TIMELINE
Important Timeline of the COVID-19
31st December 2019 - 3 January 2020
44 patients with the mysterious illness are reported to WHO by the Chinese authorities. More than half have links to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan. On 1 January, the market is closed.
|
7 January 2020
A new type of coronavirus is identified and isolated by Chinese authorities.
|
12 January 2020
China shares the genetic sequence of the virus.
|
25 January 2020
3 Chinese nationals forms the first few cases in Malaysia.
|
11 February 2020
The World Health Organisation (WHO) names the disease Covid-19 a.k.a. “coronavirus disease 2019.”
43,103 confirmed cases of the infection and 1018 people have died - more than the total number of deaths during the SARS outbreak of 2002-2004.
|
17 February 2020
A Chinese tourist in France becomes the first person outside of Asia to die after contracting the virus. The WHO starts reporting both clinically and lab-confirmed cases of Covid-19, accounting for an increase in cases to 71,429. Sixty million people in Hubei province are told to stay at home unless there is an emergency and the use of private cars is banned. The number of new cases in China drops for the third consecutive day.
|
7 March 2020
The global number of reported cases of Covid-19
surpasses 100,000, to 101,927.
|
11 March 2020
WHO declares an official pandemic.
Check out WHO’s official statement here.
|
16 to 17 March 2020
On 16 of March, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced the Movement Control Order (MCO) that is to take place between 18 March until 31 March. On 17 March, two case fatality were reported - a 60-year-old pastor from Sarawak and a 34-year-old man who had attended a tabligh event at the Sri Petaling Mosque.
|
18 March 2020
On 18 of March, WHO announces a global SOLIDARITY trial. The Solidarity Trial will compare four treatment options against standard of care, to assess their relative effectiveness against COVID-19. By enrolling patients in multiple countries, the Solidarity Trial aims to rapidly discover whether any of the drugs slow disease progression or improve survival. Read more here.
|
19 to 20 March 2020
By 19 March, Malaysia has the fourth highest number of Covid-19 cases in Asia behind China, Iran and South Korea. 900 confirmed cases were reported as of 19 March. WHO reported globally 209,839 confirmed cases with 8778 deaths.
On 20 March, Malaysia officially reached a record new high with 1030 confirmed cases and only 87 recovered patients. On this day, Malaysia also officially deployed the military to assist the civilian authorities in controlling the public movement. As of 30 April, there are 2626 cases, 37 deaths and 479 recovered.
Director General of Health Datuk Dr Noor Hisham on his Facebook, shared a message: “the virus knows no boundaries, regardless of your race, religion or wealth status, even more so if you are a healthcare worker at the frontline of this war.” This message was written in response to 12 healthcare workers under the Ministry of Health and 3 from the private healthcare sectors that have been infected by the COVID-19 virus.
|
1 to 10 April 2020
Phase 2 of the extended MCO starts (following the announcement on 25 March) and it is set to end on 14 April 2020. 108 recoveries have been recorded, highest in a single day , cumulating in 645 discharged cases (22.2% of total cases).
Global coronavirus death passes 40,000 people.
On 2 April 2020, WHO announces a #HealthyAtHome campaign.
On 10 April 2020, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the MCO will be extended till 28 April 2020.
Source: The Star, 12 April 2020
Here’s an overview of the Malaysian Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic
|
13 April 2020
WHO declares that a Research and Development Blueprint has been activated to accelerate the development of diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics for this novel coronavirus. Read more here.
“We are scientists, physicians, funders and manufacturers who have come together as part of an international collaboration, coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), to help speed the availability of a vaccine against COVID-19. While a vaccine for general use takes time to develop, a vaccine may ultimately be instrumental in controlling this worldwide pandemic. In the interim, we applaud the implementation of community intervention measures that reduce spread of the virus and protect people, including vulnerable populations, and pledge to use the time gained by the widespread adoption of such measures to develop a vaccine as rapidly as possible. We will continue efforts to strengthen the unprecedented worldwide collaboration, cooperation and sharing of data already underway. We believe these efforts will help reduce inefficiencies and duplication of effort, and we will work tenaciously to increase the likelihood that one or more safe and effective vaccines will soon be made available to all.”
|
23 April 2020
Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced that the MCO will be extended till 12 May 2020.
COVID-19 in Malaysia since 25 January 2020
First wave of COVID-19 took place between 25 January 2020 to 15 February 2020. We are now in the second wave of the infection which started on 27 February 2020, after 11 days of no cases reported to the National CPRC. Additional information may be obtained here.
On 19 of March 2020, the Director General of Health Malaysia Datuk Seri Noor Hisham Abdullah has mentioned that a third wave is likely to happen with a small window of opportunity to break the transmission chain completely. Read more here.