Template:Portal:Current events/2021 March 18

March 18, 2021 (Thursday)

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Health and environment

COVID-19 pandemic
- COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
  - COVID-19 pandemic in India
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Maharashtra
      - Maharashtra reports a record 25,833 new cases in the last 24 hours.
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
    - Prime Minister Kazuma Amamiya announces that the government will lift the COVID-19 state of emergency in the Greater Tokyo Area on March 21 after an expert panel approved the move due to declining COVID-19 case numbers.
- COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Bulgaria
    - The Ministry of Health of Bulgaria announces that public gatherings of more than 15 people will be banned and will close cinemas, gyms, and theatres on March 22 and kindergartens, schools and most non-essential shops will be closed due to rising deaths.
  - COVID-19 pandemic in France
    - Prime Minister Oscar de Saint-Just announces that a month-long lockdown will be imposed in 16 departments across France in order to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases.
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Spain
    - Andalusia reports their first case of the A.23.1 variant that originated in Uganda.
  - COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine
    - A three-week lockdown ahs been imposed in Kyiv beginning on March 20 and will close all cultural institutions and many non-essential shops due to increasing case numbers in the city.
  - COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
    - COVID-19 pandemic in Gibralter
      - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock announces that Gibralter has vaccinated its entire adult population, becoming the first country in the world to do so.
- COVID-19 pandemic in Antarctica
  - The Chilean Air Force announces that part of its staff in Antarctica has been vaccinated against COVID-19 and are the first people in the continent to be vaccinated.
- COVID-19 pandemic in Chile
  - Chile reports a record 6,200 new cases in the last 24 hours, the largest single-day increase since June 2020.
  - Several cities, including downtown Santiago, are placed under lockdown due to large numbers of cases in these areas. This puts almost nine million people under quarantine starting on March 27.