The coronavirus pandemic has spread to at least 187 countries and territories, with the worldwide death toll from the virus surpassing the 269,000 mark.
Among the 3.8 million cases recorded globally are government officials, celebrities and sports personalities as authorities around the world grapple to contain the spread of the virus.
Additionally, over 100 doctors & medical workers have already perished in the fight against the coronavirus.
Many high-profile events have been cancelled. They include the annual Met Gala – often referred to as fashion’s biggest night out – which was postponed indefinitely from its scheduled date in May, according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in the United States.
The Cannes Film Festival, due to be held in France in May, has also been postponed, with organisers now looking at June or July dates.
Famous people tested positive for coronavirus
Hollywood actor Tom Hanks and his wife, actress and singer Rita Wilson, British actor Idris Elba, Britain’s Prince Charles, singer Pink and opera singer Placido Domingo are some of the best-known people among famous people tested positive for coronavirus.
Who else has been affected?
41 Government officials, spouses:
Olga Lyubimova: Russia’s Culture Minister tested positive for the virus on May 6. Lyubimova has mild symptoms and is continuing to work remotely, conducting meetings online, her press secretary Anna Usacheva said.
Faisal Edhi: The head of Pakistan’s biggest charity organisation, Edhi Foundation, and the son of the world renowned philanthropist late Abdul Sattar Edhi, has been tested positive for the coronavirus.
Asad Qaiser: Pakistan’s parliament speaker said he had tested positive for COVID-19 on May 1 after hosting an iftar dinner to celebrate Ramadan.
Carmen Calvo: Spain’s deputy prime minister tested positive for coronavirus on March 25, the Spanish government said.
Prince Charles: The Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne tested positive for the coronavirus on March 25. The 71-year-old is displaying mild symptoms “but otherwise remains in good health”, said a spokesman for the Clarence House royal residence, adding that he was self-isolating at a royal estate in Scotland. Prince Charles’s wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, has also been tested but does not have the virus.
Abba Kyari: The Nigerian president’s chief of staff has tested positive for coronavirus, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on March 24. In his 70s, Kyari is an important figure in President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
Rand Paul: The Republican from Kentucky is the first US senator to test positive for coronavirus. He is one of the more famous people tested positive for coronavirus.
Prince Albert: Monaco’s Prince Albert II has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, the principality said in a statement on Thursday, adding there were “no concerns for his health” and that the titular head of the Mediterranean enclave is continuing to work from his private apartments at the royal palace.
Michel Barnier: The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator said in a tweet that he has tested positive for the virus.
Bento Albuquerque: Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday that Mines and Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque has tested positive for coronavirus – the second cabinet member to be infected.
Augusto Heleno: Brazil’s national security adviser said on March 18 on his Twitter account that he has tested positive for coronavirus, though he did not have any symptoms. Heleno, 72, a retired army general and one of Bolsonaro’s closest aides, said he is currently under isolation at his home while waiting for a second test.
Jeremy Issacharoff: Israel’s ambassador to Germany has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement March 17. Issacharoff was reported to have contracted the virus following a meeting with a deputy from the Federal Assembly of Germany, whose name was not mentioned.
Friedrich Merz: The 64-year-old politician, who has been campaigning to lead Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at a congress planned for this year, said on Twitter on March 17 that he tested positive for coronavirus and was under self-isolation at home.
Kozo Tashima: The head of Japan’s football association tested positive for the virus on March 17. Tashima is also deputy head of Japan’s Olympic Committee.
Nadine Dorries: A minister in the UK’s health department was the first British politician to test positive on March 10.
Peter Dutton: The Australian home affairs minister was placed in isolation in hospital after contracting the virus.
Massoumeh Ebtekar: The Iranian vice president is the country’s highest government official to be infected, while several other senior officials in the country, including Iraj Harirchi, Iran’s deputy health minister, were also stricken. Iran is the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in the Middle East.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau: On March 12, the wife of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau tested positive for COVID-19 following a trip to the United Kingdom. Gregoire Trudeau said she planned to remain in isolation for the next two weeks, together with her husband. Her symptoms have been described as mild.
