POWERFUL PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON AND TURMOIL REMAINS

Our Pandemic PHOTO Diaries of Barry 2020 are a collection of covid stock images and videos we took throughout a year that no-one in the world will ever forget.

2020: A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER

In November 2019 we had planned to launch our new website at the start of the new year focussing first on Barry Island and intended working through 2020 setting aside regular photoshoots to cover seasonal photographs of our thriving seaside town.

Things were going well in the Winter. Gavin and Stacey had a hugely successful Christmas Day Special which fired up interest in Barry Island one again.

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. JANUARY 2020. People visit Marco’s cafe and take photos by Gavin and Stacey. Barry in South Wales

The figures showed a record 17.1m viewers on Christmas Day and became one of the top 10 most watched TV shows in the 2010’s.

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES – BEFORE COVID

JANUARY 2020 PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES . COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES AND FOOTAGE . Pre -pandemic life continues as normal in Barry and South Wales as we move towards the first lockdown. A story told through stock images and video footage.

BUT SOMEWHERE IN CHINA . . .

At the start of January there was news of a killer virus in China, of bats, lockdowns, deaths and international travel warnings. All too quickly events affecting China, which appeared to be so remote from our day to day life, would become our reality.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN: JANUARY 2020

January 2020: first confirmed COVID cases

• 1 January 2020 the live animal market in Wuhan had been closed down

• 7 January 2020 the new coronavirus was identified as COVID-19

• 11 January 2020 the first death in China is recorded

• 13 January 2020 the first case outside China was reported in Thailand.

• 20 January 2020 coronavirus had spread to the US, Japan and Korea

• 23 January 2020 Wuhan is placed under quarantine with rail and air services suspended

• 27 January 2020 – The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, tells the House of Commons that 200 British citizens trapped in Wuhan, China, will be offered repatriation to the UK, in light of the coronavirus outbreak there.^[6]

• 28 January 2020 – The Foreign and Commonwealth Office updates its travel advisory, advising against all but essential travel to the rest of Mainland China.^[7]

• 29 January 2020 – British Airways suspends all flights to and from mainland China with immediate effect, due to the ongoing coronavirus threat.^[8]30th January declare a public health emergency as the virus spreads

• 30 January 2020 the World Health Organisation declares a public emergency as the virus spreads.

• Following a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States the previous day, in a man returning to Washington from Wuhan, China, where there were 440 confirmed cases at the time, the DHSC and PHE raised the risk level from “very low” to “low”.

• In addition, all airports in the UK were to make written guidance available for unwell travellers.[36][37]. Simultaneously, efforts to trace 2,000 people who had flown into the UK from Wuhan over the previous 14 days were made.[38][39]

AND THEN CAME THE NEWS WE WERE ALL DREADING

31 January 2020 – The first two cases of coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the United Kingdom are confirmed.^[9]

---

BUT LIFE IN WALES CONTINUED AS NORMAL

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES, BARRY: FEBRUARY 2020

The popularity of Barry Island still continued through February. With a constant flow of visitors particularly on sunny weekends.

FEBRUARY 2020: PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES – LIFE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC

FEBRUARY 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Pre -pandemic life continues as normal in Barry and South Wales as we move towards the first lockdown. A story told by 3 Eyed RaveN Productions through stock photos and video footage.

• 6 February 2020 A third case of coronavirus is confirmed in the UK.^[10]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: DISTURBING SCENES FROM WUHAN ON CNN

• 10 February 2020 The total number of cases in the UK reaches eight as four further cases are confirmed in people linked to an affected man from Brighton.^[11][12]

DOCTOR WHO WARNED THE WORLD ABOUT COVID DIES OF THE VIRUS

• 11 February 2020 A ninth case is confirmed in London.^[13]

• 23 February 2020 The DHSC confirms a total of 13 cases in the UK as four new cases in passengers on the cruise ship Diamond Princess are detected. They are transferred to hospitals in the UK.^[14]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: The story of the Diamond Princess

• 25 February 2020 – Government guidance states that travellers returning from Hubei, Iran, and certain regions of South Korea should self-isolate on reaching home or their destination, even if they have no symptoms.^[15]

• 27 February 2020 The total number of confirmed cases in the UK is reported as 16.^[17][18] ALSO Authorities confirm the first case of coronavirus in Northern Ireland.^[19]

• 28 February 2020 The first British death from the disease is confirmed by the Japanese Health M2020inistry; a man quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.^[20]

• On 28 February 2020 Authorities confirm the first case of coronavirus in Wales, an individual who recently returned from holiday in Italy.^[21]

• 29 February 2020 Three further cases of the virus are confirmed, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 23, after 10,483 people have been tested.^[22] Two of the three affected people had recently returned from Italy while the third had come back from Asia.^[23]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | Whilst all this was going on finishing touches were being applied to the fairground rides and everyone was still hoped for a bumper year in terms of trade and visitors.

We were just weeks away from changes so far removed from our experience and expectations it’s quite hard to now remember what was normal.

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 IMAGES – LIFE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC

BY END OF FEBRUARY 2020 . . . .

THERE WERE 23 CONFIRMED CASES IN THE UK

BY THE END OF FEBRUARY 2020 . . . .

THERE WERE 15,212 CONFIRMED CASES IN THE WORLD

Photographs we started taking for the launch of our website took us on a very different journey to the one planned.

It led to us maintaining a visual record of life just before and during an unprecedented medical emergency which hit every country of the modern world..

Our contribution to the covid 19 archives focus therefore on Barry and a 5 mile travel zone from our house.

Our Pandemic Diaries: We decided to continue to capture and catalogue as much as we could as this virus shapes our lives and lifestyles over the coming year.

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES, BARRY: MARCH 2020

AND SO IT STARTED AND WE STARTED OUR PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES

• 1 March 2020 A further 13 cases are reported, adding Greater Manchester and Scotland to the list of areas affected and bringing the total to 36, three of which are believed to be contacts of a case in Surrey who had no history of travel abroad.^[26][27]

• 2 March 2020 – The government holds a COBRA meeting to discuss its preparations and response to the virus, as the number of UK cases jumps to 36.^[29]

• 3 March 2020 – The government publishes its action plan for dealing with coronavirus. This includes scenarios ranging from a milder pandemic to a “severe prolonged pandemic as experienced in 1918” and warns that a fifth of the national workforce could be absent from work during the infection’s peak.^[30][31]

• 4 March 2020 – The total number of confirmed cases increases to 85.^[2

• 5 March 2020 The first death from coronavirus in the UK is confirmed,^[33] as the number of cases exceeds 100, with a total of 115 having tested positive. England’s Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, tells MPs that the UK has now moved to the second stage of dealing with COVID-19 – from “containment” to the “delay” phase.^[34]

• 6 March 2020 – The Prime Minister announces £46 million in funding for research into a coronavirus vaccine and rapid diagnostic tests. During a visit to a laboratory in Bedfordshire, he says: “It looks like there will be a substantial period of disruption where we have to deal with this outbreak.”^[35]

• 7 March 2020 – The number of cases rises to over 200.^[36]

• 8 March 2020 – A third death from coronavirus is reported, at North Manchester General Hospital, as the number of cases in the UK reaches 273, the largest single-day increase so far.^[37]

• The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to Italy due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country and the nationwide lockdown.^[39]

• The first three cases are discovered in Dorset.^[40]

• 10 March 2020 – Health minister Nadine Dorries tests positive for coronavirus.^[41]

PANDEMIC DIARIES; BORIS JOHNSON GIVES WARNINGS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS

11 March 2020

• Wales has its first case of “community transmission”, when a patient in Caerphilly with no travel history tests positive for COVID-19.^[46]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES : A WORLD WIDE PICTURE OF A DEVELOPING CRISIS

12 March 2020

• The UK Chief Medical Officers raise the risk to the UK from moderate to high.^[47]

• The government advises that anyone with a new continuous cough or a fever should self-isolate for seven days.

• Schools are asked to cancel trips abroad, and people over 70 and those with pre-existing medical conditions are advised to avoid cruises.^[48][49]

• Public Health England stops performing contact tracing, as widespread infections overwhelm capacity.^[53][54]

• The rules published on 25 February for travellers returning from certain countries are withdrawn; they should now follow the same guidance as other households.^[15]

13 March 2020

• Authorities confirm the first death from coronavirus in Scotland.^[55]

• The Premier League 2019–2020 season is suspended, amid a growing list of worldwide sporting cancellations and postponements due to COVID-19.^[57]

• Elections including the English local elections, London mayoral election and police and crime commissioner elections, scheduled for May 2020, are postponed for a year because of the coronavirus.^[58]

• The Welsh Government’s Health Minister Vaughan Gething announces that all non-urgent outpatient appointments and operations will be suspended at hospitals in Wales, in a bid to delay the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.^[59

14 March 2020

• The number of confirmed cases rises to 1,140.^[62]

• A further 10 people are reported to have died from COVID-19, almost doubling the UK death toll from 11 to 21. The government’s aim for a “herd immunity” approach generates controversy.^[63][64][65]

• Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, announces the US is to extend its European coronavirus travel ban to include the UK from 16 March.^[66]

• UK retailers release a joint letter asking customers not to panic buy products after some supermarkets sell out of items such as pasta, hand gel and toilet paper.^[67]

THE GUARDIAN: PANIC BUYING AS SUPERMARKETS SHELVES EMPTY

15 March 2020

• The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel to Spain, in view of the escalating COVID-19 outbreak in the country.^[68]

• The FCO advises against all but essential travel to the United States due to the restrictions imposed in response to the pandemic.^[69]

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock says that every UK resident over the age of 70 will be told “within the coming weeks” to self-isolate for “a very long time” to shield them from coronavirus.^[70]

• The government announces plans to hold daily televised press conferences to update the public on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, starting on Monday 16 March.^[71]

16 March 2020

• The UK death toll from the pandemic reaches 55, with the number of cases of the illness passing 1,500.^[73]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson advises everyone in the UK against “non-essential” travel and contact with others, to curb coronavirus, as well as to work from home if possible and avoid visiting social venues such as pubs, clubs or theatres.

• Pregnant women, people over the age of 70 and those with certain health conditions are urged to consider the advice “particularly important”, and will be asked to self-isolate within days.^[73] 

• The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport states “it is advised that large gatherings should not take place”.^[74]

• The government issues a call for businesses to support the supply of ventilators and ventilator components;^[75] the NHS has access to 8,175 ventilators but it is thought that up to 30,000 may be needed.^[76]

• The BBC delays its planned changes to TV licences for the over-75s from June to August because of the pandemic.^[77]

• Theatres in London, as well as elsewhere around the UK, close following Boris Johnson’s advice that people should avoid such venues.^[78]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES; BORIS JOHNSON ANNOUNCES DRASTIC MEASURES

17 March 2020

• NHS England announces that from 15 April all non-urgent operations in England will be postponed, to free up 30,000 beds to help tackle the virus.^[79]

• The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, announces that £330bn will be made available in loan guarantees for businesses affected by the virus.^[80][81]

• The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all non-essential international travel due to the pandemic and the border restrictions put in place by many countries in response.^[82]

• The UK government provides a £3.2million emergency support package to help rough sleepers into accommodation.^[83][84] With complex physical and mental health needs, in general, homeless people are at a significant risk of catching the virus.^[83]

18 March 2020

• The UK death toll from coronavirus exceeds 100, with 32 new cases taking the total to 104.^[91]

• The government announces that all schools in the country will shut from the afternoon of Friday 20 March, except for those looking after the children of key workers and vulnerable children.^[92] No exams will take place this academic year, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson confirms.^[93]

• The government announces emergency legislation to bring in a ban on new evictions for three months, as part of measures to help protect renters in social and private rented accommodation.^[97]

• The BBC announces that due to the coronavirus pandemic, filming on Casualty, Doctors, EastEnders, Holby City, Pobol y Cwm and River City is suspended until further notice. Weekly episodes of EastEnders will also be reduced from four to two to keep it on the air for as long as possible.^[98]

19 March 2020

• The first COVID-19 death is confirmed in Northern Ireland.^[100]

• The Ministry of Defence announces the formation of the COVID Support Force, enabling the military to support public services and civilian authorities in tackling the outbreak.^[101] 

• Two military operations are also announced: Operation Rescript, which focuses on the outbreak in the United Kingdom; and Operation Broadshare, which focuses on British military activities overseas.^[102]

• The government announces £1.6bn for local authorities, to help with the cost of adult social care and support for the homeless; and £1.3bn to the NHS and social care, to allow up to 15,000 people to be discharged from hospital.^[104]

20 March 2020

• Environment Secretary George Eustice urges shoppers to stop panic buying, as supermarkets around the UK struggle to keep up with demand.^[108] Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and Lidl are reported to have begun a recruitment drive for up to 30,000 new staff.^[109]

• Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow declares a “critical incident” due to a surge in patients with coronavirus.^[105]

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces that the government will pay 80% of wages for employees not working, up to £2,500 a month, as part of “unprecedented” measures to protect people’s jobs.^[106]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson orders all cafes, pubs and restaurants to close from the evening of 20 March, except for take-away food, to tackle coronavirus.

• All the UK’s nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres are told to close “as soon as they reasonably can”.^[107]

• Environment Secretary George Eustice urges shoppers to stop panic buying, as supermarkets around the UK struggle to keep up with demand.^[108] Tesco, Asda, Aldi, and Lidl are reported to have begun a recruitment drive for up to 30,000 new staff.^[109]

PANDEMIC DIARIES; BORIS JOHNSON GIVES DAILY CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

21 March 2020

• The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Business Closure) (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 327) come into legal effect at 2pm, enforcing the closure in the UK of businesses selling food and drink for consumption on the premises, as well as a range of other businesses such as nightclubs and indoor leisure centres where a high risk of infection could be expected.

LOCKDOWN STARTS | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | BARRY STOCK IMAGES

ALL PUBS, CLUBS AND RESTAURANTS IN WALES ARE FORCED TO CLOSE from Saturday 21st March. That evening Barry was like a ghost town. The photos below were all taken around 10.30 p.m.

HIGH ST. BARRY SATURDAY 21ST MARCH 2020, 10.30 P.M. THE BARUC ARMS CLOSED | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES STOCK IMAGES COVID 19

BROAD ST, BARRY SATURDAY 21ST MARCH 2020, 10.30 P.M. CABANAS CLUB CLOSED | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES STOCK IMAGES COVID 19

HARBOUR RD, BARRY SATURDAY 21ST MARCH 2020, 10.30 P.M. SHIP HOTEL CLOSED | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES STOCK IMAGES COVID 19

PARK CRESCENT, BARRY SATURDAY 21ST MARCH 2020, 10.30 P.M. THE PARK CLOSED | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES STOCK IMAGES COVID 19

BROAD ST, BARRY SATURDAY 21ST MARCH 2020, 10.30 P.M. WETHERSPOONS CLOSED | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES STOCK IMAGES COVID 19

MARCH 2020 PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 IMAGES. The first restrictions in Wales are introduced as all pubs, restaurants and bars are forced to close as we move to a full lockdown. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock images and video footage. [PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | STOCK IMAGES OF LOCKDOWN]

Yet whilst all was deadly quiet in the night the days had been chaotic with people travelling to the coast and beauty spots to make the most of what they feared may be their last chance to enjoy a day trip.

BORIS JOHNSON GIVES DAILY CORONAVIRUS UPDATE | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES;

22 March 2020

• Boris Johnson warns that “tougher measures” may be introduced if people do not follow government advice on social distancing.^[114]

MARK DRAKEFORD, FIRST MINISTER OF WALES ANNOUNCES NEW CORONAVIRUS MEASURES PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES;

23 March 2020

• A legally-enforced STAY AT HOME ORDER, or lockdown, was introduced on 23 March,^[21] banning all non-essential travel and contact with other people, and shut schools, businesses, venues and gathering places. People were told to keep apart in public.

• Those with symptoms, and their households, were told to self-isolate, while those considered at highest risk were told to shield.

• The health services worked to raise hospital capacity and established temporary critical care hospitals, but initially faced some shortages of personal protective equipment.

• In a televised address, Boris Johnson announces a UK-wide partial lockdown, to contain the spread of the virus.

• The British public are instructed that they must stay at home, except for certain “very limited purposes” – SHOPPING for basic necessities; for “ONE FORM OF EXERCISE“; for any MEDICAL NEED; and to travel to and from work when “absolutely necessary”.

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES ; WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION – COVID 19 PRESS BRIEFING 23RD MARCH 2020

NORMAL LIFE, AS WE KNOW IT, COMPLETELY CHANGES ….

THE FIRST LOCKDOWN | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES;

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: PM ANNOUNCES STRICT NEW CURBS ON LIFE IN UK

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES: ALL CAR PARK, PUBLIC PARKS & GARDENS CLOSED

If you wanted to exercise then you were told to do it alone, or in pairs from the same household. You could not drive somewhere to walk, you had to walk from your house and back to your house.

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Public car parks, parks and gardens are closed as part of the lockdown rules. People must adhere to UK government guidelines. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

• A number of other restrictions are imposed, with POLICE GIVEN POWERS to ENFORCE the measures, including the use of fines.^{[121][122][123]}

THE STAY AT HOME MESSAGE FINALLY GOT THROUGH

Once people realised the police were patrolling the area and could issue fines, they started to adhere to rules.

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Police patrol popular locations in Barry to ensure the public adhere to UK government rules and guidelines. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Roads to popular beaches were closed. You could only access them on foot. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

EVERYWHERE IN BARRY WAS QUIET AND NOT A SOUL TO BE SEEN

PANDEMIC DIARIES; COVID 19 IMAGES OF BARRY ISLAND

FIRST LOCKDOWN 2020

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Popular locations in Barry are completely empty as everyone adheres to the UK government rules and guidelines to stay at home. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. No-one has ever seen Barry Island like this, not even on Christmas Day! A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

24 March 2020

• The UK records its highest number of coronavirus deaths in one day, after a further 87 people die across the country, bringing the total to 422.^[124]

• For the first time, all of the UK’s mobile networks send out a government text alert, ordering people to stay at home. The message reads: “GOV.UK CORONAVIRUS ALERT. New rules in force now: you must stay at home. More info and exemptions at gov.uk/coronavirus Stay at home. Protect the NHS. Save lives.“^[125]

PANDEMIC DIARIES; COVID 19 IMAGES – COLD KNAP & OLD HARBOUR

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Only the wildlife can be seen at Cold Knap Lake as everyone adheres to the UK government rules and guidelines to stay at home. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. No-one to be seen walking the prom at Cold Knap a very rare sight especially on a dry sunny day in Spring . A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

25 March 2020

• Prince Charles tests positive for COVID-19.^[130]

• Parliament shuts down for a month.^[131]

• British Transport Police deploys 500 officers to patrol the UK’s rail network, in an effort to discourage non-essential journeys. New measures are also introduced on the London Underground to reduce passenger numbers.^[132]

• The first two working NHS doctors die from COVID-19 on the same day, one a GP, the other a surgeon.^[135]

• Routine dental care is suspended in England.^[137][138]

PANDEMIC DIARIES, COVID 19 IMAGES – PORTHKERRY PARK CLOSED

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Porthkerry Country Park in Barry is closed and empty other than the occasional walker taking permitted daily exercise . A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

26 March 2020

• The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020 (SI 350) (the ‘Lockdown Regulations’) come into effect, significantly extending the range of businesses that are required by law to close with immediate effect including all retail businesses not on an approved list.

