Summer 2021
A look back at events that first occurred in late December 2019 all the way to August 2021.
Dec. 31 Local health authorities report that a novel coronavirus has caused a cluster of pneumonia cases, with no deaths, in Wuhan, China
Jan. 12 China shares genetic sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus
Jan. 14 WHO reports possible human-to-human COVID-19 transmission with risk of a wider outbreak
Jan. 20 First COVID-19 case in the United States (Washington state)
Jan. 27 CDC issues a Level Three Travel Advisory urging travelers to avoid all nonessential travel between the United States and China
Jan. 30 WHO declares COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern; U.S. State Department issues a Level Four Travel Advisory, urging Americans to avoid all travel to China
Feb. 1 Massachusetts is the fifth U.S. state to report a case
March 2 Second confirmed case of COVID-19 is reported in Massachusetts
March 6 New $8.3 billion COVID-19 bill signed, providing funds for non-Department of Defense relief
March 8 Massachusetts now has 28 confirmed cases of COVID-19
March 10 Massachusetts cases at 92; state of emergency declared in the commonwealth
March 11 WHO declares COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic; 118,000 cases now in 114 countries; WPI delays start of D-Term, will offer classes remotely; all large events, meetings, and athletics are cancelled; students who are living on or near campus are asked to return home
March 12 WPI’s Coronavirus Emergency Response Team meets for the first time
March 13 COVID-19 outbreak declared a national emergency; Massachusetts prohibits gatherings of more than 250 people; WPI urges employees who can work from home to do so; campus is open with restrictions
March 14 Worcester reports its first confirmed case of COVID-19
March 15 Gov. Charlie Baker orders all Massachusetts schools to close; gatherings over 25 are prohibited; restaurants are ordered to switch to take-out and delivery only
March 16 Major hospitals in Massachusetts in need of PPE; ask public for donations of masks
March 17 All 50 U.S. states have confirmed COVD-19 cases
March 19 With 328 cases, Massachusetts activates the National Guard; WPI’s Gordon Library fully online
March 20 87-year-old man is first person in Massachusetts to die of COVID-19
March 23 Massachusetts orders non-essential businesses closed; state surpasses 1,000 cases
March 30 Massachusetts has conducted nearly 43,000 COVID-19 tests
April 2 Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to be turned into a field hospital
April 5 All Boston residents must wear face coverings in public
April 11 For the first time in U.S. history, a major disaster declaration has been issued in all 50 states
April 12 With 25,475, Massachusetts has the third-most COVID-19 cases of any state
April 15 Massachusetts surpasses 1,000 COVID-19—related deaths
April 20 Massachusetts bans residential and small business evictions and foreclosures for four months (the ban is later extended to October); United States suspends immigration for 60 days
April 21 Massachusetts schools will not return to in-person learning this academic year
April 28 The U.S. reports more than 1 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, one-third of the global total; Massachusetts stay-at-home advisory is extended to May 18
May 1 With 64,311 cases, Massachusetts requires residents to wear face masks if they can’t socially distance
May 15 White House announces Operation Warp Speed to speed vaccine development and distribution
May 18 Massachusetts begins four-phase plan to reopen the economy
May 28 2020 Boston Marathon (previously postponed to September) is cancelled
June 1 Massachusetts becomes the fifth U.S. state to surpass 100,000 cases
June 8 Phase two of Massachusetts reopening plan begins
June 10 U.S. COVID-19 cases reach 2 million; models forecast spikes in death toll in the fall
June 22 Massachusetts has nation’s lowest COVID-19 transmission rate, highest unemployment rate
July 1 U.S. records more than 50,000 new daily cases; WPI campus to reopen in the fall with classes to begin Aug. 31; ban on global project center travel to continue at least to end of 2020
July 6 Phase three of Massachusetts reopening plan begins
July 16 Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference suspends fall 2020 sports season
Aug. 1 Most visitors and returning Massachusetts residents must quarantine for two weeks