Begona Gomez: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s wife tested positive, officials in his office said late on Saturday. While Begona Gomez tested positive, the health of both she and the prime minister was fine, the officials said. Spain said it would place the entire country under lockdown as the number of diagnosed cases exceeded 6,000.
Quim Torra: The local leader of Spain’s Catalonia region said on March 16 that he had tested positive for the coronavirus and that he was going into self-isolation in a government building.
Pere Aragones: The Catalan deputy head of government announced on March 15 that he had also tested positive for coronavirus.
Irene Montero: The Spanish minister tested positive on March 15 and has been put in isolation along with her partner, Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias.
Franck Riester: Earlier this week, the French minister of culture said he was staying at his home in Paris after contracting the virus. France has also imposed a partial lockdown to check the spread of COVID-19.
Francis Suarez: The mayor of the US city of Miami confirmed, on March 13, that he has contracted COVID-19.
Fabio Wajngarten: The press secretary for Brazilian President Bolsonaro tested positive after he returned from a US trip where he met, among others, US President Trump, who later tested negative.
Michal Wos: Poland’s environment minister has tested positive for coronavirus, he said in a tweet on March 16.
Oumarou Idani: Burkina Faso’s minister of mines has tested positive.
Stanislas Ouaro: Burkina Faso’s minister of education is confirmed to have COVID-19.
Simeon Sawadogo: Burkina Faso’s interior minister has the new coronavirus.
Alpha Barry: Burkina Faso’s foreign minister tested positive for COVID-19, he said on Twitter on March 20.
Boris Johnson: The 55-year-old prime minister of the United Kingdom said on March 27 that he tested positive for coronavirus and was self-isolating. He was hospitalised on April 5 in what his office described as a “precautionary step”. Johnson was moved to the intensive care unit on April 6 after his symptoms worsened, and asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him “where necessary”.
Matthew Hancock: Britain’s Health Secretary Matthew Hancock announced on March 27 he tested positive for the coronavirus. Hancock said he would be self-isolating and working from home.
Alister Jack: Scottish Secretary and member of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s cabinet has developed symptoms of COVID-19.
Seyi Makinde: Nigeria’s Oyo State Governor has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Yaakov Litzman: Israel’s health minister and his wife tested positive for the novel coronavirus on April 1.
Ali Larijani: Iran’s parliament said on April 2 its speaker tested positive for the coronavirus and is in quarantine.
Zoran Zaev and Hristijan Mickoski: On April 10 the leaders of North Macedonia’s two biggest parties were ordered to self-isolate for two weeks after being interviewed by a TV reporter infected with coronavirus.
Khalif Mumin Tohow: The justice minister of Somalia’s autonomous Hirshabelle state died on April 12 after contracting the coronavirus. Tohow died in Mogadishu’s Martini hospital a day after he tested positive for COVID-19 in the town of Jowhar, the administrative capital of Hirshabelle.
Sekou Kourouma: The secretary general of Guinea and a former minister, died from COVID-19 in Conakry on April 18.
Nuno Gomes Nabiam: Guinea-Bissau’s prime minister, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus alongside three members of his cabinet, the West African country’s health ministry said on April 29.
Mikhail Mishustin: Russia’s prime minister, on April 30 said in a video meeting with President Vladimir Putin that he tested positive for coronavirus and will self-isolate to protect other cabinet members.
12 Celebrities:
Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson: The famous Hollywood couple announced on March 11 that they were tested positive for coronavirus and were admitted to a Gold Coast hospital in Australia with other people.
Idris Elba: The British actor and musician said he has tested positive for COVID-19 on March 16 in a video posted on social media and that, although he had no symptoms so far, he was isolating himself from others.
Kristofer Hivju: The 41-year-old actor, who played Tormund on Game of Thrones, tested positive for the new coronavirus on March 17. Known for his fiery red hair and beard, he said he and his family were in self-isolation at home in Norway.
Debi Mazar: known for her roles in Entourage and Goodfellas, shared a lengthy Instagram post in late March about her experience with COVID-19.
