FOCUS: One year later – Key dates in the COVID-19 pandemic
Published 1:05 am Saturday, March 13, 2021
2019
DECEMBER
Dec. 31 – China reports clusters of cases in Wuhan province
2020
JANUARY
Jan. 20 – First U.S. case of COVID-19 reported, first case reported in South Korea
Jan. 25 – First case of COVID-19 reported in Australia
Jan. 31 – First case of COVID-19 reported in United Kingdom, Italy
FEBRUARY
Feb. 26 – First non-travel case of COVID-19 reported in U.S.
MARCH
March 4 – Gov. Mike DeWine orders Arnold Sports Festival canceled in Ohio
March 5 – DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton host COVID-19 summit
March 6 – First COVID-19 case reported in Kentucky
March 9 – First confirmed case in Ohio
March 9 – DeWine declares state of emergency
March 11– President Donald Trump addresses nation on pandemic, World Health Organization declares COVID-19 a pandemic, actor Tom Hanks announces he has tested positive for the virus, NBA suspends games after player tests positive
March 12 – DeWine orders public schools closed, ban on mass gatherings ordered in Ohio, U.S. COVID-19 cases reach 1,000, NCAA cancels March Madness, Ironton declares state of emergency
March 13 – Ohio University announces suspension of in-person instruction through end of spring
March 14 – Hospitals ordered to postpone elective surgeries, Coal Grove declares state of emergency
March 15 – Bars and indoor-dining ordered closed, Chesapeake declares state of emergency
March 16 – DeWine orders delay for March primary election
March 17 – First COVID-19 death in Ohio, first case confirmed in West Virginia
March 19 – U.S. State Department advises against international travel
March 22 – Stay-at-home order issued
March 25 – First positive case reported in Lawrence County
March 30 – First cases of COVID-19 reported in Cabell County, West Virginia
APRIL
April 4 – Ohio recommends use of facial coverings and masks
April 27 – Reopening plan released for state
April 28 – Ballots counted for mail-in primary election
MAY
May 1 – Hospitals reopen for elective surgeries in Ohio, state stay-at-home order expires
May 2 – South Point hosts socially distanced cruise-in event for community
May 4 – Construction, manufacturing businesses reopen in Ohio
May 12 – Consumer, retail, service businesses reopen in Ohio
May 18 – Lawrence County Courthouse reopens to public
May 21 – Campgrounds reopen in Ohio
May 25 – Ironton Lawrence-County Memorial Day Parade takes place in scaled-down form with no spectators
May 28 – U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 100,000
May 29 – Board announces cancellation of Lawrence County Fair
Late May – Schools host socially-distanced graduation events for seniors
JUNE
June 12 – Acton resigns as Ohio’s health director
June 18 – First Ohio counties, in southwestern part of state, begin seeing spike in cases
June 24 – West Virginia announces surge in COVID-19 cases tied to travel to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
JULY
July 2 – Four-tier alert map begins, Lawrence County listed at Orange Level Two
July 14 – Lawrence County Livestock Show offers scaled-down events in place of Lawrence County Fair
July 15 – DeWine addresses state on spike in cases; Walmart, Kroger say all customers required to wear masks
July 23 – Mask mandate in all Ohio counties begins
July 23 – Lawrence County moved to Red Level Three alert, Pumpkin House and fall festival canceled in Kenova, West Virginia
July 31 – Ironton Wizardfest announces cancellation of 2020 events
AUGUST
Aug. 6 – Lawrence County alert downgraded to Orange Level Two, outbreak reported at Harbor Health Care in Ironton
Aug. 13 – First COVID-19 death reported in Lawrence County
Mid–August – Schools in Ohio begin re-opening with masks required
Aug. 15 – FDA approves saliva test for COVID-19
Aug. 17 – COVID-19 becomes third leading cause of death in U.S.
Aug. 19 – Ohio Department of Health issues requirements for resuming sports at schools in the state
Aug. 28 – First known case of reinfection from COVID-19 reported in U.S.
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 10 – DeWine names Joan Duwve as new health director. Duwve initially accepts position, but backs out hours later
Sept. 16 – Trump administration releases distribution plan for pending vaccines
Sept. 22 – U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 200,000
Sept. 23 – A strain of COVID-19, reported to be more contagious, is discovered
Sept. 28 – Worldwide deaths from COVID-19 total more than 1 million
OCTOBER
Oct. 2 – President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump announce they have tested positive for COVID-19, the president is hospitalized for three days
Oct. 8 – Lawrence County returns to Red Level Three alert on state’s COVID-19 map; Outbreak of COVID-19 cases in White House totals 34, following a reception for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett
Oct. 15 – U.S. cases of COVID-19 spike to highest levels seen since August
Oct. 19 – Worldwide reported cases of COVID-19 top 40 million
NOVEMBER
Nov. 3 – U.S. presidential election, Democrat Joe Biden defeats Trump’s bid for re-election
Nov. 4 – U.S. is reporting more than 100,000 new cases of COVID-19 daily
Nov. 5 – Stephanie McCloud named as new Ohio health director
Nov. 9 – Pfizer announces that its vaccine trials are 90 percent effective
Nov. 16 – Moderna announces 94.5 effective results in its vaccine trials
DECEMBER
Dec. 10 – FDA announces its first endorsement of a COVID-19 vaccine for Pfizer and BioNTech’s vaccine
Dec. 14 – U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 300,000
Dec. 17 – FDA announces its backing of the Moderna vaccine
Dec. 22 – First vaccines arrive in Lawrence County, with staff at the Lawrence County Health Department the first to receive the Moderna shot
2021
JANUARY
Jan. 19 – Vaccinations for those 80 and above in general population begin in Ohio; U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 400,000
Jan. 20 – Biden sworn in as president of the United States
Jan. 21 – DeWine announces those 75 and older can get a vaccine in Ohio
Jan. 26 – Ohio’s statewide curfew scaled back by one hour
FEBRUARY
Feb. 1 – Vaccination of school personnel begins in Ohio
Feb. 8 – Vaccination age lowered to 65 in Ohio
Feb. 11 – DeWine announces end to Ohio’s statewide curfew; state reports fewer than 3,000 new daily cases of COVID-19 for first time since spike
Feb. 20 – U.S. sees 29 percent decline in new daily COVID-19 cases
Feb. 21 – Kentucky reports six weeks of decline in COVID-19 cases
Feb. 22 – U.S. COVID-19 deaths top 500,000
Feb. 24 – Mass vaccination event takes place for Lawrence County school employees
Feb. 26 – Ohio reports fewer than 2,000 new daily cases of COVID-19 for fourth day in a week
MARCH
March 1 – Organizers vote for full return of Lawrence County Fair in July
March 11 – Single shot vaccines begin in Lawrence County; DeWine announces that he expects all counties to have full fairs by summer