USA 2020 Timeline

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Showing 75 events on this page. Use search or category filters to narrow the year.
Aug
08
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in France Paris issues a mask mandate for busy areas to curb the rise of COVID-19 infections.

COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 pandemic in Europe COVID-19 pandemic in France Paris issues a mask mandate for busy areas to curb the rise of COVID-19 infections. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of Ireland Ireland reports 174 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours. This is the highest number of reported cases since early May. (Reuters) COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil The total number of COVID-19 deaths in Brazil surpasses 100,000. (G1) (The Wall Street Journal) COVID-19 pandemic in the United States The United States surpasses five million cases of COVID-19. (Reuters)

Aug
12
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu issues a mask mandate for gatherings with more tha

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in New Hampshire New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu issues a mask mandate for gatherings with more than 100 people. Masks will be required at the Laconia Motorcycle Week, which is expected to be held on August 22 and 23. The move comes after few attendees of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota appeared to wear masks. (CBS News) The United States reports more than 1,500 new deaths caused by COVID-19, making today the deadliest day for the country since the end of May. (CNBC)

Aug
14
Health / Disasters

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 pandemic in New York City New York Governor A

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts and cultural heritage COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, COVID-19 pandemic in New York City New York Governor Andrew Cuomo says that museums and cultural institutions in New York City will be allowed to reopen on August 24 at a 25% capacity. (The New York Times)

Aug
16
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Florida The Florida Department of Health reports 3,779 cases, the state's lowest since June 23.

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Florida The Florida Department of Health reports 3,779 cases, the state's lowest since June 23. (The Miami Herald) COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signs an executive order that permits local officials to issue mask mandates in their cities. (Newsweek)

Aug
19
Health / Disasters

2020 California wildfires Thousands in the San Francisco Bay Area flee their homes after several quick-moving wildfires, apparently sparked by lightning and the

2020 California wildfires Thousands in the San Francisco Bay Area flee their homes after several quick-moving wildfires, apparently sparked by lightning and the heatwave, sweep into the region. Around 50 structures have burned down with another 50 damaged in Vacaville. This group of fires, called the LNU Lightning Complex, has grown to 46,000 uncontained acres. (BBC News)

Aug
19
Health / Disasters

The California Department of Public Health reports the state's first case of plague in five years at South Lake Tahoe.

The California Department of Public Health reports the state's first case of plague in five years at South Lake Tahoe. The patient, believed to have been bitten by an infected flea, is under medical care recovering at home. The CDC says that America sees between one and 17 cases annually. (CBS News) (Yahoo!)

Aug
20
Health / Disasters

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism Airbnb bans house parties and limits almost all listed venues to 16 people a

Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism Airbnb bans house parties and limits almost all listed venues to 16 people as it tries to comply with gathering restrictions. (BBC News) Australian youth travel agency STA Travel files for insolvency. (BBC News) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation American Airlines announces it will end service at 15 airports starting October 7. (CNN)

Aug
21
Health / Disasters

2020 California wildfires August 2020 California lightning wildfires Structures at the Big Basin Redwoods State Park are damaged or destroyed by the CZU Lightni

2020 California wildfires August 2020 California lightning wildfires Structures at the Big Basin Redwoods State Park are damaged or destroyed by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in Santa Cruz County. (CNN) Six people die in the wildfires in Northern California. (ABC News) The LNU Lightning Complex Fire grows to 220,000 acres, with 7% of the fire contained. (SFGate)

Aug
21
Health / Disasters

August 2020 California lightning wildfires Structures at the Big Basin Redwoods State Park are damaged or destroyed by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in Santa C

August 2020 California lightning wildfires Structures at the Big Basin Redwoods State Park are damaged or destroyed by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire in Santa Cruz County. (CNN) Six people die in the wildfires in Northern California. (ABC News) The LNU Lightning Complex Fire grows to 220,000 acres, with 7% of the fire contained. (SFGate)

Aug
21
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya, protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic Police arrest anti-corruption protesters in Nairobi for allegedly disobeying social

COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya, protests over responses to the COVID-19 pandemic Police arrest anti-corruption protesters in Nairobi for allegedly disobeying social distancing measures. Protesters, however, claim the arrests were an attempt by authorities to silence dissent and report that police have used tear gas to disperse the crowds. (AP via The Washington Post)

Aug
22
Health / Disasters

At least 13 people are killed after police raid a nightclub in Lima for breaching restrictions that were imposed in response to the pandemic.

