• On 5 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) notified Member States under the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR) of an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan city, China. The pathogen is a novel (new) coronavirus.
• On 21 January 2020 ‘Human coronavirus with pandemic potential’ became a ‘listed human disease’ by legislative instrument made by the Director of Human Biosecurity under the Act.
• On 30 January 2020, the outbreak was declared by the WHO International Regulations Emergency Committee to constitute a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
• On 11 February 2020, WHO announced that the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the pathogen virus ‘severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)’. It is closely related genetically to the virus that caused the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The international name given by WHO to the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 is Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
• On 11 March 2020 WHO declared the outbreak of COVID-19 a pandemic.

To get an up to date record of confirmed COVID19 cases, deaths and recoveries please visit the John Hopkins Corona Resource Centre HERE.

The Future Law Collaborative makes a call for lawyers and system thinkers worldwide to join the COVID19 Legal Response effort. Message from our founders Margaret & Anja below.