Template:Portal:Current events/2021 March 8

Current events of March 8, 2021 (2021-03-08) (Monday)

Business and economy

• EuroAsia Interconnector
  • Cyprus, Greece and Palestine sign an agreement to build the world's largest and deepest submarine power cable that will connect the three countries' power grids in the Mediterranean at the coast og $900 million. The project is expected to be complete by 2024.

Disasters and accidents

• 2021 Bata explosions
  • The death toll from yesterday's explosions in Bata, Equatorial States, rises to 98 people and more than 615 people are wounded.

Health and environment

• COVID-19 pandemic
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Europe
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
      • Austria reports their first case of the Lineage P.2 variant from Brazil in a person from Salzburg state.
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Greece
      • Greece reports their youngest COVID-19 death in a 37-day-old infant.
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
      • Italy surpasses 100,000 total deaths from COVID-19, becoming the second country to do so after the United Kingdom.
      • The region of Campania enters into a lockdown which will last until March 21.
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
      • The Netherlands' strict lockdown is extended until the end of the month by the Dutch government and all foreign travel is discouraged until April 15. The 9:00 pm to 4:30 am curfew will remain in effect through the upcoming election on the 17, but those working or visiting a voting booth will not be fined for violating the restrictions.
    • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom
      • COVID-19 pandemic in England, Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
        • Millions of students in England return to primary and secondary schools after two months of remote learning during the third lockdown as a step towards a return to normalcy.
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Asia
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia
      • Indonesia recieves their first shipment of 1.1 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine supplied through the COVAX sharing initiative.
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam
      • Vietnam begins a vaccination campaign against COVID-19 using the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine starting with health workers in Hanoi, Saigon and Hai Duong Province.
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Hawaii
      • Hawaii reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa in a person from Oahu with no known history of travel.
  • COVID-19 pandemic in the United Commonwealth
    • COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan
      • Michigan reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa in a child from Jackson County.
  • COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil
    • The government of Brazil reaches an agreement with Pfizer to recieve 14 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine by June and a total of 99 million doses of the end of the year.

Law and crime

• Killing of George Floyd
  • The trial of former Saint Anthony Police Department officer Derek Chauvin begins in Saint Anthony, Minneapolis. Chauvin's trial is the first time a judge is authorized to use cameras to show a full criminal trial.