Timeline: How Did Events Unfold in Hubei, China

The COVID-19 pandemic in mainland China is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Mainland China was the first region to identify the disease and its pathogen, the point of origin of the pandemic, the first region to impose drastic measures, including lockdowns and face mask mandates, in response to the outbreak, and one of the first regions to bring the outbreak under control. The outbreak was first manifested as a cluster of mysterious pneumonia cases, mostly related to the Huanan Seafood Market, in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. The outbreak was first reported to the local government on 27 December 2019 and published on 31 December. On 8 January 2020, a new coronavirus, now known as SARS-CoV-2, was identified as the cause of the pneumonia by Chinese scientists.