Shanghai set out plans on May 16 for the end of a painful COVID-19 lockdown that has lasted more than six weeks, heavily bruising China’s economy, and for the return of more normal life from June 1.

President Joe Biden on May 12 commemorated the death of 1 million people in the United States from COVID-19, marking what he called “a tragic milestone” and urging Americans to “remain vigilant” amid the ongoing pandemic.

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, pulmonologist Joseph Varon offered an opinion that made headlines around the world and went viral on social media. Varon was fighting two wars, he said: one against COVID and one against stupidity.

The U.S. national public health agency said on March 29 that the BA.2 sub-variant of Omicron was estimated to account for more than half the coronavirus variants in the country.

China’s financial hub of Shanghai launched a two-stage lockdown of its 26 million residents on March 28, closing bridges and tunnels and restricting highway traffic in a scramble to contain surging COVID-19 cases.

China’s financial hub of Shanghai said on March 27 it would lock down the city in two stages to carry out COVID-19 testing over a nine-day period, after reporting a new daily record for asymptomatic infections.

Top U.S. infectious disease official Dr. Anthony Fauci said on March 22 he would not be surprised to see an increase in COVID-19 cases in the United States, but he does not expect a major surge.

Hong Kong reported more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases on March 18 as health experts called for a clear way out of a “zero COVID” policy that has left the city isolated.

United Airlines and Delta Air Lines canceled hundreds of Christmas Eve flights, as the spreading COVID-19 Omicron variant takes a toll on its flight crews and other workers.

India on May 8 reported a record one-day rise in Covid-19 deaths as cases surged by more than 400,000 for the third consecutive day.