Aug. 7 Massachusetts postpones phase three of reopening plan
Aug. 9 U.S. has now had 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19
Aug. 23 At WPI, phased move-in begins for residential students
Sept. 8 U.S. reports fewer than 25,000 daily cases for the first time since June
Oct. 16 U.S. surpasses 8 million coronavirus cases; cases are rising countrywide
Oct. 22 COVID-19 cases rise sharply in Massachusetts; 13 communities return to phase one of reopening plan
Nov. 4 U.S. reports an unprecedented 100,000 new cases in one day
Nov. 6 New Massachusetts guidance includes 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew and mask wearing in public
Nov. 12 Confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Massachusetts surpass 10,000
Dec. 2 U.S. COVID-19–related hospitalizations surpass 100,000
Dec. 3 Massachusetts’ average positivity rate exceeds 4.9% for first time since June
Dec. 11 Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine receives emergency use authorization from the FDA
Dec. 14 COVID-19 vaccine distribution begins in the U.S.; Massachusetts receives its first doses
Dec. 18 FDA gives Moderna emergency use authorization for its COVID-19 vaccine
Dec. 27 $900 billion federal coronavirus relief and government funding package signed
Dec. 29 First U.S. case reported of a highly contagious U.K. variant of the COVID-19 virus
Jan. 1 U.S. COVID-19 cases have jumped from 10 million to over 20 million in less than eight weeks; some 14 million vaccine doses have been distributed in the U.S.
Jan. 11 For two weeks in a row, U.S. sets records for deaths and new cases with more than 313,000 new cases recorded on Jan. 8 alone; vaccination of Massachusetts first responders begins
Jan. 14 U.S. nearing 1 million vaccine doses per day
Jan. 21 First case of more contagious U.K. COVID-19 variant confirmed in Massachusetts
Jan. 22 New U.S. COVID-19 cases decline by 16 percent over two-week period
Jan. 25 The first U.S. case confirmed of a highly transmissible Brazil coronavirus variant
Jan. 28 First U.S. case confirmed of dangerous South Africa variant; at WPI, C-Term starts, delayed two weeks to avoid worst of cold and flu season; all undergrads to be tested twice a week
Feb. 1 Massachusetts residents 75 and older eligible for vaccine; mass-vaccination sites open
Feb. 22 U.S. surpasses 500,000 COVID-19-related deaths
Feb. 25 Global COVID-19 death toll surpasses 2.5 million
Feb. 27 FDA issues emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson vaccine
March 1 WPI moves fully into TechFlex on Campus/Alert Level Green status
March 2 U.S. expected to achieve a vaccine supply for all adults by May
March 4 U.S. has administered 82.6 million vaccine doses
March 11 American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 signed, providing additional COVID-19 relief
March 22 Britain bans travel from outside United Kingdom to curb spread of virus
April 19 U.S. has administered 200 million vaccine doses; entire WPI community is now eligible for COVID-19 vaccination under Massachusetts rules
May 6 U.S. reports lowest number of daily COVID-19 cases since early October; WPI says students enrolled in on-campus classes or conducting research in the fall must be fully vaccinated
May 13 CDC says fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors
May 19 Commencement week begins for Class of 2021; U.S. surpasses 33 million COVID-19 cases
May 28 U.S. COVID-19 seven-day average cases and deaths at lowest levels in nearly a year
May 29 Massachusetts lifts all COVID-19 related restrictions
June 15 U.S. has recorded 600,000 COVID-19 deaths; WPI indoor spaces return to 100% capacity; no limits on events, visitors/vendors need not register
June 27 Delta variant now accounts for about 40% of positive COVID-19 test samples in the U.S.
Aug. 1 All WPI students enrolled in on-campus courses or conducting research must now be fully vaccinated; all students and employees, even if vaccinated, will still participate in weekly testing
Aug. 25 A-Terms begins for the 2021–22 academic year
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, WPI was prepared to mount a comprehensive response much earlier than many of its peers. Early on it had formed the Coronavirus Emergency Response Team, which skillfully guided the university through its most challenging year and a half, always guided by WPI’s North Star: putting the health and safety of the community first.
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