THE upcoming New Year's Eve will mark the second anniversary of the first reported COVID-19 case in Wuhan, China. Since then, more than 272 million cases of the disease have been reported worldwide and over 5 million people have died of COVID-19.
To combat the health crisis, countries around the globe have administered more than 8.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine and drugmakers have developed new treatments.
Here are some of the key moments of the COVID-19 pandemic from the past two years:
DEC. 31 2019
The Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, China, reported a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, the capital city of the Hubei Province.
JANUARY 2020
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Chinese authorities have determined the outbreak was caused by a novel coronavirus. Soon after, Thailand reported the first confirmed case of the coronavirus outside China.
China on Jan. 23 announced a lockdown in Wuhan, and at month-end the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern."
FEBRUARY 2020
The WHO named the novel coronavirus SARS-COV2, an acronym for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. It named the disease caused by the virus as COVID-19, an abbreviation for Coronavirus Disease 2019.
MARCH 2020
The WHO described the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic for the first time.
Italy's Lombardy region became the single deadliest coronavirus hotspot on the planet, with more than 3,000 deaths that eclipsed those in China's Hubei.
"The whole of Italy is closed now," read a headline in the Corriere della Sera newspaper after Rome imposed the most severe controls on a Western nation since World War II.
Several other countries, including Spain, France, Thailand, South Korea, Australia and Malaysia, also imposed lockdowns.
On March 13, the United States declared the pandemic a national emergency to free up $50 billion in federal aid. Later that month, California became the first U.S. state to issue a "stay-at-home order", while New York closed non-essential businesses.
India announced a nationwide lockdown on March 24, the same day when the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan were postponed.
On March 27, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tested positive for the coronavirus.
APRIL 2020
COVID-19 infections crossed 1 million and the WHO reported evidence that transmission from an infected person could occur before symptoms showed.
JULY 2020
On July 7, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive.
Later that month, Moderna and Pfizer launched large clinical trials of their respective COVID-19 shots.
SEPTEMBER 2020
Death toll from COVID-19 crossed 1 million, less than a year after the virus was discovered in China.
OCTOBER 2020
On Oct. 1, then-U.S. President Donald Trump tested positive for COVID-19, a little more than a month before the presidential election.
NOVEMBER 2020
Pfizer and German partner BioNTech said their experimental COVID-19 shot was more than 90% effective in preventing the disease, the first successful interim data on a COVID-19 vaccine from a large-scale clinical test.
Moderna Inc became the second U.S. company to demonstrate success of its COVID-19 vaccine, reporting that its shot was 94.5% effective in preventing the disease.
DECEMBER 2020
Britain approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, making it the first country in the world to begin mass inoculations against the coronavirus.
On Dec. 11, the United States authorized the Pfizer-BioNTech shot for emergency use for people aged 16 and older as deaths from COVID-19 in the country neared 300,000.
New variants of the coronavirus were detected in Britain, South Africa and India. The WHO classified the variants from the UK and South Africa as variants of concern. It later named the strains Alpha and Beta.
JANUARY 2021
The WHO classified the P.1 variant, first found in Brazil in November 2020, as "variant of concern" following a surge in cases and deaths in the country. It was later named the Gamma variant.
March 2021
Brazil's most-populous state Sao Paulo announced a partial lockdown to combat surging infections, driven in part by a patchy vaccine rollouts.
MAY 2021
The WHO declared the B.1.617.2 variant, first detected in India, as "variant of concern" at a global level. The variant fuelled a second wave of infections in the country, driving daily cases above 300,000 and crippling India's healthcare infrastructure.
The WHO later named the variant as Delta.
JUNE 2021
Global COVID-19 related deaths crossed 4 million as the Delta variant became the dominant strain across the world.
JULY 2021
Israel the became first in the world to step up efforts against the Delta variant by rolling out booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those aged over 60.
AUGUST 2021
The U.S. FDA authorized a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised individuals.
SEPTEMBER 2021
U.S. regulators cleared booster shots of Pfizer's vaccine for those 65 and older, all people at high risk of severe disease and others who are regularly exposed to the virus.
