World 2021 Timeline

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Showing 75 events on this page. Use search or category filters to narrow the year.
Jan
29
Politics / Government

COVID-19 pandemic in Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and major Canadian airlines agree to suspend all flights to "sun destinations" such as the Caribbean a

COVID-19 pandemic in Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and major Canadian airlines agree to suspend all flights to "sun destinations" such as the Caribbean and Mexico until April 30. (BBC News) Trudeau announces new measures to take effect "in the coming weeks" that will require incoming travelers to undergo mandatory PCR testing upon arrival and quarantine in a hotel for a maximum of three days at their own expense. (AP)

Jan
29
Immigration / Law / Policy

COVID-19 pandemic in France Prime Minister Jean Castex announces the closure of borders to all travelers outside the European Union beginning January 31 in orde

COVID-19 pandemic in France Prime Minister Jean Castex announces the closure of borders to all travelers outside the European Union beginning January 31 in order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants and avoid a third lockdown. In addition, travel between the overseas territories will be limited and all large shopping centres will be closed. (ABC News)

Jan
29
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic The German Ministry of Interior bans entry to all travellers from the United

COVID-19 pandemic in Germany, travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic The German Ministry of Interior bans entry to all travellers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, Portugal, and South Africa from tomorrow until February 17 in order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants. In addition, travellers from Lesotho and Eswatini will also be banned beginning January 31. (Dpa International)

Jan
29
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 vaccine Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson announces their single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is 66% effective in preventing moderate disease and 85% i

COVID-19 vaccine Pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson announces their single-dose COVID-19 vaccine is 66% effective in preventing moderate disease and 85% in preventing severe disease during a global trial. (Politico) Novartis signs an agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech to help produce their vaccine. (MedicalXpress)

Jan
29
Immigration / Law / Policy

Prime Minister Jean Castex announces the closure of borders to all travelers outside the European Union beginning January 31 in order to reduce the spread of SA

Prime Minister Jean Castex announces the closure of borders to all travelers outside the European Union beginning January 31 in order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants and avoid a third lockdown. In addition, travel between the overseas territories will be limited and all large shopping centres will be closed. (ABC News)

Jan
29
Major Trends

The German Ministry of Interior bans entry to all travellers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, Portugal, and South Africa from tomorrow until February 1

The German Ministry of Interior bans entry to all travellers from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Brazil, Portugal, and South Africa from tomorrow until February 17 in order to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variants. In addition, travellers from Lesotho and Eswatini will also be banned beginning January 31. (Dpa International)

Jan
30
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in Africa COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria, COVID-19 vaccine Algeria begins its vaccination program using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine.

COVID-19 pandemic in Africa COVID-19 pandemic in Algeria, COVID-19 vaccine Algeria begins its vaccination program using Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. (ABC News) COVID-19 pandemic in Tunisia, COVID-19 vaccine Tunisia becomes the third country in Africa to register the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine after the country approves the vaccine for one year. (Al-Arabiya)

Jan
30
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina, Variant of Concern 202012/01 South Carolina reports its first case of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United King

COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina, Variant of Concern 202012/01 South Carolina reports its first case of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. The patient is a person from the Pee Dee region who previously travelled internationally. (WLTX-TV)

Jan
30
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland, 501.V2 variant Maryland confirms its first case of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa, b

COVID-19 pandemic in the United States COVID-19 pandemic in Maryland, 501.V2 variant Maryland confirms its first case of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa, becoming the second U.S. state to do so after South Carolina. (Politico) COVID-19 pandemic in South Carolina, Variant of Concern 202012/01 South Carolina reports its first case of the B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom. The patient is a person from the Pee Dee region who previously travelled internationally. (WLTX-TV)

Jan
30
Economy / Jobs / Business

Economic effects of Brexit The United Kingdom announces that it will apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, wh

Economic effects of Brexit The United Kingdom announces that it will apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which forms a trade bloc of 11 Asia-Pacific nations. The UK will be the first non-founding country to apply to join the bloc. (BBC News)

Jan
30
Economy / Jobs / Business

The United Kingdom announces that it will apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which forms a trade bloc of 1

The United Kingdom announces that it will apply to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, which forms a trade bloc of 11 Asia-Pacific nations. The UK will be the first non-founding country to apply to join the bloc. (BBC News)

Jan
31
Politics / Government

Tigray War Former Tigray Region president and fugitive Debretsion Gebremichael speaks out for the first time since going into hiding following the fall of Mekel

Tigray War Former Tigray Region president and fugitive Debretsion Gebremichael speaks out for the first time since going into hiding following the fall of Mekelle to federal forces in November 2020, saying "They [the federal government] have temporary military dominance", and "we are engaged in extended resistance". His current whereabouts are unknown. (Reuters)

Jan
31
Politics / Government

Former Tigray Region president and fugitive Debretsion Gebremichael speaks out for the first time since going into hiding following the fall of Mekelle to feder

Former Tigray Region president and fugitive Debretsion Gebremichael speaks out for the first time since going into hiding following the fall of Mekelle to federal forces in November 2020, saying "They [the federal government] have temporary military dominance", and "we are engaged in extended resistance". His current whereabouts are unknown. (Reuters)

Jan
31
War / Conflict / Security

Somali Civil War A suicide bomber blows himself up outside the Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, while gunmen storm the hotel and open fire.

Somali Civil War A suicide bomber blows himself up outside the Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, while gunmen storm the hotel and open fire. Five people are killed in the al-Shabaab attack, including a former military general; ten civilians are wounded. The three other attackers are shot dead during a gun battle with security forces. (BBC News)

Jan
31
War / Conflict / Security

A suicide bomber blows himself up outside the Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, while gunmen storm the hotel and open fire.

A suicide bomber blows himself up outside the Afrik Hotel in Mogadishu, Somalia, while gunmen storm the hotel and open fire. Five people are killed in the al-Shabaab attack, including a former military general; ten civilians are wounded. The three other attackers are shot dead during a gun battle with security forces. (BBC News)

Jan
31
War / Conflict / Security

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom Captain Tom, a British Army World War II veteran who raised millions of pounds for charity during the pandemic, is hospi

COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom Captain Tom, a British Army World War II veteran who raised millions of pounds for charity during the pandemic, is hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19. He has not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine. (NBC News) (BBC News)

Jan
31
War / Conflict / Security

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan announces a five-day lockdown in the Perth metropolitan, Peel, and South West regions, beg

COVID-19 pandemic in Australia Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan announces a five-day lockdown in the Perth metropolitan, Peel, and South West regions, beginning at 6:00 p.m. AWST, after a quarantine hotel security guard tests positive for COVID-19, possibly of the B.1.1.7 variant. (9 News)

Jan
31
Health / Disasters

COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, 501.V2 variant Vietnam reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a 25-year-old man from South Africa who travelled to Hanoi

COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, 501.V2 variant Vietnam reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant in a 25-year-old man from South Africa who travelled to Hanoi on December 19 and tested positive for COVID-19 four days later while in quarantine. (AAP via The West Australian)

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