ARTICLE
7 May 2020

Timeline of key social & economic COVID-19 events affecting Australian business

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BRI Ferrier

Contributor

BRI Ferrier is a group of expert firms offering recovery, insolvency, forensic accounting, and advisory services. With 80+ staff and practices in Australia and New Zealand, we help businesses of all sizes and work with various stakeholders to address financial challenges.
This timeline may assist in identifying social and economic factors affecting business since the discovery of COVID-19.
Australia Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Recent BRI Ferrier Forensic Accounting articles stress the importance of understanding the timing of events which have impaired, or improved, business' trading results during the COVID-19 global impact. To assist in identifying what social and economic factors may have been known or knowable at different points in time since the novel coronavirus was first discovered in China, Jacqueline Woods has prepared a broad timeline to share with you.

17-Nov-19

Earliest case of virus, in Wuhan, China, not then known as COVID-19

1-Dec-19

Chinese study says first person diagnosed with the new coronavirus started to have symptoms

21-Dec-19

First cluster of people with "pneumonia of an unknown cause" identified in Wuhan, China

Social media chatter of outbreak of "pneumonia with an unknown cause" started by Dr Li Wenliang, a Wuhan opthamologist

31-Dec-19

China informs World Health Organisation (WHO) of incidence of "pneumonia with an unknown cause" cluster linked to a fish market in Wuhan

Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection begins monitoring cases in Wuhan

3-Jan-20

China reports 44 cases to WHO

Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection begins monitoring cases in Wuhan

8-Jan-20

Scientists in China announce the discovery of a new coronavirus

9-Jan-20

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) published its first risk assessment on the Wuhan novel coronavirus stating that as there is no indication of human-to-human transmission and no cases outside of China, the risk of it reaching the EU is low but cannot be excluded

11-Jan-20

First known new coronavirus fatality of a 61 year old Wuhan man reported, but he actually died on 9 January

13-Jan-20

First case identified outside of China, in Thailand

16-Jan-20

Japan informs WHO of a confirmed new coronavirus case in Japan, in a person who had travelled to Wuhan

20-Jan-20

China announces that the new coronavirus is transmissible from human to human

21-Jan-20

First warning in Australia with a Brisbane man returning from Wuhan tested and quarantined (cleared two days later)

First confirmed new coronavirus case in USA in Washington State

23-Jan-20

Wuhan is locked down

Sydney airport starts screening passengers arriving from Wuhan

24-Jan-20

University of Queensland starts working on finding a vaccine

China closes down tourist destinations, restaurants and cinemas

25-Jan-20

First recorded new coronavirus case in Australia - a Victorian man in his 50s, then three confirmed cases in NSW, also returned travellers from Wuhan

Australia says "do not travel" to China

Hong Kong declares a state of emergency and closes schools and major tourist destinations

27-Jan-20

Close to 3,000 confirmed new coronavirus cases over 12 countries - China, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Nepal, USA, Canada and France

Australia has 6 cases with nil deaths

29-Jan-20

Melbourne's Peter Doherty institute becomes the first to recreate the virus in laboratory conditions

30-Jan-20

First two confirmed cases in Italy, with a state of emergency declared the next day

31-Jan-20

WHO declares the virus outbreak a "public health emergency of international concern"

2-Feb-20

USA closes its borders to all foreign nationals

First death outside China, in the Philippines

3-Feb-20

Australians evacuated from Wuhan and quarantined on Christmas Island for 14 days

5-Feb-20

Two Australians contract the new coronavirus on the cruise ship Diamond Princess quarantined off Japan

Australia announces a 14 day ban for non-citizens arriving from China, ban extended further on 20 February

7-Feb-20

Dr Li Wenliang, the opthamologist who alerted his mates and was reprimanded by Chinese authorities, dies of the new coronavirus

11-Feb-20

Global cases exceed 43,000 with death toll over 1,000 people

Australia has 13 cases with nil deaths

12-Feb-20

WHO offically names the new coronavirus as COVID-19: CO(rona)VI(rus)D(isease)(of 20)19

19-Feb-20

US stock markets at their highest point (Dow Jones at 29,348 points; S&P at 3,386 points; Nasdaq at 9,817 points)

20-Feb-20

Australian stock market hits a record high at 7,162 points

22-Feb-20

Italy records its first two deaths, with parts of Italy going into strict lockdown the next day

24-Feb-20

US stock market falls 3.4%, the worst single day in two years, and marks the start of US stock market decline

26-Feb-20

WHO reports number of cases outside China exceeds number of new cases in China with China case numbers declining

29-Feb-20

USA's first COVID-19 fatality in Washington State

1-Mar-20

Australia's first COVID-19 fatality, a Perth man who had been on the Diamond Princess cruise ship

3-Mar-20

RBA slashes cash rate to record low of 0.5%

Australian supermarket panic buying begins in earnest around this time

7-Mar-20

Global cases of COVID-19 surpass 100,000 with close to 3,500 deaths

Australia has 73 cases with 2 deaths

10-Mar-20

Italy goes into national lockdown, shortly followed by other European countries

11-Mar-20

WHO declares COVID-19 a global pandemic

12-Mar-20

Stock markets worldwide suffer greatest single day fall since stock market crash in 1987

