[4] On 12 January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan, Hubei, China, which was reported to the WHO on 31 December 2019.
[10][11] On 14 March, the government ordered the closing of nurseries, gyms, parks, monuments and schools.
[13] On 17 March, for the first time in his reign, Albert II addressed the nation in a serious speech reporting on the strengthening of quarantine measures.
[15] He later denied suggestions that he had infected Charles, Prince of Wales at an event the two had attended in London on 10 March.
[17] On 25 March, the Government announced that the number of people affected by the coronavirus had reached 31.