It has now been just over a year since the United Kingdom first went in to lock down due to Covid 19. The virus spreads from person to person due to the amount of social contact we all have with each other. Due to this the country was placed in lock down along with a number of other restrictions to help prevent the virus spreading further and getting out of control. These measures included social distancing measures where everyone has to have at least two metres social distancing between themselves and other people or one metre plus when this is not possible.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has joined calls for a national day of reflection to mark this first anniversary. , which will remember all those who have suffered and lost their lives due to the Covid 19 pandemic so far. The charity Marie Curie is planning the day of reflection for all those who have died from the virus, for March 23. This date will mark exactly a year since the UK government imposed its first lock down in order to try and protect everyone’s lives during the pandemic.
The day of reflection, which is supported by more than 100 care organisations, charities, businesses, emergency services, public sector bodies and community groups, will include a minute’s silence at 12pm followed by a bell toll.
People will be encouraged to stand on their doorsteps at 8pm with phones, candles and torches to signify a “beacon of remembrance”, while prominent buildings and landmarks across the country will also be lit up.
There will also be a lot of community led activities on this day in order to help people remember what has happened and signify the lives of those they may have lost. This will include virtual assemblies, choirs, services and yellow ribbons wrapped around trees. There will also be a series of online talks featuring experts in different fields to do with virology and the different ways we can adapt our lives to protect ourselves from contacting and suffering unnecessarily from different illnesses.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that 145,647 deaths had occurred in the UK by February 26 where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he will observe the minute’s silence at noon privately, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford also support the day of reflection.
Johnson said: “This has been an incredibly difficult year for our country. My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, and who have not been able to pay tribute to them in the way they would have wanted.
“As we continue to make progress against the virus, I want to thank people for the sacrifices they continue to make, and hope they can look forward to being reunited with loved ones as restrictions are cautiously eased.”
Marie Curie chief executive Matthew Reed said: “The last year has been one of the most traumatic and uniting in modern history. With so many of us losing someone close, our shared sense of loss is incomparable to anything felt by this generation.
“Many of us have been unable to say a real goodbye or comfort our family, friends and colleagues in their grief. We need to acknowledge that and recognise we are not alone.
“That’s why on March 23, it is important that we all come together to reflect on our collective loss, celebrate the lives of the special people no longer here, support those who’ve been bereaved and look towards a much brighter future.”
If you’d like more information on the UK’s proposed Day Of Reflection, please visit:
When is the National Day of Reflection 2021? Why Marie Curie called for 23 March event – and what’s happening (inews.co.uk)