Australian Government announces first round of business financial assistance - $17.6 billion (increasing instant asset write off threshold; cash boost by way of reduction in amounts of PAYG withholding tax to pay to ATO; wage subsidies for apprentices and trainees; increased payments for welfare recipients)

13-Mar-20

US Government starts financial assistance and social restrictions follow

Australia forms a "National Cabinet" - Federal, State and Territory leaders - to enable a united approach to the COVID-19 crisis

15-Mar-20

Global cases of COVID-19 surpass 150,000 with 5,700 deaths

Australia has 298 cases with 5 deaths

Australian Government bans gatherings of more than 500 people

16-Mar-20

People arriving in Australia from overseas must self-isolate for 14 days and we are told to start implementing stricter social distancing rules

Australian stock market plunges 9.7% (at 5,002 points), its largest one day fall since the 1987 stock market crash, losing $165 billion in value, and 30% down on its peak of 20 February 2020 (at 7,162 points) and at its lowest point so far

US benchmark interest rate cut to 0 to 0.25 %, effectively zero

Australian supermarkets impose purchasing limits on staple items

17-Mar-20

Australian Government bans all international travel

18-Mar-20

Australian Government bans indoor gatherings of more than 100 people

International airline travel ceases and domestic airline travel plummets

19-Mar-20

Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin supend all international flights and Qantas stands down 20,000 employees

RBA slashes cash rate to record low of 0.25%

20-Mar-20

Global cases of COVID-19 surpass 234,000 with 9,800 deaths

Italy's death toll passes China's

Australia has 875 cases with 7 deaths

Australian government imposes strict social distancing of 4 sqm per person

21-Mar-20

Australia bans non-citizens and non-residents from entering Australia while incoming citizens/residents must self quarantine for 14 days

UK locks down and announces wage subsidies

22-Mar-20

Australian Government announces second round of business financial assistance - $66 billion (increase in earlier announced cash boost and payments for welfare recipients; guaranteed loan scheme with 3 year term and interest free for first 6 months)

Australian Government announces greater leniency for insolvency and bankruptcy as well as temporary relief for directors trading whilst insolvent

23-Mar-20

Australia starts to lock down - bars, clubs, cinemas, places of worship, casinos and gyms are closed; schools start to close

Around this time marks the peak of the growth of new daily cases in Australia

US stock markets at their lowest point so far (Dow Jones at 18,592 points; S&P at 2,237 points; Nasdaq at 6,861 points) - down more than 30% since 19 February 2020

24-Mar-20

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics is postponed to 2021

25-Mar-20

Global cases of COVID-19 surpass 410,000 with almost 19,000 deaths

Australia has 2,432 cases with 9 deaths

Australia closes its borders

26-Mar-20

Australia locks down some more - restaurants, cafes, food courts, auction houses are closed; open house inspections banned; weddings restricted to 5 people in total; funerals to 10 people

27-Mar-20

Many shops in Australia close their doors and stand down staff and so begins a sudden and swift mass growth of the unemployed numbers

29-Mar-20

Australian Government announces six month moratorium on rental evictions

Australian Government urges Australians to stay at home other than for food shopping, medical or care needs, exercise or work/education that cannot be done at home

Australian Government states that no more than two people may be together in public

30-Mar-20

Australian Government announces third round of business financial assistance - $130 billion (wage subsidies in the form of Jobkeeper payments backdated to 1 March)

31-Mar-20x

More than one third of the world's population is under some type of lockdown

1-Apr-20

Global cases of COVID-19 surpass 820,000 with 40,500 deaths

Australia has 4,864 cases with 21 deaths, but growth rate of new cases reducing significantly

2-Apr-20

Australian Government announces that childcare will be free for essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis

Australian supermarkets increase in store social distancing measures

5-Apr-20

Australian Government says do not go on easter holidays, just stay at home

7-Apr-20

Australian Government announces mandatory code for commercial tenancies

10-Apr-20

Global cases of COVID-19 surpass 1 million with close to 100,000 deaths

Australia has 6,203 cases with 53 deaths

23-Apr-20

Global cases of COVID-19 around 2.5 million with around 176,000 deaths

Australia has 6,661 cases with 75 deaths

29-Apr-20

Australian Government declares that relaxation of restrictions will be examined on 11 May 2020

USA expects to reduce restrictions and reopen the economy in May 2020

30-Apr-20

Global cases of COVID-19 around 3.1 million with almost 218,000 deaths

Australia has 6,762 cases with 92 deaths as of 6am on 1 May 2020

And all that in 5 months! As of 1 May 2020 Australian States and Territories are starting to plan easing of social distancing restrictions. We will be watching what happens as the restrictions ease and businesses attempt to ramp up and will update the timeline as time progresses.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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