people indefinitely in order to contain the virus, according to Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. (U.S. News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Morocco
- The first death in Morocco is reported, an 89-year-old woman with pre-existing health conditions. (Hespress)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Greece
- Greek Minister of Health Vasilis Kikilias announces that the country's schools and universities will remain closed for two weeks. (The New York Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Denmark
- Denmark reports a sharp increase in coronavirus patients, with 174 new cases in the past 24 hours, totaling 264 cases in the whole country. (BNO News)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Austria
- Head of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine and former MEP Archduke Karl von Habsburg tests positive for virus becoming the first member of a royal family to test positive. (Salzburg24)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Turkey
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Poland
- Poland's Ministry of National Defence tweets that General Commander Jarosław Mika has tested positive for coronavirus after returning from Germany, and becomes NATO's highest-ranking member of armed forces infected. (Reuters)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Paraguay
- Paraguay suspends all school and university activities and large-scale public events for 15 days as a measure of control due to the coronavirus pandemic. (The New York Times)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Bolivia
- Bolivia confirms its two first cases. (Brussels Time)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Vatican City
- Saint Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica closes to tourists between 10 March and 3 April after Italy lockdown (The Guardian)
- 2020 coronavirus pandemic in Italy, 2020 Italy coronavirus lockdown
Law and crime
- The Canadian government presents a bill that would impose a nationwide ban on conversion therapy that would include minors. (BBC)
Politics and elections
- 2020 amendments to the Constitution of Russia
- Vladimir Putin backs a constitutional amendment that would allow him to remain in power after 2024 and make a lifetime presidency possible. (NBC News)
- 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries
- Voters in six U.S. states cast their ballots in the primary elections. Former Vice President Joe Biden wins the Mississippi, Missouri, Michigan, and Idaho primaries and is ahead in Washington (which has not finished tallying votes), while U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders wins North Dakota. (The New York Times) (CNN)
- Venezuelan protests (2014–present)
- Riot police repels Venezuela's opposition march downtown Caracas that aimed to regain control of the national legislature. (NBC News)
March 2020 | ||||||
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S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
29 | 30 | 31 |
Ongoing events
Disasters
- 2018–20 Kivu Ebola epidemic
- 2018–20 Southern Africa drought
- 2019–20 Australian bushfire season
- 2019–20 United Kingdom floods
- 2019–20 European windstorm season
- 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic
- Yemeni famine
Politics
- Afghan peace process
- Algerian protests
- Catalan protests
- Chilean protests
- European migrant crisis (timeline)
- Hong Kong protests
- Indian Citizenship Amendment Act protests (Shaheen Bagh)
- Iranian protests
- Iraqi protests
- Kashmir lockdown
- Lebanese protests
- Libyan peace process
- Maltese protests
- North East Delhi riots
- Persian Gulf crisis
- Post-Brexit diplomatic talks
- Qatar diplomatic crisis
- Rohingya persecution in Myanmar
- Turkish purges (disputed)
- Venezuelan presidential crisis (protests)
- Xinjiang concentration camps
- Yellow vests movement
Religion
Sports
More details – ongoing conflicts
Recent
Upcoming
- March
- 19: Vanuatu, Parliament
- 22: Abkhazia, President
Recently concluded
- Pakistan: Pervez Musharraf
- Philippines: Andal Ampatuan Jr.
- Spain: Quim Torra
- United States: Michael Avenatti, Harvey Weinstein
Ongoing
- Armenia: Serzh Sargsyan
- Cambodia: Kem Sokha
- Guatemala: Otto Pérez Molina, Roxana Baldetti, Juan Carlos Monzón and others
- Greece: Nikolaos Michaloliakos
- Israel: Faina Kirschenbaum, Benjamin Netanyahu
- Malaysia: Najib Razak
- Malta: Murder of Daphne Caruana
- Philippines: Leila de Lima, Maria Ressa, Marcos vs. Robredo electoral protest
- South Africa: Jacob Zuma
- Spain: Bárcenas affair, Catalan police leadership
- United Kingdom: Alex Salmond
- United States: Fat Leonard scandal, Varsity Blues scandal, Raid on the North Korean embassy in Madrid, 6ix9ine
- International: The Gambia v. Myanmar
Upcoming
- Guatemala: Álvaro Colom, Manuel Baldizón, Juan Alberto Fuentes
- Japan: Carlos Ghosn
- Philippines: "Bikoy" videos sedition case
- United States: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Elizabeth Holmes, Meng Wanzhou, R. Kelly, Golden State Killer, Nikolas Cruz
- Zimbabwe: Ignatius Chombo
- Association football
- Women's association football
- American football
- Basketball
- Golf
- Ice hockey
- Rugby sevens
- Rugby union
- Other sports seasons
More details – current sports events
March 2020
- 12: Michel Roux
- 11: Burkhard Hirsch
- 10: Ruth Born
- 9: Richard K. Guy
- 9: John Bathersby
- 8: Max von Sydow
- 7: Fatemeh Rahbar
- 6: Bélgica Castro
- 6: Henri Richard
- 6: McCoy Tyner
- 5: Jeanette Fitzsimons
- 5: Hossein Sheikholeslam
- 4: Amo Houghton
- 4: Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
- 4: Rosalind P. Walter
- 3: Bobbie Battista
- 3: Stanisław Kania
- 2: Henry N. Cobb
- 2: James Lipton
- 1: Ernesto Cardenal
- 1: Jack Welch
February 2020
- 28: Joe Coulombe
- 28: Freeman Dyson
- 27: David Smith
- 26: Michael Medwin
- 25: Lee Phillip Bell
- 25: Hosni Mubarak
- 24: Diana Serra Cary
- 24: Clive Cussler
- 24: John Franzese
- 24: Katherine Johnson
- 22: Kiki Dimoula
- 22: B. Smith
- 22: Simon Warr
- 21: Nick Cuti
- 21: Tao Porchon-Lynch
- 20: José Bonaparte
- 19: Heather Couper
- 19: José Mojica Marins
- 18: Ja'Net DuBois
- 17: Owen Bieber
- 17: Henry Gray
- 17: Charles Portis
- 17: Andrew Weatherall
- 16: Zoe Caldwell
- 16: Larry Tesler
- 15: Caroline Flack
- 15: A. E. Hotchner
- 14: Clayton Williams
- 13: Rajendra K. Pachauri
- 12: Frederick R. Koch
- 11: Marcelino dos Santos
Africa
- Algeria, Libya and Tunisia
- Cameroon
- Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria
- Central African Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Libya
- Mali
- Mozambique
- Nigeria
- Somalia
- South Sudan
- Sudan
Americas
- Colombia
- Mexico
- Peru
Asia-Pacific
- Afghanistan
- China
- India
- India and Pakistan
- Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines
- Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
- Myanmar
- Pakistan
- Philippines
- Thailand
Europe
- Armenia and Azerbaijan
- Georgia
- Russia
- Ukraine
Middle East
- Egypt
- Iran and the Persian Gulf
- Iraq
- Iraq and Syria (map)
- Israel and Gaza
- Syria
- Turkey
- Yemen and Saudi Arabia