At least 13 people are killed after police raid a nightclub in Lima for breaching restrictions that were imposed in response to the pandemic. Police report that a stampede occurred as patrons tried to escape, resulting in casualties, while others were killed due to asphyxiation. (Reuters via Hindustan Times)

Aug
22
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in Peru At least 13 people are killed after police raid a nightclub in Lima for breaching restrictions that were imposed in response to the pa

COVID-19 pandemic in Peru At least 13 people are killed after police raid a nightclub in Lima for breaching restrictions that were imposed in response to the pandemic. Police report that a stampede occurred as patrons tried to escape, resulting in casualties, while others were killed due to asphyxiation. (Reuters via Hindustan Times)

Aug
23
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in India India's number of confirmed cases tops 3 million, making it the third country to surpass that number after

COVID-19 pandemic in Asia COVID-19 pandemic in India India's number of confirmed cases tops 3 million, making it the third country to surpass that number after the United States and Brazil as the country leads the world in daily new cases. (Al Jazeera) COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea South Korea reports 397 new cases, which is the highest number of reported cases since early March as the virus is reported in all cities and provinces across the country. From that number 387 were locally transmitted. (Reuters) (Yonhap News Agency)

Aug
26
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 pandemic in Norway, COVID-19 pandemic in Liechtenstein Norway will impose a 10-day quarantine on all people arriving from

COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, COVID-19 pandemic in Norway, COVID-19 pandemic in Liechtenstein Norway will impose a 10-day quarantine on all people arriving from Germany and Liechtenstein from August 29 due to rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in those countries. (The New York Times)

Aug
26
Health / Disasters

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week changed its COVID-19 testing guidelines to say that people who've been in close contact with someone kn

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week changed its COVID-19 testing guidelines to say that people who've been in close contact with someone known to have COVID-19 but are asymptomatic now "do not necessarily" need to get tested. Health experts are expressing alarm over this revision since, for example, up to 50 percent of all COVID-19 transmissions are due to people who do not exhibit symptoms of the disease. (Voice of America)

Aug
27
Health / Disasters

2020 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Laura downgrades from a Category 4 to Category 2 hurricane but remains "extremely dangerous" after lashing the coasts o

2020 Atlantic hurricane season Hurricane Laura downgrades from a Category 4 to Category 2 hurricane but remains "extremely dangerous" after lashing the coasts of Texas and Louisiana early Thursday. It has killed 30 people thus far. (AP) A shelter-in-place is issued after a chemical fire breaks out in Lake Charles, Louisiana. (CBS News) The South's Defenders Monument, a Confederate monument located in Lake Charles, is damaged by Laura. (The Hill)

Aug
28
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in India India reports more than 77,000 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide total to more than 3.38 million, the highest sin

COVID-19 pandemic in India India reports more than 77,000 new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide total to more than 3.38 million, the highest single day spike for the country for the second consecutive day, and the highest single day caseload in the world apart from the United States. (The Washington Post)

Aug
30
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in India India reports 78,761 new cases in the past 24 hours, thus marking the highest single-day rise in case numbers recorded anywhere in th

COVID-19 pandemic in India India reports 78,761 new cases in the past 24 hours, thus marking the highest single-day rise in case numbers recorded anywhere in the world. The record was previously set by the United States, which reported 77,638 new cases on July 17. This puts India's overall case tally to 3.5 million. (France 24)

Aug
31
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves extends the state's mask mandate to two weeks.

