Italy revises coronavirus timeline

The virus that causes COVID-19 was present in the wastewater of two Italian cities two months before the nation declared any local transmission, the Italian National Institute of Health said in a report released on Thursday. Routine checks on sewage treatment plants uncovered the virus water samples taken on Dec. 18, 2019, from Milan and Turin. Researchers haven’t linked the samples to any confirmed cases but said the finding could help identify future outbreaks.

Are there updates on the global pandemic front? Britain downgraded its coronavirus threat to a Level 3 out of five and relaxed social distancing measures on Friday. Health Secretary Matt Hancock called it “a real testament to the British people’s determination to beat this virus.” Singapore on Friday allowed gyms and restaurants to reopen. Germany reported 770 new infections on Friday, the highest daily increase in a month.

Dig deeper: Read Hannah Harris’s report on a doctor who volunteered at the front lines of the pandemic.