• The number of UK coronavirus deaths increases by more than 100 in a day for the first time, rising to 578, while a total of 11,568 have tested positive for the virus.^[139]

• The government announces that some self-employed will be paid 80% of profits, up to £2,500 a month, to help them cope during the economic crisis triggered by COVID-19.^[140]

• At 8pm, millions of people around the country take part in a “Clap for Carers” tribute, applauding the NHS and other care workers.^[141]

PANDEMIC DIARIES; CLAP FOR CARERS

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 IMAGES, POLICE CONTINUE ENFORCING STAY AT HOME ORDER

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Police continue to patrol popular places and question walkers to ensure they are locals and have not driven in from out of town. They turn any cars away from the car parks. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

27 March 2020

• Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s lead adviser, drives 250 miles to Durham because “there was nobody in London that [he] could reasonably ask to look after [his] child”.^[151]

• Labour Party MP Angela Rayner, the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, confirms she has been suffering symptoms and is self-isolating.^[147]

• Chief Medical Adviser Chris Whitty reports suffering from symptoms and is self-isolating, while continuing to advise the UK government.^[148]

PANDEMIC DIARIES; BORIS JOHNSON ABSENT DUE TO TESTING POSITIVE TO COVID 19

PANDEMIC DIARIES; SHOPPING FOR FOOD IS A ‘REASONABLE EXCUSE’ TO LEAVE YOUR HOME

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Shoppers queue outside Asda waiting to enter the store as numbers are limited for safety reasons. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

28 March 2020

• A further 260 deaths takes the number of fatalities past 1,000, with a total of 1,019 deaths having occurred so far; 17,089 people have tested positive.^[153]

29 March

• The government will send a letter to 30 million households warning things will “get worse before they get better” and that tighter restrictions could be implemented if necessary. The letter will also be accompanied by a leaflet setting out the government’s lockdown rules along with health information.^[156]

• Dr Jenny Harries, England’s deputy chief medical officer, suggests it could be six months before life can return to “normal”, because social distancing measures will have to be reduced “gradually”.^[157]

• The first NHS nurse dies of COVID-19.^[135]

30 March 2020

• As the number of reported deaths rises to 1,408, Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, says there are early signs social distancing measures are “making a difference”. Transmission of the virus within the community is thought to be decreasing, and hospital admission data suggests cases are not rising as fast as anticipated.^[158]

• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announces an arrangement between the government and major UK airlines to fly home tens of thousands of British nationals who are stranded abroad by the coronavirus outbreak.^[159]

• Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s Chief Adviser, is reported to be self-isolating after experiencing coronavirus symptoms.^[160]

• Vehicle owners are granted a six month exemption from MOT tests, enabling them to continue using their vehicles for essential travel.^[161]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 IMAGES – NEW SOCIAL DISTANCING SIGNS

MARCH 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Signs appear to remind people of social distancing rules. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

31 March 2020

• The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 passes 10,000.^[163]

• The largest UK daily death toll of the outbreak so far is reported, with 381 deaths taking the total to 1,789.^[164]

• Daily exercise allowed so long as it was not in groups or mixed households

PANDEMIC DIARIES BARRY APRIL 2020:

PANDEMIC DIARIES – COVID 19 IMAGES: 2 BY 2 OR ALL ALONE

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID STOCK IMAGES. During lockdown people use their right to daily exercise and walk in pairs or alone enjoying the fresh air. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. People walk or cycle through the empty city centre of Cardiff for daily exercise . A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

1 April 2020

• The UK government confirms that a total of 2,000 NHS staff have been tested for coronavirus since the outbreak began, but Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove says a shortage of chemical reagents needed for COVID-19 testing means it is not possible to screen the NHS’s 1.2 million workforce.^[165] 

• Gove’s statement is contradicted by the Chemical Industries Association, which says there is not a shortage of the relevant chemicals and that at a meeting with a business minister the week before the government had not tried to find out about potential supply problems.^[166]

• The contactless payment limit for in-store spending is raised from £30 to £45.^[167]]

• Multinational pharmaceutical company Roche denies the existence of a deal to supply Wales with COVID-19 tests after First Minister Mark Drakeford and Health Minister Vaughan Gething blame the collapse of a deal for a shortage of testing kits.^[169]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. During lockdown people use their right to daily exercise and walk in pairs or alone enjoying the fresh air. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

2 April 2020

• Matt Hancock, who returns to give the daily government briefing after completing his self-isolation, sets a target of carrying out 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month (encompassing both swab tests and blood tests).^[171]

• At 8pm the UK gives another national round of applause for NHS staff and other key workers.^[173]

PANDEMIC DIARIES; NEWSPAPER HEADLINES ON TESTING FIASCO

PANDEMIC HEADLINES; MATT HANCOCK GIVES PRESS BRIEFING 2ND APRIL

3 April 2020

• NHS Nightingale Hospital London, the first temporary hospital to treat coronavirus patients, opens at the ExCel centre in East London, employing NHS staff and military personnel, with 500 beds and potential capacity for 4,000. It is the first of several such facilities planned across the UK.^[174]

• Figures published by the Cabinet Office indicate UK road traffic levels have fallen by 73% since the lockdown measures were introduced, and are at their lowest since 1955.^[175]

• With warm weather forecast for some areas during the upcoming weekend, Matt Hancock warns people to stay at home, telling them this is an instruction “not a request”.^[176]

PANDEMIC DIARIES – COVID 19 IMAGES – SOCIAL DISTANCING

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. During lockdown people use their right to daily exercise and walk in pairs ensuring there is a safe distance between them at all times. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

4 April 2020

• It is announced that a five-year-old has died from the virus, believed to be the youngest victim to date.^[178]

• The results of the 2020 Labour Party leadership election and the 2020 Labour Party deputy leadership election are announced, in which Keir Starmer is elected as the leader of the Labour Party, succeeding Jeremy Corbyn, and Angela Rayner is elected as deputy leader of the party.

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES – COVID 19 IMAGES – MESSAGES OF HOPE

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. During lockdown posters were created to give messages of hope to people as they struggled with lockdown. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

5 April 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: Queen Elizabeth II broadcasts to the Nation

• Queen Elizabeth II makes a rare broadcast to the UK and the wider Commonwealth, something she has done on only four previous occasions. In the address she thanks people for following the government’s social distancing rules, pays tribute to key workers, and says the UK “will succeed” in its fight against coronavirus but may have “more still to endure”.^[180][181]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson is admitted to hospital for tests after testing positive for coronavirus ten days earlier.^[182]

• Matt Hancock says the goal for the number of ventilators has been reduced to 18,000 and that the NHS has between 9,000 and 10,000 available.^[183]

6 April 2020

• The death toll from COVID-19 in the UK exceeds 5,000. The total number of reported cases is nearly 52,000.^[187]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson is taken into intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital. It is announced that First Secretary of State Dominic Raab will deputise for him.^[188]

• National Express suspends all its long-distance coach services.^[190]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES; NEWPAPER HEADLINES BORIS JOHNSON IN INTENSIVE CARE

7 April 2020

• Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, says that the death figures are not accelerating as had been predicted but that it is too early to tell whether the outbreak is peaking.^[191]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Empty paths, beaches and coastal headlands on sunny days during lockdown A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES – STATEMENT BY FIRST MINISTER OF WALES, COVID 19

8 April 2020

• Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, confirms the Welsh Government will extend the lockdown beyond the initial three-week period for Wales.^[193]

• The Resolution Foundation, using figures from the British Chambers of Commerce, reports that more than nine million workers are expected to be furloughed under the government’s job retention scheme, with an estimated cost to the taxpayer of between £30 and 40bn.^[194]

Daily Exercise, Porthkerry Park Barry

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Barry, Wales: People use closed local parks for exercise in lockdown in pairs or alone A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

9 April 2020

• Dominic Raab says the UK is “starting to see the impact” of the restrictions but it is “too early” to lift them, and urges people to stay indoors over the upcoming Easter weekend.^[195] With warm weather forecast again for Easter, this message is echoed by police and tourist destinations.^[196] Johnson was moved out of intensive care, but remained in hospital.^[197]

• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says the UK is “starting to see the impact” of the restrictions but that it is “too early” to lift them, and urges people to stay indoors over the Easter weekend.^[198]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson is moved out of intensive care, but remains in hospital.^[199]

• At 8pm the nation stages a third round of applause for NHS staff and other key workers.^[200]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Barry, Wales: People use coastal locations for daily exercise in lockdown in pairs or alone A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

10 April 2020

• Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, tells the UK Government’s daily briefing the lockdown is “beginning to pay off” but the UK is still in a “dangerous situation”, and although cases in London have started to drop they are still rising in Yorkshire and the North East.^[201]

• Matt Hancock tells the briefing a “Herculean effort” is being made to ensure daily deliveries of personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers, including the establishment of a domestic manufacturing industry to produce the equipment. Fifteen drive-through testing centres have also been opened around the UK to test frontline workers.^[202]

• Beginning today, England’s Care Quality Commission requires care homes to state in daily death notifications whether the death was a result of confirmed or suspected COVID-19. The CQC has not previously published statistics; the data will in future be included in weekly reports from the Office of National Statistics.^[203]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Barry Island Even the seagulls learn to socially distance during lockdown. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

11 April 2020

• Queen Elizabeth II makes her first ever Easter message to the nation, in which she states “coronavirus will not overcome us” and that “we need Easter as much as ever.”^[204]

• After some NHS workers say they still do not have the correct personal protective equipment to treat patients, Home Secretary Priti Patel tells that day’s Downing Street briefing she is “sorry if people feel there have been failings” in providing kit.^[205]

• The number of people in London hospitals for COVID-19 reaches its peak, according to week-on-week change data; elsewhere in the country, patient numbers continue to increase, although the rate of increase is slowing.^[206]

• Occupancy of critical care beds in England peaks at around 58% of capacity. Occupancy in the month of April for Scotland and Wales will only briefly exceed 40%, while Northern Ireland reported a peak of 51% early in the month.^[207]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Barry Town Centre: Empty shops and desolate high streets show the economic impact of the pandemic. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

12 April 2020

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson is discharged from hospital after being treated for coronavirus and will continue his recovery at Chequers.^[208]

• The number of people who died in hospital with coronavirus in the UK passes 10,000, after a daily rise of 737 to 10,612. Matt Hancock describes it as a “sombre day”.^[209]

• The temporary Dragon’s Heart Hospital opens at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium to admit its first patients.^[210]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Signs appear to make sure that everyone stays 2 metres apart by using one way systems. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

13 April 2020

• Dominic Raab tells the Downing Street briefing the government does not expect to make any immediate changes to the lockdown restrictions and that the UK’s plan “is working [but] we are still not past the peak of this virus”.^[211]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. During lockdown people use their right to daily exercise and walk around the coast in pairs or alone enjoying the fresh air. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

14 April 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES – COVID 19 PRESS CONFERENCE 14TH APRIL

• The Office for National Statistics indicates that coronavirus was linked to one in five deaths during the week ending 3 April. More than 16,000 deaths in the UK were recorded for that week, 6,000 higher than would be the average for that time of year.^[212]

• Several UK charities, including Age UK and the Alzheimer’s Society, express their concern that older people are being “airbrushed” out of official figures because they focus on hospital deaths and do not include those in care homes or a person’s own home. Responding to these concerns, Therese Coffey, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, says that hospital figures are being used because “it’s accurate and quick”.^[213]

• Mobile operators report a further twenty attempted arson attacks on mobile phone masts over the previous weekend.^[214]

15 April 2020

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces new guidelines that will allow close family members to see dying relatives in order to say goodbye to them. Hancock also launches a new network to provide personal protective equipment to care home staff.^[215]

• NHS England and the Care Quality Commission begin rolling out tests for care home staff and residents as it is reported the number of care home deaths are rising but that official figures, which rely on death certificates, are not reflecting the full extent of the problem. Helen Whately, the Minister for Social Care, says that the government are aware the figures are being understated.^[216]

16 April 2020

• A 99-year-old war veteran, Tom Moore, completes 100 laps of his garden,^[219] eventually raising over £25 million for NHS Charities Together, with over a million people donating via his JustGiving page.^[220]

• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announces a three-week extension to the nationwide lockdown measures as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the UK surpasses 100,000.^[221]

• The NHS Nightingale Hospital Birmingham, at the National Exhibition Centre, is officially opened by Prince William.^[222]

• The UK stages a fourth round of applause for NHS staff and key workers at 8pm.^[223]

PANDEMIC DIARIES – COVID 19 PRESS CONFERENCE, MATT HANCOCK

17 April 2020

• Matt Hancock confirms coronavirus tests will be rolled out to cover more public service staff such as police officers, firefighters and prison staff.^[225]

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak extends the subsidised wage scheme for furloughed workers for another month, to the end of June.^[226]

• Later analysis of death registrations (all causes) in England and Wales by the Office for National Statistics finds the highest total this week, which at 21,805 is 207% of the five-year average for the same week. COVID-19 is mentioned in 8,730 cases.^[227]

• By mid-April it was reported that restrictions had “flattened the curve” of the epidemic and the UK had passed its peak^[22] after 26,000 deaths.^[23] 

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Barry Island is still devoid of visitors mainly due to the continued heightened police presence and the risk of being fined for not having a valid reason to be travelling A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

18 April 2020

• Unions representing doctors and nurses express their concern at a change in government guidelines advising medics to reuse gowns or wear other kit if stocks run low.^[229]

• Speaking at the Downing Street daily briefing, Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary, says a further 400,000 gowns will be arriving from Turkey the following day.^[230] (In the event, the shipment was delayed by several days,^[231] and was said on 7 May to be unusable).^[232]

• Care England, the UK’s largest care homes representative body, estimates that as many as 7,500 care home residents may have died because of coronavirus, compared to the official figure of 1,400 released a few days earlier.^[229]

• Jenrick says that the virus appears to be having a “disproportionate impact” on the Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, while Stephen Powis says he has asked Public Health England to investigate what may be accounting for the increased risk within these groups.^[233]

• Jenrick says that parks and cemeteries must remain open during the lockdown.^[234]

19 April 2020

• The number of recorded deaths increases by 596 to 16,060, a lower increase than previous days. Dr Jenny Harries says the lower number of deaths is “very good news” but cautions against drawing conclusions from the figures.^[235]

• After a Sunday Times article suggests schools could reopen on 11 May, Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education, tells the Downing Street daily briefing he cannot give a date for when this will happen, and that the focus will be on helping children to learn at home, with lessons made available online and free loans of laptops for disadvantaged children.^[235]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Barry Island is still devoid of visitors mainly due to the continued heightened police presence and the risk of being fined for not having a valid reason to be travelling A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

20 April 2020

• To protect bus drivers, Transport for London puts buses’ front doors out of use, requiring passengers to board through the middle doors. Passengers are no longer required to pay, so that they do not need to use the card reader near the driver.^[238]

• Online applications for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme are opened, with 67,000 claims registered in the first 30 minutes.^[239]

• NHS Blood and Transplant asks those who have survived COVID-19 to donate blood for trials of a treatment that will involve giving the blood plasma of survivors to patients ill in hospital with the disease.^[240]

• Prof Dame Angela Maclean, the UK’s deputy chief scientific adviser, says the number of confirmed cases is “flattening out”.^[241] The number of people in hospital for COVID-19 has begun to fall in Scotland, Wales and every region of England, with significant falls in London and the Midlands.^[242]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Barry Island is still devoid of visitors mainly due to the continued heightened police presence and the risk of being fined for not having a valid reason to be travelling A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

21 April 2020

• A further 823 deaths are recorded, taking the total to 17,337, a sharp rise on the previous day, but many of these relate to deaths that occurred in previous days and weeks, and some date back as far as March. Prof Sir David Spiegelhalter, of the University of Cambridge, says the figures suggest the UK is past the peak and in a “steadily” albeit slowly improving position.^[243][244]

• Figures released by the Office for National Statistics indicate deaths in England and Wales have reached a twenty year high, with 18,500 deaths from all causes in the week up to 10 April, about 8,000 more than the average for that time of year.^[243] The deaths include those in care homes, where the 1,043 year-to-date deaths related to COVID-19 is a jump from the 217 reported a week ago.^[245]

• Matt Hancock says the government is “throwing everything” at developing a vaccine as he announces £42.5m for clinical trials being conducted by Imperial College London and the University of Oxford.^[246]

• Fundraiser Captain Tom Moore is the guest of honour at the opening of NHS Nightingale Hospital Yorkshire and the Humber in Harrogate.^[248]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | CARDIFF CITY CENTRE USED FOR DAILY EXERCISE DURING LOCKDOWN

22 April 2020

• The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (SI 447) come into effect, correcting errors in the original lockdown regulations and allowing some visits to burial grounds and gardens of remembrance.