Daniel Dae Kim: The South Korean-American actor best known for the television series Hawaii Five-0, said on Thursday that he had tested positive for the coronavirus. Kim, speaking from his home in Hawaii, announced the news in an Instagram posting and video.
Placido Domingo: On March 22, the Spanish opera singer said he had tested positive for coronavirus and had gone into self-isolation with his family.
Andy Cohen: The US radio and television talk show host, producer, and writer tested positive for the coronavirus on March 20.
Chris Cuomo: The UpNow Media news anchor was diagnosed with COVID-19 and will be working from home, the network said in a memo to employees on March 31.
Pink: On April 3, American singer Alecia Beth Moore, known as Pink, announced on Twitter she and her three-year-old son had spent two weeks in isolation after testing positive for coronavirus. They had both recovered, the singer said, announcing she was donating $1 million to help fight the pandemic.
Brooke Baldwin: the CNN anchor who works with Chris Cuomo, said she had been diagnosed with the virus and had been following all the recommendations.
David Bryan: Bon Jovi keyboard player said on social media that he has tested positive for coronavirus. He didn’t specify how he contracted the virus.
25 Athletes, teams:
Sports people are not spared. Some of the highest profile famous people tested positive for coronavirus are in the sports industry.
Von Miller: The NFL star is the highest profile American athlete to announce he contracted COVID-19.
Norman Hunter: The former Leeds United and England defender, 76, has died after contracting the new coronavirus, the Championship (second-tier) club said on April 17. He was taken to hospital last week after being diagnosed with the virus.
Hunter made 726 appearances for Leeds in 15 years at the club and earned the nickname “Bites yer legs” for his tough tackling.
James Dolan: The 64-year-old New York Knicks owner has tested positive for the coronavirus. He is the first known major professional sports owner in the US to have contracted COVID-19. Dolan also owns the National Hockey League’s New York Rangers and is executive chairman and CEO of the Madison Square Garden Company.
Serhat Guler: On March 25, the Turkish Boxing Federation said national team member Serhat Guler and trainer Seyfullah Dumlupinar tested positive for the coronavirus after returning from an Olympic qualifier in London. The statement said the federation was awaiting test results from two other athletes who showed symptoms.
Marco Sportiello: The goalkeeper for Italian football team Atalanta tested positive for coronavirus on March 24.
Jason Collins: On March 24, Collins, who played 13 National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons from 2001 to 2014 and spent seven-plus years with the Brooklyn Nets, said on Twitter he believes he caught coronavirus on March 4 when the Nets hosted the Memphis Grizzlies.
Ottawa Senators: An unidentified Ottawa Senators player has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the first known case in North America’s National Hockey League. The Senators said the player has mild symptoms and is in isolation, and that they were notifying anyone who had close contact with him.
Deportivo Alaves: The Spanish football club confirmed a total of 15 positive coronavirus cases, including three players from the first-team squad and seven members of the coaching staff. None of those affected have displayed any symptoms, the La Liga side said in a statement on March 18.
Blaise Matuidi: The Juventus and France midfielder has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Turin-based Serie A club said in a statement on March 17. Juventus said Matuidi, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, was in self-isolation at home and not showing any symptoms.
Daniele Rugani: Juventus player and Italian defender Rugani also tested positive.
Mikel Arteta: On March 12, the 37-year-old Arsenal manager was the first in England’s football Premier League to be diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Callum Hudson-Odoi: On the same day, the 19-year-old Chelsea winger also said he was infected.
Paulo Dybala: The Italy-based Argentinian footballer announced his diagnosis on Friday. Italy is the worst-hit country in the world by the pandemic, with 10,000 people dead.
Rudy Gobert: The NBA Utah Jazz basketball star triggered criticism after mockingly touching the microphones and voice recorders at a media event on March 9, three days before he was diagnosed.
Donovan Mitchell: Another NBA Utah Jazz player also announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19 on the same day as Gobert.
Christian Wood: The Detroit Pistons forward is “under the care of team medical staff and in self-isolation” since testing positive, the NBA team said on March 15.
Brooklyn Nets: Four players on the NBA Brooklyn Nets basketball team tested positive for the coronavirus on March 17.
