March 11, 2020: The Day COVID-19 Changed the World:
Key Highlights:
– On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic.
– The NBA suspended its 2019-2020 season, and the NCAA canceled March Madness the following day.
– Actor Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, publicly announced they had tested positive for the virus.
– Over seven million people have died worldwide due to COVID-19.
It’s been five years since the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally reshaped the world. While its effects continue to be felt globally, one day stands as a turning point in history.
On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, a series of significant events occurred that accelerated the pandemic:
1. WHO Declares the COVID-19 Pandemic: After Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. Chief Medical Advisor, warned lawmakers earlier that morning that things would worsen, the World Health Organization officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. At that point, there were 118,000 confirmed cases and 4,291 deaths across 114 countries. Since then, the global death toll has increased by more than 1,650 times.