March 9
Italy begins a national lockdown. Ten days later, the country’s COVID-19 deaths top 3,400, surpassing China’s death toll.
Soldiers patrolled Rome on March 9 as a national lockdown in Italy began.Giuseppe Fama/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
March 10
After a choir in Washington state meets for a practice, over 80 percent of attendees get infected, suggesting airborne transmission of the virus.
March 11
The WHO declares the outbreak is a pandemic. The virus has spread to at least 114 countries, killed over 4,000 people and infected nearly 120,000.
March 16
March 17
March 19
March 27
As the number of U.S. cases surpasses 100,000, the United States becomes the new epicenter of the pandemic.