Fernando Gaviria: The Colombian cyclist confirmed on March 12 that he contracted coronavirus while racing during an event in the United Arab Emirates, and was admitted to a hospital in the Gulf nation.
Dmitry Strakhov: Strakhov became the second cyclist at the UAE Tour to be diagnosed with the virus on the same day.
Sampdoria: Five footballers from the Italian club have tested positive, along with the team’s doctor.
Dusan Vlahovic: The Serbian striker for Fiorentina, another Serie A club, is also infected.
Marcus Smart: The Boston Celtics guard tested positive as the number of confirmed cases in the NBA continues to grow.
Paulo Dybala: The Juventus and Argentina football forward had tested positive for coronavirus but has no symptoms.
Marouane Fellaini: The former Manchester United football player who currently plays for the Chinese Super League has COVID-19, he said on Instagram.
Sir Kenny Dalgish: The former Liverpool player and manager tested positive after being admitted to hospital.
20 Deaths of celebrities and officials
Ty: Born Ben Chijioke, the acclaimed UK hip-hop star, who was nominated for the Mercury prize for his album Upwards, has died aged 47 on May 7 after contracting coronavirus.
Dave Greenfield: The keyboard player of UK band The Stranglers died at the age of 71 on May 3 after contracting COVID-19.
Abba Kyari: Nigeria’s chief of staff died on April 17, becoming the country’s highest profile person to pass away from the COVOD-19 disease.
Haydar Bas: The 73-year-old Turkish politician and leader of the Independent Turkey Party (BTP) died on April 14 in a state hospital in Trabzon province.
Steven Dick: The deputy head of mission at the British Embassy in Budapest has died after contracting coronavirus, the UK’s Foreign Office said on March 25.
Floyd Cardoz: Celebrity chef and winner of Season Three of the US show Top Chef Masters died on March 25 after testing positive for coronavirus.
Manu Dibango: The 86-year-old Cameroonian Afro-jazz legend died in Paris on March 24, his representative said.
Antonio Vieira Monteiro: The chairman of the Portuguese unit of Santander, Spain’s largest bank, and the second victim of the disease in Portugal, died from the coronavirus on March 18. Vieira Monteiro, 73, became chairman of Santander Totta in 2019 after seven years as chief executive.
Ken Shimura: One of Japan’s best-known comedians died of COVID-19 at a hospital in Tokyo, the public broadcaster NHK said on March 30.
David Hodgkiss: The chairman of the Lancashire Cricket Club in the United Kingdom died on March 30 after contracting coronavirus.
Pape Diouf: The 68-year-old former president of France’s Marseille Olympics (from 2005 to 2009) died of COVID-19 on March 31 in Senegal, where he held dual citizenship.
Rafael Gomez Nieto: The last surviving member of the Spanish forces that were the first units to liberate Paris from the Nazis in 1944 died on March 31, 2020, in a French nursing home.
Branislav Blazic: Serbia’s state secretary in the environment protection ministry and a prominent member of President Aleksandar Vucic’s conservative Progressive Party SNS died after testing positive for COVID-19, the country’s national coronavirus crisis task force confirmed on April 1.
Nur Hassan Hussein: Somalia’s former prime minister died in a London hospital on April 1 after contracting the new coronavirus.
Eddie Large: Best known for his role in comedy duo Little and Large, Large died on April 2 aged 78 after contracting coronavirus in hospital.
Tom Dempsey: The former NFL player, who scored a then-record 63-yard (metre) field goal despite being born without toes on his kicking foot died on April 4, aged 73, after developing complications from COVID-19.
Dolors Sala Carrio: The 82-year-old mother of Manchester City’s coach Pep Guardiola died on April 6 after being diagnosed with coronavirus.
Luis Sepulveda: The best-selling Chilean writer, who lived in northern Spain died on April 16, aged 70, after contracting coronavirus.
Heherson Alvarez: The former senator and activist lost his battle against the new coronavirus, his family said on April 20. The 80-year-old passed away about three weeks after he and his wife tested positive for the virus.
Ahmed Ismail Hussein Hudeidi: A founding father of modern Somali music, died in London after contracting coronavirus. He was 91.