• Parliament holds the first virtual Prime Minister’s Questions with Dominic Raab standing in for Boris Johnson, at which Raab confirms the target of 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month.^[250]

• In a Commons statement Matt Hancock tells MPs “we are at the peak” of the outbreak but social distancing measures cannot be relaxed until the government’s five tests have been met.^[251] 

• Professor Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, tells the Downing Street briefing the UK will have to live with some social distancing measures for at least the rest of the year, and that it is “wholly unrealistic” to expect life to suddenly return to normal in the short term.^[252]

• Doctors in Wales have written a joint letter to First Minister Mark Drakeford urging him to ban the use of second homes during the outbreak.^[253]

23 April 2020

• The first human trials of a coronavirus vaccine in Europe begin in Oxford.^[254]

• A study involving 20,000 households in England, coordinated by the Office for National Statistics, will track the progress of COVID-19 and seek to better understand infection and immunity levels, with volunteers asked to provide nose and throat swabs on a regular basis to determine whether they have the virus.^[255]

• Matt Hancock states that daily test capacity has reached 51,000, and announces that all key workers and members of their households are now eligible for COVID-19 tests and will be able to book tests through the government website from the following day.^[256] 

• Tests will be conducted at drive-through centres or using home testing kits,^[257] while mobile testing units operated by the armed forces would increase in number from the present eight to 92, with a further four operated by civilians in Northern Ireland.^[258]

• Hancock also announces preparations to reactivate contact tracing in a later phase of the outbreak, including the recruitment of 18,000 contact tracers to greatly supplement Public Health England’s staff.^[256]

• DIY chain B&Q confirms it has reopened 155 of its stores following a trial opening of a small number of outlets the previous weekend.^[260]

• At 8pm the UK stages a fifth round of applause for NHS staff and key workers.^[263]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 IMAGES. B & Q stores across the country trial socially distancing openings. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

24 April 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES; LOCKDOWN MEASURES STRENGTHENED IN WALES

• The website for key workers to book a coronavirus test temporarily closes after a high demand for the tests; 5,000 test kits are ordered within its first two minutes online. The government says it will make more tests available.^[264]

25 April 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES; HOME SECRETARY – PRITI PATELL HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE ON 25 APRIL 2020

• The number of recorded deaths increases by 813, taking the total past 20,000 to 20,319. Thus the UK becomes the fifth country to pass the 20,000 mark along with the United States, Italy, Spain and France.^[269]

• After figures show that A&E attendances are half their usual level, the health service urges people to seek healthcare if needed and not be put off by the coronavirus outbreak.^[270]

• COVID-19 tests for key workers are booked up within an hour.^[271]

26 April 2020

• The figure of 413 recorded deaths is the lowest daily total in April.^[273]

• Professor Stephen Povis tells the Downing Street daily briefing the benefit of social distancing is beginning to be felt, with the stabilisation of the number of new cases, and a reduction of the number of people in hospital.^[274]

27 April 2020

• In his first public statement since returning to work, Boris Johnson says the UK is “at the moment of maximum risk” but “we are now beginning to turn the tide” as he urges people not to lose patience with the restrictions.^[275]

• The government announces that the families of NHS and care workers who die because of COVID-19 will be entitled to a payment of £60,000.^[276]

• The number of recorded deaths from COVID-19 rises by 360, taking the total to 21,092. This is the lowest daily rise for four weeks.^[277]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Good will messages in Cardiff shop windows. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

28 April 2020

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics for the week ending 17 April show 22,351 deaths registered in England and Wales, nearly double the five-year average and the highest weekly total since comparable records began in 1993.^[278]

• The ONS report indicates a third of coronavirus deaths in England and Wales are occurring in care homes, with 2,000 recorded in the week ending 17 April,^[279] and the number of deaths from all causes in care homes is almost three times the number recorded three weeks ago.^[278]

• Matt Hancock announces that care home figures will be included in the daily death toll from the following day; official figures have previously included only hospital data.^[280]

• Testing capacity reaches 73,000 per day, although only 43,000 were carried out the previous day. Matt Hancock announces that testing will be expanded from the following day to include all care home workers, and people (and their family members) with symptoms who must leave home for their job or are aged over 65.^[281]

• At 11am the UK holds a minute’s silence to remember key workers who have died from COVID-19.^[282]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 IMAGES. BARRY ISAND IS EMPTY. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

PANDEMIC DIARIES; DEPUTY PM DOMINIC RAAB GOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE

29 April 2020

• Speaking to the House of Commons Education Select Committee, Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education says that the reopening of schools will take place in a “phased manner”.^[284]

• Official figures begin including deaths in care homes and the community, resulting in the number of recorded deaths increasing by 4,419 to 26,097. Dominic Raab tells the Downing Street daily briefing the figures have been included retrospectively, and account for care home and community deaths between 2 March and 28 April. In the most recent 24-hour period there have been 765 deaths.^[285][286]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 IMAGES. High Street, Barry. Parking areas cordoned off and queues for shopping in local delicatessens. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

30 April 2020

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the UK is “past the peak” of the COVID-19 outbreak but that the country must not “risk a second spike”, and announces that he will set out “comprehensive plan” for easing the lockdown “next week”. He also stresses the importance of keeping down the reproductive rate, which “is going to be absolutely vital to our recovery”.^[287]

• Captain Tom Moore celebrates his 100th birthday, and is made an honorary colonel by the Queen. His appeal to raise money for the NHS reaches £32m.^[288]

• At 8pm the UK stages its weekly round of applause for NHS staff and key workers.^[289]

• ITV announces plans to resume filming live studio-based shows such as Britain’s Got Talent and The Masked Singer, but without the presence of an audience.^[290]

APRIL 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 IMAGES. Cardiff City Centre. Message of thanks to care workers. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES BARRY; MAY 2020

• Matt Hancock confirms the government’s target of providing (but not necessarily completing) 100,000 tests a day by the end of April has been met, with 122,347 provided over the previous 24 hours.^[292]

MAY 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 IMAGES. Cardiff City Centre. City centre streets are empty in full lockdown A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

2 May 2020

• Robert Jenrick announces £76m of funding to help vulnerable people, including children, victims of domestic violence and modern slavery, who may be “trapped in a nightmare” during the lockdown restrictions.^[296]

MAY 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 IMAGES. Cardiff City in full lockdown. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

3 May 2020

• The UK’s overall death toll and by population surpassed that of Italy on 3 May, making the UK the worst affected country in Europe at the time.^[24] 

• In an interview with the Sun on Sunday, Boris Johnson speaks about how contingency plans were made for the event of his death while he was in intensive care.^[299]

• An NHS contact tracing app designed to track and prevent the spread of COVID-19 will be trialled on the Isle of Wight during the forthcoming week.^[300]

MAY 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 IMAGES. Cardiff City Centre Arcades are empty in full lockdown. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

4 May 2020

• Apple and Google approve a test version of the NHS tracing app.^[301]

5 May 2020

• The number of recorded deaths rises by 693 to 29,427,^[303] giving the UK the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths in Europe.^[304]

• Deaths per week in hospital are falling while those in care homes continue to increase, and for the year to 24 April, 5,890 deaths in care homes involved COVID-19.^[4]

• Professor Neil Ferguson, whose advice led the government to implement the lockdown restrictions, resigns from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies after the Daily Telegraph reports a woman named as his “married lover” visited his home during the restrictions.^[310]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES; CLASH OVER CARE HOMES IN PMQ’S

6 May 2020

• At his first Prime Minister’s Questions since returning to work Boris Johnson says he “bitterly regrets” the crisis in care homes and is “working very hard” to tackle it. Johnson also pledges to reach a target of 200,000 daily UK coronavirus tests by the end of May.^[311]

• A further 649 deaths take the number of recorded deaths over 30,000, to 30,076.^[312]

7 May 2020

• The government confirms that 400,000 gowns ordered from Turkey to protect NHS staff from coronavirus have been impounded, after failing to meet the required safety standards.^[314][232]

• The Bank of England warns that the economy is on course to shrink by 14% in 2020 because of the impact of COVID-19, pushing the UK into its deepest recession on record.^[315]

• Baroness Dido Harding, chair of NHS Improvement and former CEO of TalkTalk, is appointed to lead the government’s programme of testing and tracing, supported by John Newton of Public Health England.^[317] 

• The UK stages another round of applause for NHS staff and key workers, the seventh to be held on consecutive Thursdays at 8pm.^[320]

PANDEMIC DIARIES – CLAP FOR CARERS 7TH MAY

8 May 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES; WALES FIRST TO EASE LOCKDOWN MEASURES

• Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, extends the lockdown restrictions for a further three weeks but with some minor changes. People are allowed to exercise outside more than once a day and councils can plan for the reopening of libraries and tips. Some GARDEN CENTRE can also reopen.^[321]

MAY 2020. PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES. COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES. Garden Centres in Wales are allowed to open with strict social distancing measure in place. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

• The death of a six-week-old baby is reported.^[322]

• With the UK beginning another Bank Holiday weekend, Environment Secretary George Eustace urges the public to abide by the rules of the lockdown restrictions and warns people have to be “realistic” about the loosening of the measures.^[323]

9 May 2020

• Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announces £2bn of investment to improve walking and cycling, describing it as a chance for a “once in a generation change” to the way the public travels.^[324]

10 May 2020

• The UK government updates its coronavirus message from “stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives” to “stay alert, control the virus, save lives“.

• The Opposition Labour Party expresses concern the slogan could be confusing, and leaders of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland say they will keep the original slogan.^[325]

• A new alert scale system is announced, ranging from green (level one) to red (level five), similar to the UK’s Terror Threat Levels.^[326]

• A recorded address by Boris Johnson is broadcast at 7pm in which he outlines a “conditional plan” to reopen society, but says it is “not the time simply to end the lockdown this week”, and describes the plans as “the first careful steps to modify our measures”.

• Those who cannot work from home, such as construction workers and those in manufacturing, are encouraged to return to work from the following day, but to avoid public transport if possible. The guidance on the number of outdoor exercise periods will be lifted from Wednesday 13 May.^[328]

• Outlining future easing of restrictions, Johnson says “step two” – no sooner than 1 June – would include reopening some shops and the return of primary school pupils, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6; and that secondary pupils facing exams next year would get some time in school before the summer holiday. “Step three” – at the earliest by July – would begin the reopening of the hospitality industry and other public places.^[329]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES : BORIS JOHNSON ADDRESS TO THE NATION MAY 10 2020

Level	Meaning
5	As level 4 and there is a material risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed
4	A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation; transmission is high or rising exponentially
3	A COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation
2	COVID-19 is present in the UK, but the number of cases and transmission is low
1	COVID-19 no longer present in the UK

11 May 2020

• The UK government publishes a 50-page document setting out further details of the phases for lifting the lockdown restrictions. Boris Johnson gives further details as he makes his first statement on the virus to Parliament.^[333][334]

• Amid concerns about the safety of people returning to work, Johnson tells the Downing Street daily briefing he is not expecting a “sudden big flood” of people returning to work, and that companies will have to prove they have introduced safety measures before they can reopen.^[335]

• The UK government advises people in England to wear face coverings in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not possible, such as on public transport and in shops.^[336]

• Teaching unions express their concern at government plans to reopen schools on 1 June, describing them as “reckless” and unsafe.^[339]

PANDEMIC DIARIES : MARK DRAKEFORD CLARIFIES LOCKDOWN RULES FOR WALES MAY 11 2020

12 May 2020

• Figures released by the Office for National Statistics and the devolved administrations indicate the death toll from COVID-19 exceeds 40,000 – including almost 11,000 care home residents^[340] – although week-by-week numbers continue to fall.^[341] 

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak extends the UK’s furlough scheme until October, with employees continuing to receive 80% of their monthly wages up to £2,500. A quarter of the workforce, some 7.5 million people, are now covered by the scheme, costing £14bn a month.^[344]

13 May 2020

• The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2020 (SI 500) come into effect, allowing the re-opening of garden centres, sports courts and recycling centres.

• In addition to outdoor exercise, open-air recreation is also permitted with no more than one member of another household. Government announcements gloss these with the (non-enforceable) requirement that social distancing must be practised. House moves and viewings are also permitted.^[346]

14 May 2020

• A total of 126,064 tests for COVID-19 have been conducted in the most recent 24 hour period, the highest number to date.^[349]

• Figures compiled by NHS England giving a breakdown of underlying health conditions among COVID-19 hospital fatalities between 31 March and 12 May indicate one in four had diabetes. Other common health conditions were dementia (18%), serious breathing problems (15%), chronic kidney disease (14%), and ischaemic heart disease (10%).^[350]

• The Office for National Statistics publishes results of the early phase of a survey programme in England. This implies roughly 10,000 new cases per day.^[352]  The survey does not include people in hospital or care homes, where rates of infection are likely to be higher still.^[351]

• Transport for London is given £1.6bn of emergency government funding to keep bus and tube services running until September.^[356]

• The BBC announces plans to resume the filming of EastEnders and Top Gear in June, with cast and crew practising social distancing, and doing their own hair and makeup.^[357]

• The UK stages its eighth Clap for Our Carers event at 8pm.^[358]

15 May 2020

• Government scientific advice says that the R number has increased slightly from between 0.5 and 0.9 to between 0.7 and 1.0, closer to the rate at which infections could start to exponentially increase. The figures are said to be “consistent with” the fall in cases in the community and the rise of cases in care homes, but are based on data from three weeks previously, so the effect of easing the lockdown measures is unknown.^[359][360]

• A report on deaths in care homes in England and Wales from the Office for National Statistics finds 9,039 deaths between 2 March and 1 May, and a further 3,444 deaths of residents in hospital.

• In this period, COVID-19 was involved in 27% of all deaths of care home residents. Since the last week of March, non-COVID deaths have been higher than previous years; deaths of residents from all causes peaked around 14 April.^[361]

• Matt Hancock announces that every resident and staff member in care homes in England will be tested for COVID-19 by early June.^[362]

• First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford outlines a “traffic lights” route out of lockdown for Wales, which he describes as being “in the red zone”, but does not give any dates for when the restrictions will be eased.^[363]

• Government scientists and teaching unions hold talks in a bid to safely reopen schools.^[364] 

• The British Medical Association voices its support for the unions over their concerns about the safety of resuming classes.^[365]

• The places of worship task force, a body consisting of leading members of faith groups and government representatives, has its inaugural meeting. The group was established in response to Boris Johnson’s 10 May address, in which he said religious buildings could reopen by 4 July, and aims to examine how this can happen safely.^[366]

16 May 2020

• Anne Longfield, the Children’s Commissioner for England, urges the government and teaching unions to “stop squabbling and agree a plan” to reopen schools, warning that the closure of schools is impacting negatively on disadvantaged children.^[367]

• Coronavirus protests involving the gathering of people are held at venues around the UK, including Hyde Park in London, and Glasgow Green in Glasgow.^[368][369]

17 May 2020

• In an article for The Mail on Sunday, Boris Johnson acknowledges frustrations with the government’s “stay alert” message for England, but urges the public to be patient as the lockdown measures are eased.^[370]

• The number of recorded deaths rises by 170 to 34,636. The daily increase is the lowest since the day after the lockdown restrictions were introduced.^[371]

• At the Downing Street daily briefing, Business Secretary Alok Sharma announces a further £84m of funding to help mass-produce a COVID-19 vaccine being trialled by the University of Oxford and that should be available by September.

• He also tells the briefing that Oxford have secured an agreement with pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca to manufacture the vaccine, and distributed it to the UK first.^[372]

18 May 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: DOMINIC RAAB LEADS CORONAVIRUS DAILY BRIEFING

• Rail operators begin running more train services, while security guards trained in crowd control are placed on duty at some major railway stations.^[373]

• Jury trials resume at a handful of courts in England and Wales, having been suspended since the beginning of the lockdown restrictions.^[375]

• The UK adds loss of smell and loss of taste to the list of COVID-19 symptoms that people should look out for.^[376]

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that anyone in the UK over the age of five with symptoms can now be tested for COVID-19.^[377]

• Matt Hancock also confirms that 21,000 contact tracers have been recruited across the UK and are ready to begin work.^[378]

• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tells the Downing Street daily briefing that it is “not sustainable” to keep the lockdown in place “permanently” but that the Government is monitoring the changes it makes.^[379

19 May 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES – CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 19TH MAY 2020

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance increased by 856,500 in April, to 2.1 million. In response to this Chancellor Rishi Sunak says that it will take time for the UK economy to recover and it is “not obvious there will be an immediate bounceback”.^[385]

• As figures show there have been 11,600 deaths in care homes as a result of COVID-19, Professor Martin Green, chair of Care England, criticises the government for the way it handled the outbreak in care homes, and tells MPs they should have been prioritised from the start.^[386]

• Captain Tom Moore, who raised £32m for NHS charities, is to be knighted for his fundraising efforts following a special nomination from Boris Johnson.^[388]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: TOM MOORE KNIGHTED BY THE QUEEN

20 May 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: PRIME MINISTERS QUESTIONS 20TH MAY 2020

• At Prime Minister’s Questions, Boris Johnson confirms that a track and trace system will be in place from 1 June.^[389]

• The Government faces mounting pressure from councils and teaching unions to reconsider its plans to reopen primary schools from 1 June. Robert Buckland, the Secretary of State for Justice, says the Government is taking all concerns “very seriously”>^[390]

• The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 drops below 10,000 for the first time since March.^[392]

• People with diabetes are being strongly advised to follow government advice after a study by NHS England found the condition was linked to a third of coronavirus deaths between 1 March and 11 May. Diabetics are not among the people who have been told to shield themselves, but some may be asked to do so if they are deemed to be at high risk because of a combination of health conditions.^[393]

• Figures released by Public Health England indicate no new coronavirus cases were reported in London over the 24-hour period up to Monday 18 May.^[397]

PANDEMIC DIARIES ; CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 20 MAY 2020

21 May 2020

• The NHS Confederation warns that time is running out to finalise a test, track and trace strategy to avoid a possible second surge in coronavirus cases.^[398]

• Following an agreement between the Government and the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche, a COVID-19 antibody test is made available through the NHS, with health and care staff to be the first to receive it. The test checks to see if someone has had the virus.^[402]

• The Government announces that NHS staff and care workers from overseas will be exempt from the immigration health surcharge that usually applies to non-EU migrants.^[403]

• The Office for National Statistics estimate that 137,000 people in England, or 0.25% of the population, had COVID-19 at any given time between 4 May and 17 May (excluding those in hospitals, care homes or other institutions). This implies around 8,700 new infections per day, compared to the 10,000 estimate made two weeks ago.^[404]

• ITV announces that its soap Emmerdale has started a “phased return to filming” with six new episodes being recorded at its studios in Leeds.^[405]

• The UK stages its ninth weekly Clap for Our Carers event at 8pm.^[406]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CLAP FOR CARERS 21 MAY 2020

22 May 2020

• The Government unveils new quarantine rules for travellers to the UK that will require them to self-isolate for fourteen days from 8 June.^[407]

• The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies publishes its evidence on the safety and impact of reopening schools on 1 June. It says the risk to school pupils is “very, very small, but it is not zero”, while the risk to teachers is not above average when compared to other occupations.^[408]

• The Office for National Statistics reports that government borrowing rose to £62bn in April, the highest monthly figure on record, after heavy spending to ease the coronavirus crisis.^[409]

• Annemarie Plas, credited as starting the weekly Clap for Our Carers, suggests it should end after its tenth week as the public have shown their appreciation, and should instead become an annual celebration of frontline workers.^[412]

23 May 2020

• The French Government announces that travellers to France from the UK will have to quarantine for fourteen days from 8 June.^[413]

• The death of a 12-year-old child is reported.^[414]

• Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s chief political adviser, comes under mounting pressure to resign after a joint investigation by the Daily Mirror and The Guardian revealed that he travelled 260 miles from London to Durham to self-isolate during lockdown and while his wife was displaying COVID-19 symptoms.

• In response to the story, Downing Street says that Cummings travelled to the north east to be near relatives who could look after his young son if he became ill himself.^[415]

• Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announces £283m of investment in buses and light rail services in order to help improve safety, but warns capacity will be at a fifth of pre-lockdown levels because of social distancing measures.