OCTOBER 2021
The United States authorized Moderna vaccine boosters for some sections of its population and boosters from Johnson & Johnson for individuals 18 years and above. It also backed the use of a different shot from the original inoculation as a booster.
Worldwide COVID-19 deaths surpassed 5 million.
NOVEMBER 2021
On Nov.4, Britain became the first country in the world to approve an oral COVID-19 antiviral pill jointly developed by Merck & Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.
The United States expanded eligibility for booster shots to all adults, even as the WHO voiced concerns about equitable supply of shots globally.
A new COVID-19 variant, later termed Omicron, was detected in Hong Kong and southern Africa.
DECEMBER 2021
On Dec. 12, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa tested positive for COVID-19.
As of to date, the global coronavirus caseload has topped 284.4 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 5.42 million and vaccinations to over 9.07 billion, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Reuters
Thu Dec 30 2021
To combat the health crisis, countries around the globe have administered more than 8.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine and drugmakers have developed new treatments. - AWANI
ISIS Malaysia's perspective of Budget 2025
An excellent rakyat-centric budget under the overarching principle of a caring and humane economy.
Budget 2025: Record increase in STR, SARA aid initiatives
The government will provide a significant boost to the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives next year.
Budget 2025: EPF contributions to be made mandatory for foreign workers – PM Anwar
The government plans to make it compulsory for all non-citizen workers to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
What policies to expect from Indonesia's new President Prabowo
Prabowo will be open to foreign investment, his aide has said, such as by offering investors management of airports and sea ports.
Budget 2025: Govt allocates RM470 mil to empower women's participation in PMKS
The Women's Leadership Apprenticeship Program will be intensified as an effort to produce more female corporate personalities.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Prabowo's inauguration
Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday with Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also taking office.
Immediate allocation of RM150 mil for local authorities, DID to tackle flash floods
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation is intended to address the recent flash floods that hit the capital and several major towns.
Budget 2025: Sabah, Sarawak to continue receiving among highest allocations - PM
Sabah and Sarawak continues to be prioritised under Budget 2025, with allocations of RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.
NFOF will be operational in November 2024 with funding of RM1 bil
PM Anwar Ibrahim said NFOF will support venture capital fund managers to invest in startup companies with RM300 million set aside for 2025.
Minimum wage to increase to RM1,700 effective Feb 1, 2025
The Progressive Wage Policy would be fully enforced next year with an allocation of RM200 million, benefiting 50,000 workers.
Bursa Malaysia ends higher on Budget 2025 optimism
The benchmark index, which opened 1.85 points higher at 1,643.29, moved between 1,641.71 and 1,649.31 throughout the trading session.
Five important aspects relating to people’s lives in Budget 2025 - PM
The focus is on driving the MADANI Economy, speeding reforms, cutting red tape, raising wages, and tackling the cost of living.
Economic outlook: Govt plans to leverage, expand existing city transit system
The expansion aims to provide a more efficient and reliable public transportation network, reduce congestion, and improve accessibility.
Economic outlook: Budget 2025 to lay foundation for a digital-driven economy
The report said Budget 2025 will entail efforts to position Kuala Lumpur as a top 20 global startup hub by 2030 through the KL20 initiative.
Economic outlook: Corruption and lack of accountability hinder economic progress
Special Cabinet Committee on National governance is established to curb corruption, law reforms to modernise outdate regulations, MoF said.
National Wages Consultative Council will be strengthened
The govt will also incentivise hiring women returning from career breaks, offer job matching and improve care services facilities.
Economic outlook: Ensuring 11 years of compulsory education for all children
Budget 2025 will continue prioritising upskilling and retraining initiatives to equip workers with the latest skill sets necessary.
Consolidated public sector projected to record lower surplus of RM41.7 bil 2024
The MoF said the consolidated general government revenue is estimated to increase slightly to RM384.7 billion in 2024.
PM announces substantial Budget 2025 hastening Malaysia to become Asian economic powerhouse
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said it would create jobs and also tackle financial leakages to enhance public spending efficiency.