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Mississippi Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves extends the state's mask mandate to two weeks. (The Meridian Star) The United States surpasses six million cases of COVID-19. (CNN) AstraZeneca begins Phase III clinical trials of its potential COVID-19 vaccine, AZD1222, which it developed with the University of Oxford, to some 30,000 adults in the United States. (Bloomberg)

Sep
01
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Eviction in the United States The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues an order temporarily halting residen

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Eviction in the United States The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issues an order temporarily halting residential evictions on public health grounds, with the goal of slowing the spread of the COVID-19. The order lasts through December 31 and applies to individual renters earning no more than $99,000 in annual income. (Newsmax)

Sep
03
Health / Disasters

2020 wildfire season, Climate change in the Arctic The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reports that the Arctic Circle has experienced its worst wildfir

2020 wildfire season, Climate change in the Arctic The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reports that the Arctic Circle has experienced its worst wildfire season on record after the service released data indicating that a series of wildfires occurring in the first half of 2020, mostly in the Russian republic of Sakha, have emitted more than 244 million tons of carbon dioxide. The emissions within that period have increased by more than a third of carbon emissions in the whole of 2019. (Bloomberg) (CNN)

Sep
03
Health / Disasters

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reports that the Arctic Circle has experienced its worst wildfire season on record after the service released data

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reports that the Arctic Circle has experienced its worst wildfire season on record after the service released data indicating that a series of wildfires occurring in the first half of 2020, mostly in the Russian republic of Sakha, have emitted more than 244 million tons of carbon dioxide. The emissions within that period have increased by more than a third of carbon emissions in the whole of 2019. (Bloomberg) (CNN)

Sep
05
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education COVID-19 pandemic in New York More than 20 students at New York University a

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education COVID-19 pandemic in New York More than 20 students at New York University are suspended for violating their COVID-19 policies. (NBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts Northeastern University dismisses 11 students for violating COVID-19 guidelines. (CBS News) COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii Hawaii County closes their beaches and shoreline parks through September 19 in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19. (The Honolulu Star-Advertiser)

Sep
05
Health / Disasters

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education COVID-19 pandemic in New York More than 20 students at New York University are suspended for violating their COVID-

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education COVID-19 pandemic in New York More than 20 students at New York University are suspended for violating their COVID-19 policies. (NBC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts Northeastern University dismisses 11 students for violating COVID-19 guidelines. (CBS News)

Sep
06
Health / Disasters

2020 California wildfires Over 200 people are airlifted to safety after wildfires break out at the Sierra National Forest.

2020 California wildfires Over 200 people are airlifted to safety after wildfires break out at the Sierra National Forest. (The Chicago Tribune) Evacuations are issued in San Diego County, California, after the Valley Fire, which was ignited southeast of Alpine, reaches 4,000 acres and consumes 10 structures. (East Bay Times)

Sep
08
Health / Disasters

2020 wildfire season 2020 California wildfires The Pacific Gas and Electric Company shuts down power for an estimated 172,000 California customers in 22 countie

2020 wildfire season 2020 California wildfires The Pacific Gas and Electric Company shuts down power for an estimated 172,000 California customers in 22 counties. (SFGate) 2020 Washington wildfires A wildfire destroys up to 80% of the town of Malden, Washington, including the town's fire station, post office, city hall, and library. The entire town's population was evacuated as the raging fire approached. (Reuters)

Sep
08
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona Arizona reports 81 cases, the lowest in the state since late March.

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona Arizona reports 81 cases, the lowest in the state since late March. This also marks the first time the state reported fewer than 100 cases since April 10. (The Arizona Republic) (KTAR) COVID-19 pandemic in Iowa The number of cases in Iowa exceeds 70,000. (The Hill) The total number of children infected with COVID-19 in the United States since the pandemic began there in mid-March surpasses 500,000. (MSN) The United States reports less than 30,000 cases for the first time since late June. (The Hill)

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