• Extra martials at stations from 1 June are also announced, as well as permission for ten rail reopening projects to proceed to make business cases under the “reversing the Beeching cuts” initiative.^[416]

24 May 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 24 MAY 2020

• After The Observer and the Sunday Mirror print allegations that Dominic Cummings made a second trip to the north east during lockdown, Boris Johnson gives his chief aide his backing at the Downing Street daily briefing, saying that Cummings had “no alternative” but to travel for childcare “when both he and his wife were about to be incapacitated by coronavirus” and has “acted responsibly, legally and with integrity”. Johnson describes some of the claims as “palpably false”.^[418]

• Johnson also confirms plans (outlined on 10 May) for the phased reopening of schools in England from 1 June: from that date, they will reopen for early years pupils, Reception, Year 1 and Year 6. For the first time he states that from 15 June a quarter of Year 10 and Year 12 students will be allowed “some contact” to help prepare for exams.^[419]

25 May 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: DOMINIC CUMMINGS PRESS CONFERENCE IN ROSE GARDEN

• Dominic Cummings says “I don’t regret what I did” as he gives a detailed explanation of his actions during lockdown at a press conference in the Downing Street Rose Garden.^[420]

• Boris Johnson outlines plans to reopen car showrooms and outdoor markets from 1 June, and for all non-essential shops to reopen from 15 June.^[421]

• Education Secretary Gavin Williamson warns the virus “could be with us for a year or more” and children cannot stay off school for “months and months”.^[422]

• Weston General Hospital in Somerset temporarily stops admitting new patients because of a high number of COVID-19 cases.^[423]

26 May 2020

• Death registration figures for the week ending 15 May show the lowest number of COVID-19 deaths since the beginning of April.^[426]

• Remdesivir, a drug that can speed up the recovery time of patients with COVID-19, is made available through the NHS.^[427]

• Douglas Ross resigns as a junior minister with the Scotland Office over the government’s defence of Dominic Cummings, while at least 35 Conservative MPs call for Cummings to be removed from his post.^[429]

Pandemic PHOTO Diaries: Covid_19 Images. Cardiff City Centre. Snack bars in the Hayes closed for lockdown A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

27 May 2020

• Boris Johnson states that a test and trace system will be operational in England from the following day.^[431]

• Johnson appears before the House of Commons Liaison Committee where he rules out holding an inquiry into the actions of Dominic Cummings.^[432]

• Figures from HM Treasury indicate the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for furloughed workers in the UK now covers 8.4 million people, an increase from 8 million a week earlier.^[433]

Pandemic Diaries: Covid_19 Images. Cardiff City Centre. Take aways and fish and chip bars in Caroline Street are closed and streets are empty in full lockdown. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

28 May 2020

• Contact tracing systems go live in England and Scotland – NHS Test and Trace in England, and Test and Protect in Scotland.^[435] However, Dido Harding tells MPs the system in England will not be “fully operational at a local level” until the end of June.^[436][437]

• The weekly household survey by the Office for National Statistics reports that around 133,000 people in England had COVID-19 at any given time during 11–24 May, and estimates the rate of new infections to be around 54,000 per week. Both numbers are similar to the previous estimates, indicating that the number of infections is “relatively stable”.^[438]

• A meeting of the four national Chief Medical Officers decides that the alert level should remain at 4, although Boris Johnson had said the previous day that he hoped it would come down to 3.^[439]

• Johnson says the government’s five tests have been met, and from 1 June in England groups of up to six people will be able to meet outdoors in gardens and outdoor private spaces.^[440] Dental practices will be allowed to reopen from 8 June.^[138]

• Durham Police say that Dominic Cummings may have made a “minor breach” of lockdown rules during his visit to Barnard Castle, but no offence was committed.^[443]

• EasyJet announces plans to cut 4,500 jobs because of the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on business.^[446]

• The tenth Clap for Our Carers event is staged at 8pm.^[447]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CLAP FOR CARERS 28 MAY 2020

29 May 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 29 MAY 2020

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will end at the end of October. Before then, employers must pay National Insurance and pension contributions from August, then 10% of pay from September, increasing to 20% in October.^[448] 

• Self-employed people whose work has been affected by the outbreak will receive a “second and final” government grant in August.^[449]

• Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, announces an easing of the lockdown restrictions for Wales from Monday 1 June, that will allow the members of two households to meet up outdoors.

• Non-essential retailers are urged to use the next three weeks to “prepare safeguarding”.^[450]

30 May 2020

• Some government scientific advisers warn of the risk associated with lifting lockdown restrictions in England too early, citing the still high number of cases and deaths.

• In response the government says it is following the data and evidence when making its decisions about the restrictions.^[453] Professor Jonathan Van-Tam tells the Downing Street briefing that Britain is at a “dangerous moment” and people must be “sensible and proportionate”.^[454]

• At the Downing Street daily briefing Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announces that competitive sport will be allowed in England behind closed doors from 1 June, with individual sporting bodies left to decide when to restart. Horse racing will be one of the first sporting activities to resume.^[455]

• Boris Johnson announces a relaxing of lockdown restrictions for the 2.2 million people who have been “shielding” in their homes, with them allowed outdoors with members of their household from 1 June. Those who live alone can meet one other person outside.^[456]

• Conservative MPs urge Boris Johnson to revise the 2 metre social distancing rule to 1.5 metres amid concerns for the hospitality industry.^[457]

Pandemic Diaries: Covid_19 Images. Barry Island. Businesses get ready in anticipation of the easing of restrictions. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

31 May 2020

• The UK exceeds its target to increase testing capacity to 200,000 tests a day by the end of May, with 205,634 available for 30 May.^[458]

• Some scientists express their concern about the logic of relaxing lockdown rules for those shielding at home in England.^[459] 

• In response Robert Jenryck tells the Downing Street daily briefing he is “reasonably confident” the measures are “manageable” but the room for manoeuvre is limited.^[458]

• Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething announces an easing of lockdown rules for those shielding at home in Wales.

• From 1 June they may meet up outside with people from another household, but must maintain social distancing rules and must not go into another person’s home.^[460]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: JUNE 2020

EASING THE LOCKDOWN PAIN

1 June 2020

• The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations 2020 (SI 558) come into effect, again without prior parliamentary scrutiny.

• Car and caravan showrooms, outdoor sports amenities and outdoor non-food markets may reopen.

• The prohibitions on leaving home are replaced by a prohibition on staying overnight away from home, with certain specific exceptions.

• Gatherings of people from more than one household are limited to six people outdoors and are prohibited entirely indoors, with exceptions including education. There are further exemptions for elite athletes.^[461]

Pandemic Diaries: Covid_19 Images. Barry Island. Car parks reopen. Food and Alcohol can be sold as a take away service for outdoor consumption. People in Wales do not need to be told that twice! A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

Pandemic Diaries: Covid_19 Images. Barry Island. People adhere to social distancing rules on the beach. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

• As primary schools reopen in England, headteachers report a varied attendance rate of between 40% and 70%.^[462]

• Horse racing becomes the first sport to return in England after a gap of 76 days, with the first meeting at Newcastle.^[464] Snooker also returns.^[465]

• ITV announces plans to resume filming of its soap Coronation Street from 9 June following an eleven week break. ITV have aired three episodes a week since March, and the new filming schedule will allow that number of airings to continue.^[467]

2 June 2020

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of COVID-19 deaths to be at their lowest since March, with 2,872 death certificates mentioning the condition during the week up to 22 May.^[468]

• The Guardian has calculated the UK death toll from COVID-19 is 50,032.^[469] Meanwhile, Reuters give the figure as 49,646.^[470]

• Public Health England releases its report into the disproportionately high number of people from ethnic minorities dying from COVID-19.

• The report finds that age, sex, health, geographical circumstances and ethnicity are all risk factors, with those of Bangladeshi origin experiencing a particularly high number of fatalities.^[471]

• David Norgrove, chair of the UK Statistics Authority, rebukes Matt Hancock in an escalation of his 11 May criticism of the government’s handling of testing data, saying the figures are “still far from complete and comprehensible” and appear to be aimed at showing “the largest possible number of tests, even at the expense of understanding”.^[472]

• MPs vote to end the practice of voting from home, but some politicians criticise the move for excluding those unable to attend Parliament due to age or health reasons.

• In response, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leader of the House, says he will schedule a motion for the following day that will enable them to question the goverment but not to vote.^[473]

• Water companies urge people to conserve water during the lockdown restrictions by not using sprinklers and hosepipes, or filling paddling pools. The advice follows a record dry spring coupled with more people spending time at home.^[474]

• The UK government is to scale back its daily Downing Street briefings to weekdays only, citing low viewing figures at weekends. Boris Johnson will also commit to leading one briefing per week.^[477]

3 June 2020

• Home Secretary Priti Patel confirms plans to introduce a 14 day quarantine for new arrivals into the UK.

• Those who break the quarantine conditions in England will face fines of £1,000 and potential prosecution.^[478]

• Business Secretary Alok Sharma is tested for COVID-19 and self-isolates at home after looking visibly ill during a House of Commons debate.^[479] He subsequently tests negative for the virus.^[480]

• As the UK begins a period of wetter weather, Boris Johnson urges people not to move gatherings indoors if it rains.^[481]

• Welsh education minister Kirsty Williams announces that all schools in Wales will reopen from 29 June.

• They will be open for all pupils, but only a third of students will be in school at any one time. The summer term is also extended by a week.^[482]

4 June 2020

• Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announces that face coverings will be compulsory on public transport from 15 June.

• Very young children, disabled people and those with breathing difficulties will be exempt from this requirement.^[483]

Pandemic Diaries: Stock Photos. Covid_19 Images. Porthkerry Park. People adhere to social distancing rules in parks and gardens. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

5 June 2020

• The number of recorded deaths passes 40,000 after rising by 357 to 40,261.^[486]

• The British Medical Association urge the UK government to extend the rules regarding the wearing of face covering to all situations where social distancing is not possible.^[487]

• Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s Government Chief Scientific Adviser, says the R number is between 0.7 and 0.9, but could be as high as 1 in some areas of England.

• His comments come after figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest the reproductive rate is between 0.7 and 1 for England.^[488]

• The weekly household survey by the Office for National Statistics estimates the rate of new infections to be around 39,000 per week, down from 54,000 the previous week.

• Their estimates are based on small numbers: 21 positive results from just under 20,000 swab tests.^[489]

• The UK government’s ban on tenant evictions in England and Wales is extended by two months to 23 August.^[490]

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock urges people not to breach lockdown rules by attending protests planned for the forthcoming weekend. Several are planned by the organisation Black Lives Matter following the death of George Floyd in the United States.^[491]

• A Black Lives Matter protest in Barry is planned for 13th June 2020

Pandemic Diaries: Stock Photos. Covid_19 Images. Visitors flock back to Penarth sea front making sure they are socially distanced. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

6 June 2020

• Robert Jenrick announces that places of worship will be allowed to open for individual prayer on 15 June.^[128]

7 June 2020

• The weekly surveillance report by Public Health England (published 11 June) concludes that the week ending today has “no significant overall excess all-cause mortality”.

• Acute respiratory outbreaks in care homes continue to decline, but there is a small increase in outbreaks in hospitals.

• Professor John Edmunds, one of the scientists advising the UK government, says he wishes the lockdown had been implemented earlier as the delay “cost a lot of lives”, but adds that data was “really quite poor”, making it “very hard” to do act earlier.^[500] 

• Responding to the comments, Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government “took the right decision at the right time”.^[501]

Pandemic Diaries: Stock Photos. Covid_19 Images. Barry Island. People adhere to social distancing rules at coastal locations. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

8 June 2020

• Rules requiring travellers arriving into the UK to quarantine for 14 days come into force.^[502]

• The number of recorded deaths rises by 55 to 40,597, the lowest daily number since lockdown was introduced on 23 March; no deaths are reported in Scotland for a second consecutive day, and there are no new deaths in London hospitals.^[503]

• The Department of Health and Social Care extends availability of tests to all adult care homes, not just those for over-65s, and states there is capacity to send homes over 50,000 test kits a day.^[504]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 IMAGES The Welsh government relax lockdown rules allowing people from two households to meet outside locally. The weather is sunny, people meet on the beach. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

9 June 2020

• The UK government drops plans for all primary school children to return to school before the end of the summer term, describing it as unfeasible.^[506]

• Business Secretary Alok Sharma confirms that all non-essential retailers in England can reopen from Monday 15 June providing they follow safety guidelines.

• However, pubs, bars, restaurants and hairdressers must wait until 4 July “at the earliest” to reopen.^[507] 

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that zoos and safari parks will also reopen on 15 June.^[508]

• Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething announces that people in Wales will be asked to wear three-layer face covering in situations where social distancing is not possible, such as on public transport.^[509]

• Figures released by the Treasury show that 8.9 million workers are now covered by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, a quarter of the UK workforce, with it having cost £19.6bn to date.^[510]

• Thirty medical organisations that represent black, Asian and minority ethnic doctors and nurses write to Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch expressing their concern at a government review that found black, Asian and ethnic minority people are twice as likely to die from COVID-19.^[511]

10 June 2020

• Professor Neil Ferguson, the government scientist whose advice was crucial in persuading the government to implement the lockdown measures, says that half of the lives lost to COVID-19 could have been saved if the measures had been introduced a week earlier.^[513]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a further easing of lockdown measures in England from 13 June that will allow people living alone to spend time in one other household as part of a “support bubble”.

• The group will be treated as if they are all part of one household so social distancing will not apply, but they cannot switch the household with which they are in a bubble or choose multiple households, and these new rules do not apply to people who are shielding, who must continue to isolate.^[514]

• Johnson announces that plans are being drawn up for a school catch-up programme over the summer months that will allow schoolchildren to catch up with missed schoolwork, with the plans to be outlined by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson shortly.^[515]

11 June 2020

• Figures published by the Department of Health and Social Care indicate that in NHS Test and Trace‘s first week of operation, 31,700 contacts were identified, of whom 26,900 (85%) were reached and asked to self-isolate.

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock describes participation with the Test and Trace programme as a “civic duty”.^[517]

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate those under the age of 30 have been hardest hit by a fall in income during the COVID-19 outbreak.^[518]

• Figures from NHS England show the pandemic’s impact on cancer care. The number of people being assessed by a cancer specialist after referral fell by 60% in April when comparedto 2019, with 79,500 referrals. In the same month patients beginning treatment fell by 20% to 10,800 when compared with April 2019.^[519]

• The government comes under pressure from Conservative Party backbench MPs to reduce the two metre social distancing rule, which they feel is damaging the economy.^[520]

12 June 2020

• Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show that the UK economy shrunk by 20.4% in April, the largest monthly contraction on record.^[522]

• Further ONS figures indicate deprived areas have been hit twice as hard by the COVID-19 epidemic when compared to more affluent areas.

• The impact has also been greater in urban areas compared to rural areas, with London experiencing the highest number of deaths per 100,000.^[523]

• The weekly ONS household survey finds that around 33,000 people in England had COVID-19 at any given time between 25 May and 7 June, and estimates the rate of new infections to be around 31,600 per week, down from 39,000 the previous week.^[524]

13 June 2020

Black Lives Matter Protest takes place in King’s Square

Protest organisers handed out free face masks, the police were in attendance to ensure social distancing

• Parts of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2020 (SI 588) come into effect.

• In England and Northern Ireland, households with one adult may now become linked with one other household of any size, allowing them to be treated as one for the purpose of permitted gatherings.

• This also allows the members of one household to stay overnight at the home of the other.

• The government refers to this as a ”support bubble”.^[526] 

• The rules on gatherings are also relaxed to allow medical appointments and births to be accompanied, and to permit some visits to people in hospital, hospices and care homes.

• The Welsh Guard performs a unique socially distanced military ceremony at Windsor Castle to mark the Queen’s Official Birthday.

• The ceremony is held in place of the cancelled Trooping of the Colour, and sees the Queen’s first public appearance since lockdown began.^[529]

14 June 2020

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson commissions a review into the 2-metre social distancing rule, amid concerns its continuation may make large parts of the hospitality industry not viable.

• The review will be completed before 4 July, when pubs and cafes are scheduled to reopen.^[530]

• On the eve of the reopening of non-essential retailers, Johnson urges people to “shop, and shop with confidence”.^[531]

15 June 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES CORONAVIRUS PRESS BRIEFING 15 JUNE 2020

• The remainder of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (Amendment No. 4) Regulations 2020 (SI 588) comes into effect, allowing the general re-opening of English retail shops and public-facing businesses apart from those that are on a list of specific exclusions.

• These include restaurants, bars, pubs, nightclubs, most cinemas, theatres, museums, hairdressers, indoor sports and leisure facilities.

• Outdoor animal-related attractions such as farms, zoos and safari parks may open.

• Places of worship may again be used for private prayer (but not for communal worship).

• English libraries still have to remain closed.

• The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Wearing of Face Coverings on Public Transport) (England) Regulations 2020 come into effect, requiring travellers on public transport in England to wear a face covering.^[532][533]

• Secondary school pupils in England from Year Ten and Year Twelve return to school.^[534]

16 June 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES, STATEMENT ON COVID 19 BY FIRST MINISTER OF WALES

• The low-dose steroid treatment dexamethasone, which has been part of clinical trials for existing drugs that could be used to treat patients with COVID-19, is heralded as a major breakthrough after it was found to cut the number of deaths.

• Experts estimate up to 5,000 lives may have been saved in the UK had the treatment been used from the outset.

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson describes the news as a genuine case to celebrate “a remarkable British scientific achievement”. Dexamethasone will be made available through the NHS, which has a stockpile of 200,000 doses.^[538]

• The UK government announces that the school meals voucher scheme will be extended to cover the summer holidays, allowing 1.3 million disadvantaged children to access free meals during the holidays.

• The decision is a reversal of an earlier decision to suspend the programme during the holidays.^[539]

• Office for National Statistics figures suggest more than 600,000 people have lost their jobs between March and May because of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.^[540]

• A report published by National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) suggests that 90% of teachers say their pupils are doing less work than would be the usual case for the time of year, while headteachers say a third of pupils are not engaging with the work set for them by their teachers.^[541]

17 June 2020

• Speaking to the Science and Technology Committee, Lord Bethell, the Minister for Innovation at the Department of Health and Social Care, says the contact tracing app is “not a priority” and may not be ready until the winter.^[543]

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock is pictured slapping a colleague on the back as they arrived at the House of Commons for Prime Minister’s Questions, apparently forgetting social distancing measures.^[544]

STOCK IMAGES | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

18 June 2020

• The Bank of England announces plans to inject an extra £100bn into the UK economy to help fight downturn precipitated by the pandemic.^[545]

• The weekly ONS household survey estimates that around 33,000 people in England had COVID-19 at any given time between 31 May and 13 June, unchanged from the previous week. Antibodies were found in 5.4% of 1,757 people who gave blood samples since 26 April.^[547]

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca and Oxford University have reached a deal to begin the manufacture of a potential vaccine, even though it has yet to receive clinical approval.

