LONDON (UK) – Britons commemorated the first anniversary of the COVID-19 lockdown by remembering more than 126,000 people who lost their lives to the disease. People were also being invited to stand on their doorsteps at 8 p.m. holding candles or torches.
People in parliament, hospitals, churches, public places, and offices observed silence for a minute to honour the dead. However, most of the places are still mostly empty with millions working at home due to social distancing rules.
In the evening, landmarks across the United Kingdom, from the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, and Wembley Stadium to Cardiff Castle and Belfast City Hall will be lit up in yellow as a beacon of hope and support for the bereaved.
At Kew Gardens, the world-renowned botanical gardens in west London, two heart-shaped flower beds made up of yellow tulips, hyacinths, and polyanthus were on display, in solidarity with the Yellow Hearts to Remember the campaign to support the bereaved.
The number of people known to have died in the United Kingdom within 28 days of testing positive for COVID-19 now stands at 126,172, the worst toll in Europe and the fifth-highest in the world.
Johnson told ministers the nation was mourning for those who have died, and he paid tribute to health and care workers and to society as a whole for keeping the country going.
Queen Elizabeth wrote a message where she said, “As we look forward to a brighter future together, today we pause to reflect on the grief and loss that continues to be felt by so many people and families.”
Close to 28 million people have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, offering hope of a gradual return to normality.
Johnson paid tribute to scientists, saying he would not have believed 12 months ago that within a year vaccines would have been developed and half Britain’s adult population would have received at least one dose.
For now, however, life remains far from normal.
During rush hour, a small number of London commuters – all wearing face masks – had space to sit down on their way to work, where before the pandemic thousands of people would have been crammed together.
“It’s been a struggle, I’m not going to lie,” said Londoner Tom Johnson on his commute.
“We can sort of see a light at the end of the tunnel now,” he added. “I think we’re quite a strong, resilient sort of country, and I reckon we’ll come back flying.”