A Timeline Of Canada's Biggest COVID-19 Milestones A Year Since The Pandemic Was Declared
The COVID-19 timeline in Canada started in January 2020 and now an entire year has passed since the WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are 16 of the biggest milestones Canada has gone through related to the virus since the beginning of 2020.
Editor's Choice: Ontario Is Activating Its Emergency Brake & Putting Another Region Into Lockdown
First Person In Canada Tests Positive For COVID-19
Date: January 25, 2020
Details: The Public Health Ontario Laboratory confirmed that a man had tested positive for COVID-19 on January 25, 2020, after he was admitted to the hospital days earlier.
First COVID-19 Related Death
Date: March 8, 2020
Details: Canada's first COVID-19 related death was confirmed on March 9, 2020. It was a man living in a nursing home in B.C. and he passed away the night before the announcement was made.
WHO Declares A Pandemic
Date: March 11, 2020
Details: After months of assessing the COVID-19 outbreak, the WHO announced that it was officially a pandemic. At that point, Canada only had 93 confirmed cases.
Federal Government Warns Against Non-Essential Travel
Date: March 13, 2020
Details: Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government was advising against all non-essential international travel, which was a step up from earlier advice that was related to specific countries.
Trudeau Tells Everyone To Stay Home
Date: March 16, 2020
Details: While speaking from outside of his home where he was self-isolating, Trudeau told Canadians to stay home to protect each other.
Canada-U.S. Border Closes
Date: March 21, 2020
Details: Both Trudeau and then U.S. President Donald Trump announced on March 18, 2020, that the border would close to non-essential travel and then it happened a few days later on March 21, 2020.
Mandatory 14-Day Quarantine Is Introduced For Travellers
Date: March 25, 2020
Details: It was announced that it would be mandatory for travellers coming into Canada to isolate for 14 days once they arrived in the country.
Wearing Masks Is Advised
Date: May 20, 2020
Details: Dr. Theresa Tam announced that it was now recommended for people to wear a mask when outside of their home as a layer of protection.
Canada Reaches 150K COVID-19 Cases
Date: September 25, 2020
Details: Eight months after the first person in Canada tested positive, it was confirmed that COVID-19 cases in Canada had reached and surpassed 150,000.
First Vaccine Is Approved
Date: December 9, 2020
Details: The Pfizer vaccine was the first to be approved by Health Canada and it was authorized for use in people aged 16 or older.
First Vaccine Doses Are Administered
Date: December 13, 2020
Details: Days after the approval, the first doses of the Pfizer vaccine were administered in Canada. Someone in Quebec was the first person in the country to get a dose.
Moderna Vaccine Is Approved
Date: December 23, 2020
Details: Two weeks after the first vaccine was approved, Health Canada also authorized the Moderna vaccine for use.
First Variant Case In Canada Is Detected
Date: December 26, 2020
Details: A couple in Ontario were confirmed to be the first cases of a virus variant detected in Canada. It was also announced that the variant was the one first discovered in the U.K.
New Travel Rules Come Into Effect
Date: February 22, 2021
Details: Canada imposed new travel rules on February 22, 2021, that required all incoming travellers to take a COVID-19 test upon arrival and those coming by plane were mandated to quarantine in hotels.
AstraZeneca Vaccine Is Approved
Date: February 26, 2021
Details: The AstraZeneca vaccine was approved by Health Canada and it was the third authorized for use in the country.
Johnson & Johnson Single-Dose Vaccine Is Approved
Date: March 5, 2021
Details: Unlike the other three vaccines, the one from Johnson & Johnson that was authorized by Health Canada requires a single dose instead of two.