• The plan is to stockpile the vaccine ready for its approval.

• Those over the age of 50 and with certain underlying health conditions will then be prioritised for the vaccine once launched.^[548]

• Office for National Statistics data for the two weeks up to 10 June indicates that of the 14,000 names passed to NHS Test and Trace for follow up, 10,200 had been contacted.^[554]

• Workers at a chicken processing plant in Llangefni, Anglesey are required to go into self-isolation following an outbreak of COVID-19 that has affected more than 100 people. The factory supplies hospitals, shops and restaurants.^[555]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 18 JUNE 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

19 June 2020

• UK’s COVID-19 Alert Levels (introduced in May 2020)

• The UK government announces a £1bn fund to help children in England to catch up with work they have missed while schools have been closed.^[556] 

• Education Secretary Gavin Williamson also confirms that all children will return to full-time schooling in September.^[557]

• The UK’s COVID-19 Alert Level is lowered from LEVEL 4 (severe risk, high transmission) to LEVEL 3 (substantial risk, general circulation)

• This is announced with the agreement of all four Chief Medical Officers.

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock describes the change as “a big moment for the country”.^[558][559]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 19 JUNE 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• The Welsh Government sets out its programme for easing lockdown restrictions, beginning on 22 June with measures that include allowing retailers to reopen and lifting restrictions on outdoor sports.

• Travel restrictions to, from and around Wales are to be lifted from 6 July.^[561]

STOCK IMAGES | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 STOCK IMAGES A large group of mods on scooters make the most of the fact the roads are open and parking is permitted to meet on the prom at Barry Island. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

STOCK IMAGES | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

20 June 2020

• Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden and Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirm that the review into the 2m social distancing rule in England will conclude within the coming days.^[565][565]

LIFEGUARDS ARE BACK ON BARRY ISLAND BEACH

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 IMAGES The Lifeguards are back on patrol on Barry Island now that the rules allow people to be on the beach. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 IMAGES As the crowds grow in tourist hotspots people start to forget about social distancing. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage

STOCK IMAGES | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

21 June

• No new COVID-19 deaths are recorded for Scotland and Northern Ireland.^[570][571]

• NHS Test and Protect, Scotland’s contact tracing service, is to send out leaflets to every household in Scotland explaining how the system works, and what people should do if they develop COVID-19 symptoms.^[572]

• The number of workers at an Anglesey chicken factory who have tested positive for COVID-19 rises to 158.^[573]

22 June 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: MATT HANCOCK LEADS DAILY CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING 22 JUNE 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• A new coronavirus saliva test is trialled in the UK.^[574]

• The UK government announces that the 2.2 million people in England who have been shielding since the beginning of lockdown will no longer need to do so from 1 August.

• From 6 July they will be able to meet up outside with up to five other people and form a “support bubble” with another household.^[575]

• The UK government’s announcement prompts the Welsh Government to issue a statement to say that shielding advice has not changed in Wales, where it is in place until 16 August.^[576]

• The UK records its lowest number of new coronavirus cases since the beginning of lockdown with 958 people having tested positive for the virus, the first time the figure has dropped below 1,000; the number of deaths recorded for the previous day stands at 15, the lowest figure since 15 March.^[577]

• The Welsh Government lifts its restrictions on wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, allowing them to take place again, but the ban on social gatherings remains.^[578]

• The Welsh Government confirms that 1,097 hospital patients were discharged to care homes without a coronavirus test at the beginning of lockdown.^[579]

• The Northern Ireland Executive agrees to allow up to six people to meet up indoors from the following day.^[580]

• The energy regulator Ofgem gives energy companies permission to follow up unpaid bills, but warns them not to be aggressive in their pursuit of unpaid debts.^[581]

23 June 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES : CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE JUNE 23 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that social distancing rules for England will be relaxed from 4 July, with people required to stay a metre apart but advised to maintain two metres distance whenever possible.

• He also confirms that pubs, restaurants, hotels and hairdressers can reopen on the same day, but social distancing must be maintained. Spas, nail bars and gyms are among premises that must continue to remain closed.

• Two households can also meet up indoors from 4 July, and need not be exclusive to each other like the bubble system. Weddings with up to 30 guests will also be permitted.^[585]

• In a bit to assuage concerns from the fitness industry that gyms will not be opening on 4 July, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden subsequently announces on Twitter that the government hopes to reopen gyms in mid-July.^[586][587]

• Boris Johnson leads the UK government’s final Downing Street daily briefing. From now on press briefings will be held whenever there is a significant announcement.^[588]

• Doctors have expressed concern that a significant number of COVID-19 patients may be left with the permanent lung condition pulmonary fibrosis as a result of the virus, and will need to be monitored for signs of the condition.^[590]

STOCK IMAGES | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

24 June 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES : CORONAVIRUS UPDATE ITV NEWS JUNE 24 2020

STOCK IMAGES | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Scientists at Imperial College London begin human trials of a COVID-19 vaccine after tests on animals indicate an effective immune response; 300 volunteers will take part in the programme.^[591]

• The British Medical Journal publishes an open letter from health leaders in which they call on the government to launch an urgent review to determine whether the UK is prepared for what they describe as the “real risk” of a second wave of COVID-19.^[592]

• The UK government publishes new advice for businesses on how to safely reopen their premises on 4 July.^[593]

• First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford announces that the two-metre social distancing rule will stay in place in Wales, describing it as the “safe way to behave”.^[595]

25 June 2020

• In a letter to the British Medical Journal, a group of senior health academics expresses their concern that COVID-19 antibody tests for NHS and care staff are being rolled out without “adequate assessment” and will place the health service under unnecessary strain.^[596]

• As the UK experiences a short heatwave, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council declares a major incident after as many as half a million people travel to the Dorset coast.^[597] 

Major incident declared in Bournemouth as beaches packed – UK COVID-19 update

• Professor Chris Whitty, the UK’s chief medical officer, warns people to respect social distancing guidelines while enjoying the weather or the number of COVID-19 cases “will rise again”.^[598][599]

Packed U.K. beaches spark new COVID-19 concerns

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• The weekly ONS household survey for 8–21 June estimates that new infections were occurring at a rate of 22,000 per week, and notes that the decline seen between mid-May and early June has “levelled off”.^[600]

• The UK government announces plans to relax rules for England and Wales allowing pubs and restaurants to utilise outdoor spaces such as terraces, pavements and car parks, while outdoor markets and fetes will no longer need planning permission.^[601]

• Figures from NHS Test and Trace indicate that in its first three weeks of operation in excess of 100,000 people have been asked to self-isolate after being contacted by contact tracers, while the service has contacted three quarters of the people whose details have been supplied to it.^[602]

• The UK government publishes a five stage plan for reopening theatres.^[604] But it is quickly criticised by theatre unions as “meaningless” and “woeful” because it contains no provisions for investment in the performing arts.^[605]

STOCK IMAGES | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

26 June 2020

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns that the UK could be set back if people continue to ignore social distancing rules as those who visited the south coast the previous day have done.^[606]

• Professor Neil Ferguson, a former government scientific adviser, says he does not believe a second national lockdown would be necessary, but instead would expect to see “targeted” measures to deal with outbreaks.^[607]

• Scotland records no deaths or new cases of COVID-19 for the most recent 24 hour period, prompting First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to predict that Scotland is “not far away” from eliminating the virus.^[608]

• Research published by the University of Oxford‘s Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine shows that the proportion of COVID hospital patients dying each day in England has fallen from 6% to 1% between April and June.

• In terms of numbers, 15,468 people were in hospital in England of which 899 died (6%) on 8 April, compared to 2,698 hospital patients on 21 June, 30 of which died (1%).^[609]

• The UK government confirms that people returning from certain countries will not be required to quarantine for 14 days when returning to the UK from 6 July.

• A traffic lights system will be established allocating colours depending on a country’s risk level, with a list of countries to be confirmed at a later date.^[611]

• Merseyside Police issue a disporsal order after fans of Liverpool Football Club gather for a second night of celebration after the team won the Premier League title the previous day.^[612]

27 June 2020

• Travel companies report that holiday bookings have “exploded” since the UK government announced plans to ease quarantine restrictions on travel abroad. .^[613][614]

• The Red Arrows perform a fly-past over Scarborough for Armed Forces Day; a celebration in the town for the occasion was cancelled because of the COVID-19 outbreak.^[615]

28 June 2020

• Home Secretary Priti Patel confirms a Sunday Times report that the government is considering imposing a local lockdown on Leicester, which has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases.

• Of the 2,494 cases reported in the city, 658 of them (around 25%) occurred in the two weeks preceding 16 June.^[616]

• Opposition parties in Wales express their concern after figures indicate the turnaround speed of COVID-19 tests has slowed in the country.

• Around half of tests are coming back within 24 hours, a decrease on 68% at the end of April.^[618]

PANDEMIC DIARIES : WALES FIRST MINISTER – CRISIS ISN’T OVER JUNE 28 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

29 June 2020

• Following a spike in COVID-19 cases in Leicester, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces the reintroduction of stricter lockdown measures for the city, including the closure of non-essential retailers from the following day, and the closure of schools from 2 July.

• People in Leicester are advised to stay at home as much as possible, while it is recommended that all but essential travel to, from and within the city should be avoided.^[619][620] 

•  Sir Peter Soulsby, the Mayor of Leicester has criticises a lack of communication between the UK government and Leicester City Council which he describes as “intensely frustrating”.^[623]

• The UK government publishes guidelines for weddings in England, which are permitted from 4 July.

• Up to thirty people can attend, but without singing and without a reception to follow the ceremony.^[624]

• Non essential retailers reopen in Scotland.^[625]

• The Welsh Government announces that two households in Wales can form what is termed an “extended household” from 6 July, enabling them to meet up indoors and stay overnight; the extended household measure also includes people who are shielding.^[626]

• Schools reopen in Wales.^[627]

• The families of workers at a meat processing plant in Merthyr Tydfil are told to self-isolate after 101 people associated with the factory tested positive for COVID-19.^[628]

• The UK government announces that mandatory MOT tests will be reintroduced from 1 August.^[629]

• Analysis produced by the BBC indicated that the UK has been the worst hit of the G7 countries in terms of COVID-19, while England is the worst hit nation of Europe, just ahead of Spain.^[630]

• The Greek Government extends its ban on flights from the UK until 15 July.^[631]

• The England and Wales Cricket Board confirms that the 2020 County Championship season will begin on 1 August.^[632]

30 June 2020

• As Leicester begins at least two weeks of re-tightened lockdown restrictions, a list of other areas where COVID-19 cases are rising is published, though the increases are much smaller than Leicester.^[633]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson sets out a £5bn post-coronavirus recovery plan for the UK that will see home building and improvements to infrastructure, describing it as a “new deal”.^[634]

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics have indicated the number of deaths in the week up to 19 June fell below the five year average for the first time since March.^[637]

• EasyJet begins the consultation process for plans to close three of its UK bases.^[639]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: JULY 2020

OUTDOOR SERVICES AND TAKE AWAYS

1 July 2020

• Over two days, 12,000 job losses have been announced in the retail and aviation industry as a result of the economic impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.^[640]

• The Royal National Institute for the Blind expresses its concern over the speed limit to be applied to motorised scooters.^[641]

• A report by Public Health England concludes there is no obvious source for the spike in COVID-19 cases in Leicester.^[642]

• Following the reintroduction of stricter lockdown measures in Leicester, a number of local councils have taken to social media in an attempt to dispel false rumours that local lockdowns are imminent in their areas.^[643]

• Conservative MP and former actor Giles Watling warns of the impact on theatres if they have to cancel the pantomime season; his comments come after several theatres announced plans to cancel pantomimes over the coming winter season.^[644]

2 July 2020

• Education Secretary Gavin Williamson announces the UK government’s safety plans for getting schools in England fully operational in time for September.

• The plans include keeping classes and whole years separate in “bubbles”, and providing schools with home test kits to provide to families of children who develop symptoms.

• Mobile testing units will also be deployed to schools in an instance of a COVID-19 case being confirmed.^[646]

• The weekly ONS household survey for 14–27 June estimates that new infections were occurring in England at a rate of 25,000 per week, a slight increase on their previous report. Blood samples show around 6% of people have antibodies.^[649]

• First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon announces that the wearing of face coverings will become mandatory in shops in Scotland from 10 July.^[650]

• The Welsh Government announces that pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants can open outdoors from 13 July.^[651]

3 July 2020

• On the eve of the latest easing of lockdown restrictions for England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson describes the changes as the “biggest step yet on the road to recovery”, and warns the public not to let reopening businesses down by ignoring social distancing rules.

• He also says that local lockdown measures rather than national restrictions may be imposed to control the virus.^[655]

• The UK government rushes the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Leicester) Regulations 2020 through parliament to give police the powers to enforce lockdown restrictions in Leicester; the restrictions come into force from 4 July.^[656][657

• First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford announces that the 5 MILE STAY LOCAL local” travel restrictions for Wales are to be lifted from 6 July.

• Outdoor attractions will also reopen, and two households can meet up indoors from that date.^[659]

• Johnson announces that recreational cricket can resume in England from 11 July.^[662]

4 July 2020

• The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) Regulations 2020 come into force in England, replacing and relaxing the previous Lockdown Regulations (SI 350), and giving the Secretary of State powers to make declarations restricting access to public outdoor places. 

• Leicester is excluded from the relaxations due to its high rate of COVID-19, and more stringent regulations are in force there.^[663]

• Augusto Santos Silva, the Foreign minister of Portugal, criticises the UK’s decision to exclude his country from the lift of countries from where travellers will not have to quarantine when returning to the UK as “absurd”.^[664]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | STOCK PHOTO: COVID 19 IMAGE – 2020: The last day before Welsh travel restrictions are lifted. Friends meet for a take away pint on promenade in Penarth making sure they are socially distancing. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

6 July 2020

• The United Kingdom reported 16 new deaths, the lowest figure since 16 March, bringing the total to 44,236. No new deaths were reported in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.^[52]

• The UK government announces grants and loans of £1.57bn to support theatres, galleries, museums and other cultural venues affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.^[20]

• As concerns about increasing unemployment grow, the UK government announces a £111m scheme to help firms in England provide an extra 30,000 trainee places;

• £21m will be provided to fund similar schemes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.^[21]

• The BBC’s Panorama programme reports that scientific research has suggested the COVID-19 outbreak could result in several thousand extra cancer deaths due to delayed diagnosis and treatment, with estimates being between 7,000 and 35,000.^[23]

• No new deaths are reported for Wales for the most recent 24-hour period.^[24

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | Penarth, Cardiff / Wales UK – July 5 2020: The last day before Welsh travel restrictions are lifted. Local families, friends walk along the promenade in Penarth trying to keep safe and 2 metres apart. A story told by 3 Eyed Raven Productions through stock photos and video footage.

8 July 2020

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveils a £30bn spending package aimed at mitigating the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including a temporary reduction in VAT for the hospitality sector, a scheme to pay firms £1,000 for each employee brought back from furlough, a scheme to get young people into employment, and a temporary rise in the stamp duty threshold.^[28

9 July 2020

• Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, announces that gyms, indoor pools and leisure centres can reopen from 25 July in England^[31]

• Two sets of data are released that show the number of cases of COVID-19 are falling in England; Office for National Statistics figures estimate one in 3,900 people have the virus, down from one in 2,200 the previous week, while Public Health England figures indicate that cases fell by 25% in the week to 5 July.^[33]

• The Institute of Fiscal Studies warns that taxes will have to rise to pay off the support measures put in place by the government.^[34]

• The BBC confirms it will go ahead with plans to end free TV licences for over-75s from 1 August, except for those on pension credit, a measure it postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[36]

10 July 2020

MARK DRAKEFORD COMPLAINS OF A LACK OF COMMUNICATIONS FROM NUMBER 10, JULY 10 2020

• Quarantine rules are relaxed for people arriving into the UK from 75 countries and overseas territories.^[37]

• Figures released by the National Police Chiefs’ Council show that no fines were issued in England and Wales for breach of quarantine rules during the first two weeks after their introduction, while ten people were fined for not wearing face coverings on public transport in the two weeks preceding 22 June.^[38]

• As the wearing of face coverings becomes mandatory in shops in Scotland, the UK Government considers whether to introduce the same rule for shops in England, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seen in public wearing one.^[39][40]

• Bosses at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, one of the UK’s leading production theatres, warn the theatre is at risk of losing 47 of its staff members (about 40% of its workforce), and is in danger of closing because of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[41]

11 July 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES : WALES OPEN FOR TOURISTS JULY 11 2020

• Parts of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 come into effect, allowing outdoor swimming pools and water parks to re-open.

• Operators of outdoor swimming pools, many of them community groups and charities, criticise the UK government’s timing, citing a lack of preparation time that has made a short summer season “unviable”.^[42]

• Belgium includes Leicester on its “red zone” list, meaning anyone who has recently visited the city will be required to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Belgium.^[43]

13 Jul 2020

• The remainder of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 comes into effect.

• It allows the re-opening of nail bars and salons, tanning booths and salons, spas and beauty salons, massage parlours, tattoo parlours, and body and skin piercing services.^[45][46]

STOCK IMAGES | PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

14 July 2020

• A report commissioned by the UK’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, produces estimates for potential COVID-19 deaths in a deadly second wave scenario over the coming winter, with best and worst case outcomes depending on the level of action taken to control the virus.

• The report forecasts a figure of between 24,500 and 251,000 hospital deaths, with a peak in January and February 2021, but stresses the figures are forecasts and not predictions, and do not take factors such as the development of a vaccine into account.^[47]

• The UK government announces that the wearing of face coverings will become compulsory in shops and supermarkets in England from 24 July. Those who fail to do so will face a fine of up to £100.

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the move will “give people more confidence to shop safely and enhance protections for those who work in shops”.^[48]

15 July 2020

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirms an independent inquiry will be held into the handling of the pandemic, but says it would not be right to devote “huge amounts of official time” to an inquiry while the pandemic is ongoing.^[50]

16 July 2020

• Speaking to the House of Commons Scientific Advisory Committee, the UK’s Chief Medical Officer Sir Patrick Vallance says there is “absolutely no reason” to change the advice about working from home, and that it remains a “perfectly good option” for many.^[55]

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that the Leicester local lockdown is to be extended. Review of the situation was set for 1 August.^[56]

17 July 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES : CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE JULY 17 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a further easing of lockdown restrictions for England, with plans for a “significant return to normality” by Christmas.

• The new rules allow people to use public transport for non-essential journeys with immediate effect, while employers will have more discretion over their work places from 1 August.^[57] 

• From 18 July, local authorities will have the power to enforce local shutdowns.^[58]

• Johnson announces an extra £3bn for the NHS in England to help prepare for a possible second wave of COVID-19 over the coming winter.^[59]

• Johnson announces a pilot scheme for a return to spectator sports, with a view to a full return by 1 October.

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock calls for a review of the way COVID-19 deaths are recorded in England after Public Health England confirms it records deaths as COVID related even if the death occurs several months after someone has tested positive for the virus; the other Home Nations do not record a death as COVID related if it occurs more than 28 days after a positive test.^[62]

• Rochdale introduces extra social distancing precautions to avoid full lockdown following a rise in COVID-19 cases in the area.^[63]

• Captain Sir Tom Moore is knighted by the Queen in a ceremony at Windsor Castle.^[65]

• British Airways announces plans to retire its entire fleet of Boeing 747s four years ahead of schedule following a downturn in travel precipitated by the COVID-19 outbreak.^[66]

18 July 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | STOCK PHOTOS: COVID 19 IMAGES July 14 2020: The five mile travel ban is lifted. Visitors are back in Barry. There are rules for social distancing. Snacks and drinks can only be consumed outside

• Andrei Kelin, Russia’s ambassador to the UK, rejects allegations that Russian intelligence agents tried to steal COVID-19 vaccine research information.^[67]

• Local authorities in England get new powers to close shops and outdoor public spaces, and to cancel events in order to control COVID-19.^[68]

19 July 2020

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells The Sunday Telegraph he does not believe it will be necessary to impose a second nationwide lockdown in the event of a spike in COVID-19 cases, comparing the option to a “nuclear deterrent”.^[69]

20 July 2020

• The UK has signed a deal for 90 million doses of promising vaccines being developed jointly by the pharmaceutical companies BioNtech and Pfizer, and by Valneva. This is in addition to the 100 million doses being developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca.^[71]

• Clinical trials of the vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford on 1,077 patients show that it appears to be safe, and trains the immune system to produce COVID-19 antibodies.^[73]

• Boris Johnson says he is confident but not “100% confident” a vaccine will be available in 2020.^[74]

• The UK Government is investing £14m in two factories at Port Talbot, South Wales, and Blackburn, Lancashire to produce a million high quality face coverings per week.^[75]

21 July 2020

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces that 900,000 public sector workers, including doctors and teachers, will get an above-inflation pay rise of 3.1% in acknowledgement of the important role they have played during the pandemic.^[77]

22 July 2020

• Figures released by the Home Office reveal that a backlog of 400,000 passport applications have accumulated due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[79]

• An Office for National Statistics report has concluded that a majority of children have struggled with learning at home during the lockdown.^[80]

• Fitness coach Joe Wicks presents his final online PE with Joe exercise class after leading the daily sessions for the past 18 weeks.^[81]

23 July 2020

• A report published by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee criticises the UK government for its “astonishing” failure to plan for the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[83]

• The House of Commons Culture Select Committee criticises the government for being too slow to respond to what it describes as the “existential threat” faced by live theatre, music and other culture because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[84]

24 July 2020

• In an interview with BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the UK government did not understand the nature of COVID-19 at the beginning of the pandemic, and could have done things differently. He also says there are “open questions” about whether lockdown was implemented too late.^[87]

• Face coverings become compulsory in shops and most other enclosed public places in England.^[88][89]

25 July 2020

• Gyms, indoor swimming pools and leisure centres reopen^[92]

• Public Health England warns that being obese and overweight puts people at greater risk of severe illness or death as a result of COVID-19.^[93]

• Following a rise in COVID-19 cases in Spain, and concerns of a second wave, the UK Government confirms travellers returning to England from Spain will be required to quarantine for 14 days from 26 July.^[95]

26 July 2020

• Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab says it was right to act quickly, following criticism of the government’s short-notice decision to reimpose quarantine rules on travellers arriving from Spain.^[96]

• The UK’s largest tour operator, Tui, cancels all flights from the UK to mainland Spain until 9 August.^[97]

• Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who flew out to Spain for a holiday the previous day, is caught by the change of quarantine rules.^[98]

27 July 2020

• The number of people having tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK passes 300,000 after a further 685 positive tests bring the total number of cases to 300,111; seven deaths are also reported, the lowest daily number since 12 March, and taking the total to 45,759.^[104]

28 July 2020

• Amid criticism that the decision to impose quarantine restrictions on people arriving from Spain is unjust, Prime Minister Boris Johnson defends the government’s decision, saying further action will be taken if necessary.^[105]

• Johnson also warns that there are signs of a European second wave of the virus.^[105]

29 July 2020

• Leading figures in the airline and travel industries are urging the UK government to end blanket quarantine rules which are impacting on their sectors, and instead to introduce regional restrictions allowing unrestricted travel to areas of a country without significant COVID-19 outbreaks.^[107]

• The UK government announces a £500m scheme to help film and television with the costs of projects delayed or abandoned because of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[108]

30 July 2020

• In a bid to avoid a resurgence of COVID-19, the period for which someone testing positive for, or showing signs of, the virus is required to self-isolate is extended from seven to ten days.^[110]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns the UK is “not out of the woods” as he warns of the danger of a resurgence.^[111]

• Restrictions are placed on Greater Manchester, and parts of East Lancashire and Yorkshire prohibiting separate households from meeting indoors following an “increasing rate of transmission” in those areas caused by people failing to adhere to social distancing rules. The restrictions take effect from midnight.^[112]

• Office for National Statistics figures indicate England had the highest number of excess deaths in Europe between the end of February and mid-June, and had the second highest peak of deaths behind Spain.^[114]

31 July 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES : CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE JULY 31 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson postpones some lockdown easing measures scheduled to begin in England on 1 August for two weeks amid concerns about rising COVID-19 cases.

• Bowling alleys and casinos will remain closed until 15 August, while wedding receptions of up to 30 people are also moved back to that date.

• Trials of spectator sporting events are also paused.

• From 8 August the wearing of face coverings in more indoor settings, such as cinemas and places of worship will become mandatory.^[121]

• The ONS household survey indicates COVID-19 cases in England are rising again, with an increase from 2,800 to 4,200 daily cases in the week of 20–26 July.^[122]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: AUGUST 2020

EAT OUT TO HELP THE VIRUS OUT

1 August 2020

• The shielding programme is paused for England and Scotland, but will continue for the areas where extra precautions have been introduced.^[125]

• Changes to the furlough scheme come into effect, with firms who have furloughed workers required to contribute to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. They must pay National Insurance and pension contributions until the scheme ends in October.^[126]

2 August 2020

• A major incident is declared in Greater Manchester after rises in COVID-19 infection rates.^[127][128]

3 August 2020

• The month-long “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme begins, offering a 50% discount on meals at indoor venues, three days per week, with the remainder of the cost picked up by the government.^[129][130]

• Restaurants, pubs and hairdressers in Leicester are allowed to reopen as lockdown restrictions are eased in the city.^[131]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

4 August 2020

• Scientists warn that test and trace provisions are inadequate to prevent a second wave of COVID-19 once schools reopen in September.^[132]

5 August 2020

• A report by the Home Affairs committee concludes that the spread of COVID-19 could have been slowed by an earlier implementation of quarantine restrictions on people arriving into the UK.^[133]

7 August 2020

• The R number for the UK rises to between 0.8 and 1.0, up from the previous week’s number of 0.8–0.9, but is believed to be above 1.0 in three parts of England – London, the South West and the North West.^[138]

• ITV confirms that the 2020 series of its reality programme I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! will be relocated from its usual venue in the Australian jungle to a ruined castle in the Wales.^[139]

8 August 2020

• 750,000 COVID-19 test kits manufactured by Randox are being recalled due to safety concerns.^[140]

• The use of face coverings is extended to more indoor venues in England and Scotland.^[142]

9 August 2020

• The daily figure of confirmed new COVID-19 infections exceeds 1,000 for the first time since June, rising by 1,062 to 310,825, but it is unclear whether the rise is down to a higher infection rate or a greater volume of testing.^[143]

11 August 2020

• Office for National Statistics figures reveal that the number of people in work fell by 220,000 between April and June, the largest drop in employment in a decade.

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson warns there is a “long, long way to go” before the economy begins to improve.^[145]

12 August 2020

• The Department for Education announces that students’ GCSE and A Level results will be no lower than the results of their mock exams, with the introduction of a “triple lock” system whereby the highest grade is awarded from a choice of mock exams, teachers’ assessment or exams taken during the autumn term.^[149]

• Following a review of the way COVID-19 deaths are recorded by Public Health England, the cumulative number for the UK is reduced by 5,377 from 46,706 to 41,329. England has previously been the only part of the UK to record a death as COVID-related no matter how long it occurred after a positive result, whereas the other constituent countries have a 28-day cut-off, which England will also now use.^[150][151]

13 August 2020

• A Level grades are published for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. School and college leaders call for an urgent review after 36% of results in England are lower than teachers predicted, while 3% are two grades lower.^[152]

14 August 2020

• The UK government signs deals for 90 million doses of potential vaccines being developed by Belgian pharmaceutical company Janssen Pharmaceutica and the US biotech company Novavax.^[155]

• Extra ferries are laid on between France and the UK as thousands of holidaymakers race to return to the UK from France before quarantine restrictions begin.^[156]

• The UK records its highest daily rate of new COVID-19 cases since 14 June, with 1,441 new cases taking the total number to 316,367.^[157]

15 August 2020

• The Local Government Association urges parents to keep up-to-date with their children’s vaccinations in order to ease pressure on the NHS.^[159]

• Some restaurants and pubs report they have dropped out of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme because of “hostility towards staff”.^[160]

16 August 2020

• The shielding programme ends in Wales; it is the last part of the UK to end its shielding programme.^[161]

17 August 2020

• As many as three million self-employed people whose trade has been affected by the pandemic become eligible for a second government grant worth £6,570.^[162]

20 August 2020

• R.I.P. Patrick William Gwynne Hodges O.B.E.

21 August 2020

• Booking a driving test resumes in England and Wales, but the website through which bookings are made crashes due to excessive demand.^[170]

• Figures released by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies show the R number to be between 0.9 and 1.1, up from between 0.8 and 1.0 the previous week.^[171]

22 August 2020

• Sir Mark Walpole, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) suggests that COVID-19 will be present “forever in some form or another”, and not eliminated by vaccine as in the case of diseases such as smallpox.^[173]

23 August 2020

• The UK’s chief medical officer, Dr Chris Whitty, says that children are more likely to be harmed by not returning to school in September than by contracting COVID-19.^[174]

• The National Education Union, the UK’s largest teaching union, calls for more staff, extra teaching space and greater clarity on how to deal with a spike in COVID-19 cases in order for schools to safely reopen again.^[175]

24 August 2020

• As schools in Northern Ireland return for the autumn term, Prime Minister Boris Johnson releases a message to parents telling them it is “vitally important” children go back to school, with the life chances of a generation at stake.^[176]

25 August 2020

• Scientists at the University of Nottingham have identified a 75-year-old woman from Nottinghamshire who they believe to be the first person to catch COVID-19 through transmission within the UK; she tested positive on 21 February.^[179]

• Virgin Atlantic receives £1.2bn backing from its creditors to keep operating for at least another 18 months, and save 6,500 jobs.^[180]

• Figures produced by the Treasury show that the Eat Out to Help Out scheme has been used 64 million times during the first three weeks of August.^[181]

26 August 2020

• Restaurant chains, including Prezzo, Harvester and Pizza Pilgrims, announce plans to extend the Eat Out to Help Out scheme into September due to its success, saying they will fund it themselves once the government backed scheme ends.^[184]

27 August 2020

• The number of new daily COVID cases rises by 1,522, the highest number since mid-June.^[187]

28 August 2020

• The UK government announces the launch of another drive to encourage people to return to their workplaces, starting in the first week of September.^[193]

• The BBC Two‘s current affairs programme Newsnight is given access to a SAGE document that suggests a “reasonable worst case scenario” may be to expect 85,000 COVID deaths over the coming winter.^[194]

30 August 2020

• As a million students prepare to go to university, the Universities and Colleges Union urges universities in the UK to delay face-to-face lectures until after Christmas amid concerns students could spark a second wave of the COVID pandemic.^[198]

• A further 1,715 cases of COVID-19 are reported, bringing the total so far to 334,467, and representing the largest daily increase since mid-may. A single death brings the total number of fatalities to 41,499.^[200]

31 August 2020

• The Eat Out to Help Out scheme comes to an end. Over 160 million meals were eaten under the scheme, at a cost to the government of about £849 million.^[202] A University of Warwick study later concluded that some areas with high scheme uptake had increased new infections after about a week and that 8% to 17% of new infection clusters could be linked to the scheme.^[203]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: SEPTEMBER 2020

RULE OF 6 AND TESTING TIMES

1 September 2020

• The majority of schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland reopen for the autumn term.^{[206][207][208]}

• Workers on low incomes required to self-isolate in parts of England where COVID-19 rates are high, and who cannot work from home, become entitled to a new payment scheme to top up their existing Universal Credit or Working Tax Credit claims for the duration of their isolation.

• Companies using the UK government’s furlough scheme are required to contribute towards employees’ wages as the scheme draws nearer to its end.^[212]

• Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford forms a task force with some of the UK’s leading food brands aimed at reducing child food poverty.^[213]

3 September 2020

• Baroness Dido Harding, the head of NHS Test and Trace apologises after it emerges that UK laboratories are struggling to keep up with demand for COVID tests, and some people were asked to travel several hundred miles to get tested for the virus.^[217]

4 September 2020

• Boris Johnson rules out introducing COVID-19 tests at airports after suggestions they could be used to shorten the length of time people are required to quarantine, saying they give a “false sense of security”.^[222]

5 September 2020

• Leading epidemiologist Dame Anne Johnson warns the UK faces a “critical moment” in the COVID-19 pandemic, as students prepare to return to universities and cases rise among younger people.^[224]

• In a letter sent to the heads of government departments, the UK government has urged them to get civil servants back to their office desks as soon as possible.^[226]

6 September 2020

• A further 2,988 COVID-19 cases are reported in 24 hours in the UK, the highest number since 22 May. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says he is “concerned” about a rise in cases “predominantly among young people”.^[230]

7 September 2020

• With a third of COVID-19 cases over the preceding week being among those aged 20–29, Health Secretary Matt Hancock warns younger people they risk causing a second wave of the virus if they do not adhere to social distancing rules.^[231]

• A further 2,948 new cases of COVID-19 are recorded, along with three deaths.^[232]

• Hollyoaks and EastEnders return to screens after their break.^[234][235]

8 September 2020

• Jonathan Van Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, says the jump in daily cases is of “great concern”.^[239]

• The UK records a further 2,460 new COVID-19 cases, and 30 deaths.^[240]

• The Royal College of GPs calls for the establishment of a network of clinics to support people who are chronically ill for several months with COVID-19 symptoms.^[241]

• In an interview with ITV News political editor Robert Peston, Professor John Edmunds of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), warns that COVID-19 cases are “increasing exponentially”.^[242]

9 September 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: WARNING TO PREVENT SECOND LOCKDOWN

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Trials for a COVID-19 vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford are paused after a participant in the UK suffers an adverse reaction.^[245]

• New rules regarding social gatherings in England from 14 September are outlined by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a government press conference, alongside details of new legal requirements for data gathering on behalf of venues, social distancing “martials” to enforce restrictions, and a “moonshot” plan to further control the virus with greatly expanded mass virus testing.^[246] 

• The announcement on mass testing quickly attracts scrutiny from scientists and health experts, who voice their doubt as to whether testing several million people daily with a quick turnaround is achievable with existing laboratory capacity.^[247][248]

11 September 2020

• The R number is raised to between 1.0 and 1.2 for the first time since March.^[254]

• A launch date of 24 September is confirmed for an NHS contact-tracing app covering England and Wales, which will rely on users to scan a QR Code whenever they visit hospitality businesses.^[255]

12 September 2020

• The Police Federation warns the UK against enjoying a “party weekend” ahead of new restrictions on socialising.^[256]

• The joint AstraZeneca–Oxford University vaccine project is resumed after it was deemed safe to continue.^[257]

• Former chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport warns that the UK is “on the edge of losing control” of COVID-19 as recorded cases exceed 3,000 for the second day in a row

14 September 2020

• The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 come into force at 12.01 a.m. Unless one of the exceptions applies, the statutory instrument provides authority to limit the number of persons in a gathering to no more than six; hence the rule of six.^[261][262] 

• Rule of 6 equivalent also begin in Wales and Scotland with some differences including exemptions for children beneath the ages of 11 and 12 respectively.^[263]

• Kit Malthouse, the Minister for Crime and Policing, suggests people should report their neighbours to the authorities for any breach of the “rule of six” restrictions.^[264]

• Chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance says that he was rebuked by officials for favouring a lockdown early on in the pandemic.^[267]

15 September 2020

• Unemployment figures show that UK unemployment rose to 4.1% in the three months to July, up from 3.9% on the previous quarter. Labour calls for the furlough scheme to be extended.^[268]

• Home Secretary Priti Patel suggests that families stopping to talk to each other in the street would be in breach of the “rule of six” law.^[269]

16 September 2020

• Appearing before a committee of MPs, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that a second national lockdown would have “disastrous” financial consequences for the UK, and that the government is doing “everything in our power” to avoid that scenario.^[271]

17 September 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: MARK DRAKEFORD CRITICAL OF BORIS JOHNSON 17 SEPT 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Baroness Dido Harding, the chief executive of NHS Test and Trace tells a committee of MPs that demand for COVID-19 testing is “significantly outstripping the capacity we have”, but that she is “very confident” daily testing capacity can be raised to 500,000 by the end of October.^[275]

18 September 2020

• The R number rises to between 1.1 and 1.4 as government scientists warn the virus is widespread across the country and there are “far worse things to come”.^[278]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson says a second wave of COVID-19 infections is coming to the UK, and that he doesn’t “want to go into bigger lockdown measures”, but further restrictions with regard to social distancing may be necessary.^[279]

• Animal welfare charities are warning of the dangers of puppy farming, smuggling and dog theft after the price of puppies rose on average to £1,900 during the COVID-19 pandemic.^[283]

• London cancels the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks display.^[284]

19 September 2020

• The UK government announces the levy of a fine of up to £10,000 for people in England who refuse to self-isolate.

• The new law, enforceable from 28 September, will apply to anyone testing positive for COVID-19, or a person ordered to self-isolate through contact-tracing.

• A one-off £500 payment can be given to the less well-off, while fines for employers who penalise employees for self-isolating will also be introduced.^[286]

20 September 2020

• The Sunday Telegraph reports that Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs, plans to amend the legislation that gives ministers emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The Coronavirus Act 2020, due for its six-month review later in the month, comes up for renewal against a backdrop of frustration among backbench MPs over the government’s handling of the pandemic. 

• The Telegraph report suggests the amendment would require a Parliamentary vote each time new emergency powers are used, or fresh restrictions are introduced.^[288]

21 September 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS DATA BRIEFING 21 SEPT 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• At a Downing Street press conference, Dr Patrick Vallance, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, says that there could be as many as 50,000 COVID-19 cases per day by mid-October if no further action is taken, and this “would be expected to lead to about 200 deaths per day”.^[291]

• The UK COVID-19 alert level is upgraded to level 4, meaning transmission is “high or rising exponentially”.^[292]

• Anneliese Dodds, the Shadow Chancellor, accuses the government of misspending billions of pounds in response to the pandemic.^[294]

• Sir Graham Brady tells the BBC that ministers have “got into the habit of ruling by decree” and warns that public opinion is “moving”, and that parliament must therefore approve any further COVID-19 restrictions.^[295]

22 September 2020

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells the House of Commons the United Kingdom has reached “a perilous turning point” as he announces new restrictions for England that could last for as long as six months.

• These include a requirement that all shop staff wear face coverings, and a limit on weddings to fifteen people. Initial fines for rule breaking are increased from £100 to £200.

• Similar measures are announced for other parts of the UK by the leaders of the devolved governments.^[297]

• In a televised address to the nation, Johnson calls for people to exercise resolve and discipline to combat the virus, but warns further measures may be required if they do not adhere to the restrictions.^[298]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE, WALES FIRST MINISTER

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

23 September 2020

• 6,178 new COVID-19 cases are recorded, the highest daily number recorded since 1 May.^[300]

• Sir John Stevens, a former Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police expresses concern at plans for military involvement in the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions, describing it as “tantamount to martial law” and “dangerous”.^[304]

24 September 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 24 SEPT 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• New regulations (SI 1029) come into force, in part, at 5 am in England, prohibiting certain ′restricted businesses′ and ′restricted services′ from carrying on that business or providing that service between the hours of 22:00 and 05:00.

• The regulations affect a wide range of establishments, including restaurants, bars, public houses, social clubs, casinos, bingo halls, bowling alleys, cinemas, theatres, concert halls, amusement arcades, funfairs (indoors or outdoors), theme parks and adventure parks.

• In a statement to the House of Commons, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announces the Job Support Scheme as a replacement to the furlough scheme, beginning on 1 November.

• Under the scheme, people who work reduced hours will receive government help to top up their wages to two-thirds of their full pay.

• The Chancellor also announces extension (at a reduced level) of help for self-employed people, longer repayment periods for business loans, and an extension to the temporary reduction in VAT for hospitality and tourism companies.^[309]

• The UK records a further 6,634 cases, the largest daily increase since mass testing began.^[310]

• The Telegraph reports that more than 40 backbench Conservative MPs have backed the Brady Amendment, requiring the UK Government to seek a parliamentary vote for any further lockdown restrictions.^[313]

25 September 2020

• The R number rises from 1.1–1.4 to 1.2–1.5.^[315]

• Senior Conservative MP and former minister Caroline Nokes urges the government to provide more support for women dealing with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.^[317]

• Jo Grady of the University and College Union voices concern that students are being used as scapegoats for COVID-19 outbreaks, and says this should not happen.^[318]

• 1,700 students at Manchester Metropolitan University student halls were told to isolate for 14 days after 127 students tested positive.^[319][320]

• Figures from British Transport Police indicate that of the 14,726 people stopped for not wearing face coverings on trains between 15 July and 15 August, 14 were issued with a fixed penalty notice, fewer than 0.1%.^[321]

26 September 2020

• Thousands of protesters gather in Trafalgar Square, London for an anti-COVID restrictions protest, but the demonstration is closed down by police because those present do not comply with social distancing regulations.^[324]

• Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, criticises Prime Minister Boris Johnson for not meeting regularly enough with the UK’s devolved leaders over the COVID-19 pandemic.^[325]

• With as many as 3,000 students locked down in their accommodation around the UK, Robert Halfon, chairman of the House of Commons Education Select Committee, urges the UK government to update their guidance for students, and to reassure students and their families.

• He also describes the situation of having students in lockdown for Christmas as something that would cause “huge anguish”.^[326]

27 September 2020

• David Lammy, the Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, expresses concern that 10pm pub curfews have led to drinkers continuing to socialise afterwards, with them “hanging around towns” and “potentially spreading the virus”.^[330]

28 September 2020

• The remainder of regulations (SI 1029) come into force in England, reducing the maximum number who can attend weddings and civil partnership ceremonies and any associated receptions from 30 to 15.^[332]

• Increased fines come into force for those who fail to self-isolate following receipt of a positive COVID-19 test, with fines of up to £10,000 for those failing to comply.^[333][334]

• COVID-19 cases have so far been confirmed at 40 universities around the UK. Health Minister Helen Whately describes the situation as “really tough” for students, but says outbreaks must be brought “under control”.^[335]

• The Houses of Parliament announces it will stop serving alcohol on its premises after 10pm, despite not being subject to England’s COVID-19 laws.^[336]

• The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) confirms officers are being told not to install the NHS COVID-19 contact-tracing app to their work smartphones, while some officers have been told they may not need to follow self-isolation alerts if they have the app on their personal phones.^[337]

29 September 2020

• The UK records 7,143 new COVID-19 cases with 71 COVID-related deaths, the highest since 1 July.^[340]

• After carrying out a technical review of the NHS COVID-19 app, the National Police Chiefs’ Council says it will now recommend that officers can download it to their personal phones and use it at work.^[341]

30 September 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• The charity Breast Cancer Now estimates that as many as a million women have missed breast screening appointments because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that around 8,600 may have undetected breast cancer.^[343]

• At Prime Minister’s Questions, Boris Johnson defends the use of local lockdown measures, saying that “strong local action” is needed in response to “a serious and growing” virus resurgence.^[347]

• Johnson holds a briefing at Downing Street, where he says measures introduced two weeks previously “will take time to feed through”, that the UK is at a “critical moment” and the rising number of COVID cases and deaths shows “why our plan is so essential”.^[348]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: OCTOBER 2020

CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND TIERS

1 October 2020

• A study of COVID cases by Imperial College London, the largest of its type in England to date, suggests the spread of the virus may be slowing. The study also suggests the R number has fallen since measures such as the rule of six were introduced, but warns infections are still high, at an estimated 1 in 200 people.^[349]

• Boris Johnson’s father, Stanley Johnson, issues an apology after he was pictured in a shop without a face covering, while former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn also apologises after holding a dinner party attended by more than six people.^[350]

• Scottish National Party MP Margaret Ferrier is suspended from the party after it emerged she travelled by train from her constituency to Westminster while experiencing COVID symptoms; Ferrier says there is “no excuse” for her behaviour.^[352]

• BBC News reports that COVID-19 restrictions are to be simplified into a three-tier system following confusion over local rules.^[356]

2 October 2020

• Around a quarter of the population of the United Kingdom, about 16.8 million people, are now in local lockdowns. This includes 23% of people in England, 76% of people in Wales and 32% of people in Scotland.^[357]

• As the R number rises to between 1.3 and 1.6, Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggests the rise in COVID cases in the UK is due to “fraying of people’s discipline” over the summer.^[358]

• Three separate analyses of COVID-19 cases in England and Wales indicate the rate of new infections is slowing; senior scientists urge caution.^[360]

4 October 2020

• A further 22,961 COVID-19 cases are confirmed, taking the total so far to 502,978. This figure includes 15,841 cases confirmed between 25 September and 1 October that were not included previously because of a technical error, thus making the day’s total artificially high for both England and the UK.^[366][367]

6 October 2020

• The UK records a further 14,542 COVID-19 cases, and 76 deaths.^[377]

8 October 2020

• Figures released by the Office for National Statistics indicate there were three times more deaths from COVID-19 than from flu and pneumonia in England and Wales between January and August 2020. 48,168 COVID deaths were recorded, compared to 13,600 from pneumonia, and 394 from flu.^[384]

9 October 2020

• The ONS reports that COVID-19 cases have “increased rapidly”, estimating that around 1 in 240 people in England had the virus during the week to 1 October.^[388]

•  Scientific advisers say that hospital admissions, which are currently about one fifth the level they were at their peak, are now “very close” to levels seen at the start of the crisis in early March.^[389]

10 October 2020

• The delayed 2020 Birthday Honours are published, with frontline workers and volunteers who contributed to the COVID-19 response honoured.

• The doctors trade union the British Medical Association publishes a list of recommendations it says would help to reduce infection rates, including the compulsory wearing of face coverings in all work settings unless someone is working alone, and in all outdoor settings where two-metre social distancing is not possible.^[394]

11 October 2020

• Warning that the UK is at a “precarious point” in COVID-19 cases, leading UK scientist Professor Peter Horby says a second national lockdown is a possibility, but something people must do their best to avoid at all costs.^[395]

12 October 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 12 OCTOBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveils the new three-tier system of restrictions for England, taking effect from 14 October. Areas are grouped into one of three risk categories – MEDIUM, HIGH, or VERY HIGH.

• MEDIUM RISK AREAS areas are subject to the rule of six and the 10pm curfew, high areas have restriction on indoor meetings but groups of six can continue to meet in outdoor settings.

• HIGH RISK AREAS will see the closure of businesses such as pubs and casinos, but not restaurants.

• VERY HIGH RISK AREAS The Liverpool City Region is the only area to be placed in the very high category.^[400]

• Newly released papers show that the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) recommended a short “circuit breaker” lockdown for England in September as a way of controlling the virus.^[401]

• The UK hospitality sector says it will launch legal action against local lockdown rules that could force pubs, bars and restaurants to close.^[402]

• A BBC Panorama documentary reports on the growing calls for an inquest into the death of rail transport worker Belly Mujinga, who died after reportedly being coughed and spat on by a passenger who claimed to have COVID-19.^[403][404]

13 October 2020

• Following the news that SAGE recommended a short period of lockdown as a “circuit breaker”, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer urges the government to impose a two or three week period of lockdown in England so that the country does not “sleepwalk into… a bleak winter”.^[405]

14 October 2020

• The First COVID-19 tier regulations come into force, defining three levels of restrictions to be applied as necessary in geographic areas. These replace and revoke the existing local lockdown regulations. The Liverpool City Region is the first to be assigned to the strictest tier.^[400][407]

• NHS Hospital Trusts in Plymouth, Liverpool and Belfast are cancelling planned elective procedures outright or scaling-back surgery due to an upsurge in COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care.^[409]

• Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, announces plans to ban visitors to Wales from other parts of the UK with high COVID-19 rates.^[410]

15 October 2020

• The House of Commons announces plans to stop selling alcohol in its bars and restaurants amid tighter COVID restrictions for London.^[413]

16 October 2020

• The Office for National Statistics estimates there are 27,900 new COVID-19 cases a day in England, a 60% increase on the previous week, while the R number rises to between 1.3 and 1.5.^[415]

• Wales introduces a travel ban on people from COVID hotspots in other parts of the UK, beginning from 6pm.^[416]

19 October 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES : MARK DRAKEFORD ANNOUNCES FIREBREAK LOCKDOWN FOR WALES

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• 18,804 new cases who have tested positive for COVID-19 are reported for the UK as a whole with 80 further fatalities.^[421]

• Figures published by the Office for National Statistics indicate almost 1,000 additional non-COVID deaths at home were recorded every week between March and September 2020, while there were 27 million fewer GP appointments between March and August. 

• Cancer Research UK estimates 350,000 referrals have been missed since March, with thousands of ill patients not receiving treatment.^[422]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: WALES IN FIREBREAKER LOCKDOWN

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

20 October 2020

• 241 COVID-19 related deaths are recorded, the highest daily number for several months.^[425]

21 October 2020

• A further 26,688 COVID-19 cases are recorded, the highest daily figure so far.^[427]

22 October 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: CORONAVIRUS PRESS CONFERENCE 22 OCTOBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveils increased support for jobs and workers affected by COVID restrictions, with employers paying less and employees able to work fewer hours before qualifying for extra financial help.^[429]

23 October 2020

• The Office for National Statistics estimates there to be 35,200 daily COVID cases in England, an increase of 25% on the previous week, with the highest number of cases occurring in northern England.^[431]

24 October 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES : ANGER IN WALES – NON ESSENTIAL ITEMS ARE BANNED FROM SALE | ITV News

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• An error message when trying to access the NHS COVID-19 app is reported by some users of the newly launched iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro.^[433]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: WELSH ANGER AT FIREBREAK DECISION

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

26 October 2020

• Scientists report that the Oxford University COVID-19 vaccine shows a “strong immune response” among elderly volunteers.^[437]

27 October 2020

• A study by Imperial College London and Ipsos MORI suggests COVID-19 antibodies may last a matter of months, with figures indicating the number of people with antibodies has fallen by 26.5% over three months.^[438][439]

• The United Kingdom records 367 COVID-19 deaths, the highest number in a single day since May.^[440]

• Office for National Statistics figures indicate the number of deaths mentioning COVID-19 in England and Wales has risen for the sixth week in a row, with 670 death certificates mentioning the condition in the week up to 19 October, a 53% increase on the previous week.^[441]

28 October 2020

• A projection published by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) suggests COVID deaths will remain high throughout the coming winter, leading to a greater number of deaths than was seen earlier in the year.^[442]

29 October 2020

• A study by Imperial College London suggests there are 100,000 new COVID-19 cases in England each day, with the number of cases doubling every nine days.^[443]

30 October 2020

• Documents produced by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies have claimed COVID-19 is spreading “significantly” faster through England than their predicted “worst-case” scenario, with four times as many cases as anticipated.^[448]

• Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, says that the UK government is to hold a meeting to discuss a set of UK-wide COVID rules for Christmas.^[452]

31 October 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: ENGLAND FACES NEW LOCKDOWN

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• The UK reaches a million COVID-19 cases, as a further 21,915 recorded cases take the total to 1,011,660.^[453]

• After scientists project that there could be several thousand COVID deaths a day, Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a Downing Street press conference at which he announces a second lockdown for England.

• The lockdown is for four weeks from Thursday 5 November to Wednesday 2 December, in order to prevent what he describes as a “medical and moral disaster” for the NHS. England will then revert to the tier system.^[454][455] 

• Unlike the first lockdown in March, schools, colleges and universities remained open during the four week period.

• The furlough scheme, scheduled to end of 31 October, is extended until December following the announcement of the England-wide lockdown.^[456]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: NOVEMBER 2

NO NATIONWIDE APPROACH TO 2ND LOCKDOWN

Nov 1 2020

• An article produced by the Oxford University-based Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine suggests slides estimating the number of COVID deaths presented at the Downing Street press conference on 31 October are based on models from at least three weeks ago, and are therefore overestimating the number of potential fatalities.^[459]

• A UK study of 100 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 shows they still have T cells six month after infection.^[460]

• Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage applies to change the name of the party to Reform UK, and says it will fight the government’s “woeful” response to COVID-19 and its lockdown strategy that “result in more life-years lost than it hopes to save”.^[461]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: WALES FIRST MINISTER WILL MAKE DECISION THAT ARE RIGHT FOR WALES

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

4 November 2020

• MPs vote 516–39 to support the four-week lockdown restrictions for England that come into force from the following day, with 34 Conservative MPs among those to vote against the measures, while a further 19 Conservatives abstain from voting.^[463]

• The UK records a further 492 COVID-related deaths, the highest number since 19 May, and bringing the total to 47,742.^[464]

5 November 2020

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak extends the furlough scheme to the end of March 2021.^[466]

PANDEMIC DIARIES: WALES CONCERNED ABOUT COVID LEVELS IN ENGLAND

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

6 November 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate the rate of growth of COVID-19 cases is slowing; the ONS reports there were around 50,000 in the week ending 30 October, roughly one person in 90.^[468]

• The UK government accepts a mistake was made during the 31 October Downing Street briefing after a graph predicting 1,500 daily COVID deaths by 8 December is revised down to 1,010, but it says the “underlying analysis” of the threat to the NHS is correct.^[469]

7 November 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – FIREBREAK ENDS IN WALES

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Queen Elizabeth II wears a face covering in public for the first time during a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Westminster Abbey.^[472]

8 November 2020

• Scaled back Remembrance Sunday services take place, including at Whitehall which is closed to the public.^[475]

9 November 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 9TH NOVEMBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• The Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is reported to protect 90% of recipients in initial tests from developing COVID-19.^[476]

• Responding to news of a potential vaccine, Prime Minister Boris Johnson tells a Downing Street press conference the vaccine has “cleared a significant hurdle”, but warns it is “very, very early days” and there are “several more hurdles” ahead.^[477]

10 November 2020

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that the NHS is ready to begin providing the COVID vaccine “as fast as safely possible”.^[479]

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics show the number of COVID-related deaths has exceeded 1,000 for the first time since June, with 1,379 deaths in the week ending 30 October, accounting for 12.7% of UK deaths in that week.^[480]

• The group of Conservative MPs who voted against England’s second lockdown have formed the COVID Recovery Group to argue for a different approach to dealing with the virus once restrictions end on 2 December, one that will enable society to “live with the virus”.^[482]

11 November 2020

• The UK becomes the fifth country to record 50,000 COVID-related deaths after the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, when a further 595 deaths take the total to 50,365.^[483]

• A review commissioned by Chancellor Rishi Sunak suggests £1.4bn could be raised by doubling Capital Gains Tax and cutting exemptions, as the government looks for ways of paying off the debt incurred by the COVID crisis.^[484]

• A virtual meeting between Cabinet Minister Michael Gove and the leaders of the devolved nations has taken place to discuss a strategy for getting students home for Christmas.^[485]

12 November 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 12TH NOVEMBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• The UK records a further 33,470 COVID-19 cases, the highest daily increase since mass testing began.^[486]

• Scientists monitoring the ZOE COVID symptom study app suggest the R number may have dropped below 1 in the UK to around 0.9.^[489]

• Emails seen by the BBC suggest the Health and Safety Executive was pressured by the UK government to declare PPE suits bought in April as safe despite them not having been properly tested.^[490]

13 November 2020

• The R number has fallen to between 1.2 and 1.0, while the Office for National Statistics reports that overall COVID cases in England slowed in the week ending 6 November.^[491]

• According to government scientific advisers, the number of children with COVID-19 has increased significantly in comparison to the spring, with children often bringing the virus into households.

• The National Education Union says it is troubled by the number of children testing positive.^[492]

14 November 2020

• The opposition Labour Party urges the government to introduce emergency legislation to curb anti-vaccine content online.^[493]

15 November 2020

• Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, calls for a long-term strategy to balance the epidemic and the economy, saying that encouraging people to visit bars and restaurants then closing them because of a surge in cases is not a “sensible way to run the epidemic”.^[496]

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson is self-isolating after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.^[497]

16 November 2020

• The Prime Minister, six Conservative MPs and two political aides are now self-isolating after coming into contact with Conservative MP Lee Anderson, who later tested positive for COVID-19. They were all present at a Downing Street breakfast meeting on 12 November, and were later contacted by NHS Test and Trace.^[498]

• The UK secures a deal to order 5m doses of a vaccine being developed by US biotechnology company Moderna, which has announced tests have shown it to be 95% effective in combating COVID-19.^[499]

17 November 2020

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested negative for COVID-19.^[501]

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics show there have been 70,830 excess deaths since the beginning of the pandemic, while 2,225 deaths mentioning COVID were recorded in the week up to 6 November.^[502]

• Police chiefs in England and Wales temporarily suspend £10,000 fines for gatherings of over 30 people following concern over a disparity between those who pay upfront and those who challenge the fines in court. They have instead advised police forces to issue court summonses for those who break COVID restrictions.^[503]

18 November 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 18TH NOVEMBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• A report by the National Audit Office has found that suppliers of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with political connections were 10 times more likely to be awarded contracts during the COVID crisis.^[507]

•  In response to the report, Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is “proud” of the way the government obtained supplies of PPE.^[508]

• All four of the Home Nations are reported to be looking at ways of relaxing COVID rules so families from across the UK can spend Christmas together.^[509] 

• But SAGE warns that five days of tighter restrictions may be required for every day that regulations are relaxed over the festive period.^[510]

• Data released by the Office for National Statistics indicates that loneliness is at its highest since the beginning of the pandemic, with a quarter of the 4,000 people surveyed saying they felt lonely always, often or sometimes, with the figure rising to 34% among those aged 16–29.^[512]

19 November 2020

• The Oxford University COVID vaccine is reported to show a strong immune response in those in their 60s and 70s, something researchers have described as “encouraging”.^[513]

20 November 2020

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that COVID-19 cases are beginning to plateau in England and Scotland, but are still increasing in Wales and Northern Ireland.^[519]

• At a Downing Street briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announces that COVID-19 vaccination centres are to be established throughout the UK in preparation for the rollout of a vaccine. These will be in addition to the vaccine being given by GP’s surgeries and hospitals.^[520]

• A study of healthcare workers at Oxford University Hospitals has suggested that COVID antibodies are still present in the body six months after infection.^[521]

21 November 2020

• Sources have reported that families will be allowed to form extended bubbles for seven days over the Christmas period to allow them to spend time together over the festive season.^[522]

• Downing Street confirms plans to introduce a tougher three-tier system of COVID restrictions for England when the lockdown ends on 2 December.^[523]

22 November 2020

• The Observer reports that campaigners are taking legal action against the UK government over its appointment of Dido Harding, Kate Bingham and Mike Coupe to key roles in its tackling of COVID-19.^[525]

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak is to announce an extra £3bn for the NHS in the forthcoming spending review, but warns of an “economic shock laid bare” as the country deals with the COVID crisis.^[526]

• The Home Nations give their backing to plans to allow some household mixing “for a small number of days” over Christmas.^[527]

23 November 2020

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirms that England’s previous three-tier system of COVID regulations will return in a new form once the lockdown expires on 2 December, but with toughened measures for each area.
• Gyms and non-essential shops will reopen throughout England, while collective worship and weddings will be allowed again, as well as some spectator sport.

• The second tier status of each region will be reviewed every 14 days, with the regional approach scheduled to last until March 2021.^[529]

• Following reports over the previous two days that a “freedom pass” could be introduced to allow people who have tested negative for COVID to have greater freedom of movement, Johnson says there will be “no forced vaccination” in the UK.^[530]

• An extra £7bn of government funding is announced for NHS Test and Trace, bringing the total spent on the project so far to £22bn.^[531]

24 November 2020

• The leaders of the UK’s four nations agree on plans for Christmas that will allow three households to meet up indoors and outdoors for five days from 23 to 27 December.^[532]

• As much as £1bn in fraudulent benefit claims made by organised gangs of criminals has been prevented from being paid during lockdown.^[533]

• Professor Andrew Hayward, director of the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, nd a member of SAGE, warns people to be cautious over Christmas, suggesting the relaxing of rules is tantamount to “throwing fuel on the Covid fire”.^[535]

25 November 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS : WELSH MINISTER DEFEND CHRISTMAS PLANS

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak outlines the Spending Review for how much will be spent on public services, and warns that the “economic emergency” caused by COVID has only just begun.

• The Review comes as the Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that unemployment will reach 7.5% because of the crisis.

• The UK economy is also predicted to shrink by 11.3%, the biggest decline in 300 years, while debt is forecast to be at its highest outside wartime.^[536]

• A further 696 COVID-19 deaths were announced for the UK, the highest daily figure since 5 May 2020.^[537][538]

26 November 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 26TH NOVEMBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• England’s new tier system is announced, to come into force on 2 December.

• Most of the country, including London and Liverpool, will be Tier 2,

• Large parts of the Midlands, North East and North West, including Greater Manchester and Birmingham, will be in Tier 3.

• Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly will be in Tier 1.^[539]

• Media question the efficiency of the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, since a preliminary report combined results from two trials which used different doses.^[540]

27 November 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS

Mark Drakeford announces that Wales faces new Covid restrictions as cases climb PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• The R number is thought to be between 0.9 and 1.0, the first time it has been below 1 since August.^[541]

• The UK government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) has issued a document advising people to avoid board games and sleepovers during Christmas.

• They also recommend involving women in the decision-making process for organising Christmas events because they “carry the burden of creating and maintaining family traditions and activities at Christmas”.^[544]

28 November 2020

• Writing in The Times, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove warns backbench Conservative MPs planning to vote against the new tier system for England that without the measures hospitals throughout the country will become overwhelmed with COVID cases.^[545]

• Amid anger from backbench Conservatives over the tier system, Prime Minister Boris Johnson writes to rebel MPs offering them a “sunset” of 3rd February for the expiration of the regulations.^[546][547]

• Nadhim Zahawi is appointed as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment.^[548]

29 November 2020

• The UK government signs a deal for a further 2 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, bringing the total number of doses secured now to 7 million, sourced from 7 different suppliers.^[549]

30 November 2020

PANDEMIC DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS

Welsh First Minister announces new virus rules PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• Version 4 of the NHS COVID-19 app is to include a self-isolation payment feature in a bid to encourage more people to download it and follow its advice, and following earlier concerns over privacy safeguards that had prevented those receiving an automated message from the app from making claims.^[550]

• In a bid to persuade backbench MPs to support the new tier regulations for England, the UK government publishes data behind its decision to introduce the measures, stating that it seeks to “balance the many complex impacts” of restrictions and keep them in place “for as short a time as possible”, but that allowing COVID to spread “would lead to impacts…considered intolerable for society”.

• In response, senior Conservative MP Mark Harper claims the “wheels are coming off the government’s arguments”.^[552]

• Professor Dame Sally Davies, the former Chief Medical Officer for England, suggests that the UK’s high level of obesity has led to an increased rate in the number of COVID deaths.^[553]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 30TH NOVEMBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: DECEMBER 2020

CHRISTMAS OFF OR CHRISTMAS ON?

1 December 2020

• Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove says there are no plans to introduce a “vaccine passport” giving people access to places such as pubs and restaurants once a vaccine becomes available.^[554]

• MPs vote 291–78 in favour of introducing England’s tough new COVID tier system, with 55 backbench Conservatives voting against the government, while another 16 abstain.^[556]

2 December 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 2ND DECEMBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• The UK becomes the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, with vaccinations beginning once supplies arrive the following week.^[557] 

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomes the vaccine, but warns people should not get “carried away with over optimism”.^[558]

• In England, the second “lockdown” ends and is replaced by a revived tiered system, as announced on 26 November.^[523]

3 December 2020

• The number of recorded COVID-related deaths in the UK passes 60,000 after a further 414 deaths take the total to 60,113.^[559]

• Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert in the United States, criticises the UK’s approval process for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, suggesting that it has not been as rigorous as that of the US. In defence the UK says the vaccination is safe and effective.^[560] Fauci later retracts his statement and apologises for the comments.^[561]

• England’s deputy chief medical officer, Jonathan Van-Tam, says that the first wave of vaccines could cut the number of hospitalisations and deaths in England by 99%.^[562]

• After some ministers suggest that Brexit speeded up the process allowing the UK to get the vaccine first, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson responds by saying that the UK got the vaccine first because it is a “much better country” with superior medical experts.^[563]

• The first batch of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arrives in the UK, and is stored at an undisclosed location ready for distribution to hospitals vaccination centres around the country.^[564]

• The student travel window opens, allowing them to return home from university for Christmas.^[565]

4 December 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 4TH DECEMBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency says the COVID-19 vaccine will “definitely” be ready to go into care homes within the next two weeks.^[567]

• The UK is unlikely to get 10 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by the end of the year after production estimates for 2020 are scaled back.^[568]

• Business Secretary Alok Sharma says the UK government is “absolutely confident” that Britain will have 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine by the following week.^[569]

• Figures from the Office for National Statistics indicate COVID-19 rates are falling in every part of England apart from the North East, with 1 in 105 people having the virus in the week up to 28 November, down from 1 in 85 the week before.^[570]

• The R number falls to between 0.8 and 1.0.^[571]

5 December 2020

• The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge announce a three-day UK tour aboard the Royal train during which they will meet community and health workers who have played an important role during the COVID crisis.^[572]

6 December 2020

• The Department of Health and Social Care confirms that the UK’s vaccination rollout will begin on Tuesday 8 December.^[574]

7 December 2020

• The UK Government says it expects the “majority” of vulnerable people to receive the vaccine in January and February 2021.^[575]

8 December 2020

• Margaret Keenan, 90, becomes the first person in the world to be given a COVID-19 vaccination as part of a mass vaccination programme after receiving the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine as the rollout of vaccinations begins, William Shakespeare, 81 from Warwickshire becomes the second.^[576][577]

9 December 2020

• Regulators have urged anyone with a history of allergies not to take the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine for the time being after two NHS workers vaccinated the previous day had allergic reactions.^[579]

10 December

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 10TH DECEMBER 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

12 December 2020

• Professor Linda Bauld, an expert in public health at the University of Edinburgh, describes the relaxation of COVID regulations over Christmas as a “mistake”, as people travel from “high to low prevalence areas” to see relatives. In response, Wales’s Health Minister, Vaughan Gething, says any change to Christmas rules could present “huge issues about trust” but could happen if cases remain high.^[589]

• Scientific experts warn people to rethink their plans for Christmas as COVID cases increase in some areas, and warn the country is heading towards “disaster”.^[590]

14 December 2020

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock tells MPs that a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 has been identified that is spreading faster in some areas of the country.^[593] 

• The variant, named VUI – 202012/01 and later Variant of Concern 202012/01 or Alpha, showed changes to the spike protein that could make the virus more infectious. As of 13 December, there were 1,108 cases identified.^[594

• It was looking highly likely that we were all facing Christmas Lockdown

And so unbeknown to us all … while our Christmas Celebrations were being cancelled . . .

Pandemic PHOTO Diaries – PARTYGATE VIDEOS – December 14 2020

15 December 2020

• Britain’s two leading medical journals, the Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal, have described the decision to relax COVID regulations over Christmas as a “rash decision” that could “cost many lives”.^[597]

• Representatives from the four nations of the UK have met to discuss the relaxation of regulations over Christmas, advice on celebrating Christmas is expected to be strengthened to suggest people think carefully and remain local if they can.^[598]

16 December 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS:

Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford holds briefing as Covid cases spike PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• London, and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire, are placed into tier three of England’s COVID tier system following an increase in case numbers in those areas.^[600]

• Following a meeting between the leaders of the four nations of the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that COVID regulations will still be relaxed for five days over the Christmas period, but urges people to think before meeting up with relatives.

• The three household rule will stay in place, except in Wales where the law is to be changed to specify only two households can meet, while in Scotland people will be urged to meet up on only one of the five days.^[601]

• Nadhim Zahawi, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment, announces that 137,897 people were given their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine between 8 and 15 December (the first week of the vaccination rollout).^[602]

17 December 2020

• Chancellor Rishi Sunak extends the furlough scheme for a further month until the end of April 2021.^[604]

• Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood apologises after breaching COVID regulations by giving a speech at a dinner in London where 27 people were present.^[605][606]

18 December 2020

• The R number is believed to be above 1 again, and between 1.1 and 1.2.^[608]

19 December 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – CHRISTMAS RULES TIGHTENED

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

• With respect to just England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces that London and parts of the South East and East of England are to go into new Tier 4 restrictions from the following day.

• The rules are mostly the same as the national restrictions in November, with non-essential retail, hairdressers and gyms closing.^[609][610]

• In England, plans for Christmas bubbles are scrapped completely in Tier 4, while in the rest of England Christmas bubbles are limited to meeting up on Christmas Day.^[611]

• The total number of COVID-19 cases across the UK exceeds 2 million.^[612]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS

Wales to bring lockdown in at midnight PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

20 December 2020

• Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Canada and Belgium halt flights to and from the UK following the emergence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2.^[614] France also halts ferry traffic for 48 hours, and the Port of Dover is closed.^[615]

• 35,928 new cases of COVID are recorded, almost double the number recorded on the same day the previous week.^[616]

21 December 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 30TH DECEMBER 2020

• More than 40 countries have suspended flights to and from the UK.^[617] They include Hong Kong, which suspends all UK flights from the following day, with anyone spending more than two hours in the UK no longer able to fly to Hong Kong.^[618] India suspends UK flights until 31 December.^[619]

• As talks begin between UK and French officials aimed at reopening freight transport links between the two countries, UK supermarkets warn that some fresh produce may run short if the situation is not resolved.^[620]

• Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, suggests that more areas of England will need to go into tier four restrictions to combat the new variant of COVID-19.^[622]

22 December 2020

• Tesco reintroduces a purchasing limit on some items, including eggs, rice, soap and toilet roll to ensure there is not a shortage of the products through panic buying.^[624]

• Scientists have said the new variant of COVID was spotted in the UK because of the surveillance system in place, but that it may or may not originate outside the UK.^[625]

23 December 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 23RD DECEMBER 2020

• It is announced that a number of areas in England will move up tiers on Boxing Day, including more areas being placed in Tier 4.^[627]

• UK scientists have detected two cases of a second new strain of COVID-19 that is believed to originate from South Africa. The UK government consequently suspends all flights from South Africa.^[628][629]

24 December 2020

• Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have suggested schools and universities may need to remain closed after Christmas to help control the spread of the new variant of COVID, as well as tougher restrictions.^[635]

• Figures released by the Office for National Statistics indicate 1 in 85 people in England has COVID, with figures for the week to 18 December estimating that almost 650,000 people had the virus, up from 570,000 the previous week.^[636] 

• The new variant of COVID is believed to be responsible for 38% of new cases in the week up to 18 December.^[637] 

• Figures for Wales indicate a sharp rise in cases, with an estimated 52,200 people with the virus in the week to 18 December, 18,800 more than the preceding week.^[638]

25 December 2020

• A further 800 military personnel are sent to Kent to help clear the backlog of lorries waiting to cross the English Channel to France.^[642]

• The number of recorded COVID-related deaths in the UK passes 70,000 after a further 570 deaths take the total to 70,195.^[643]

• Queen Elizabeth II delivers her Christmas Message, telling people struggling without friends and family on Christmas Day that they “are not alone”.^[644]

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | 4 YEARS ON

26 December 2020

• Following a brief relaxation of rules for Christmas Day, tougher COVID restrictions are imposed on large parts of the UK, with more areas of England entering tier four restrictions, level four measures for mainland Scotland, and lockdowns for Wales and Northern Ireland.^{[646][647][648]} 

• The restrictions mean that many shops are forced to remain closed, something that is
• expected to have a negative impact on the Boxing Day sales.^[649]

27 December 2020

• Speaking to The Sunday Times, Pascal Soriot, chief executive of AstraZeneca, says they have found a “winning formula” with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.^[651] Sources, including ITV News report that the vaccine will be approved for use in the UK within days.^[652]

• The B117 strain of COVID, the presence of which was first detected in the UK, has now been identified in a number of other countries, including Australia.^[653]

28 December 2020

• A further 41,385 COVID cases are recorded in the UK, while officials express concern for the pressure on the health service in England, where 20,426 people are being treated in hospital for the virus.^[654]

• More than 200 British tourists have fled the Swiss ski resort of Verbier after Switzerland imposed a retrospective ten day quarantine backdated to 14 December because of the B117 strain of COVID.^[655]

29 December 2020

• A further 53,135 new COVID-19 cases are confirmed, the largest daily number so far as the figures catch up with data that went unreported over Christmas.^[656]

• Margaret Keenan, who was the first person in the UK to receive a dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, returns to hospital for her follow-up injection, meaning she has completed the vaccination process.^[657]

30 December 2020

PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES: COVID 19 VIDEOS – PRESS CONFERENCE 30TH DECEMBER 2020

• The regulator (MHRA) is the first to approve the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, meaning it is the second vaccine to enter the national rollout.^[658]

• Tier four measures are extended to more parts of England from midnight, with the Midlands, North East, parts of the North West and South West joining London and the South East in the toughest restrictions.^[659]

• The 2021 New Year Honours are published, recognising several hundred people for their work during the COVID crisis.^[660]

31 December 2020

• A further 55,892 new COVID-19 cases are confirmed, the largest daily number so far.^[661]

• As more areas of England enter tier four restrictions, a total of 44 million people are now living under the toughest measures.^[662]

• Health Secretary Matt Hancock warns people not to gather for New Year’s Eve celebrations.^[663]

• The British Medical Association criticises the decision to change the length of time between the first and second shots of COVID vaccines from three to twelve weeks. The decision is defended by the UK’s chief medial officers, who argue it “is much more preferable” to vaccinate a greater number of people with the first dose, which will give them protection against the virus.^[664]

• Analysts say that 2020 has been the worst year for high street retailers for more than 25 years, with 180.000 jobs lost in the sector.^[665]

• The consumer group Which? estimates that shoppers have lost as much as £100m in unused vouchers because of lockdown.^[322]

• Mark Drakeford, the First Minister of Wales, criticises Prime Minister Boris Johnson for not meeting regularly enough with the UK’s devolved leaders over the COVID-19 pandemic.^[325]

AND THERE YOU HAVE OUR PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES 2020

THEN WE ALL SAID ‘HAPPY NEW YEAR‘ 2 METRES APART

2021 WASN’T THAT GREAT EITHER

MUCH OF THE SAME BUT WITH VACCINES.

CHECK OUT OUR PANDEMIC PHOTO DIARIES | POST ARCHIVES HERE

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