21-03-2025
Five years on, a look back at the Covid pandemic on the Island
As this month marks the fifth anniversary of the Covid pandemic, here's a timeline of what was happening on the Isle of Wight.
According to figures from the Isle of Wight Council, 40,200 people on the Island contracted Covid during the pandemic between March 2020 and April 2022, while 421 died.
The Island's first case was reported on March 4, 2020.
Cases steadily rose on the Island, with a second confirmed on March 10, a third on March 20, a fourth on March 21 and a spike in cases with four more on March 22.
IW NHS Trust staff during the pandemic.
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The pandemic saw the Island plunged into a national lockdown on March 23, 2020, as a busy summer of events turned into a batch of cancellations - The Isle of Wight Festival, Cowes Week and sports events all postponed.
Islanders lined the streets every Thursday in lockdown to clap the NHS's tireless work.
In May 2020, health minister Matt Hancock confirmed the NHS Track and Trace app was to be trialled on the Isle of Wight - eventually having a national rollout.
The Isle of Wight's local democracy reporter Louise Hill, based at the County Press, appeared on television during a daily government briefing to ask the minister about data protection during the trial.
Every Thursday, people clapped for the NHS
In June 2020, while tough lockdown restrictions were still imposed, then Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely apologised after attending a barbecue and admitted to eating half a sausage.
Restrictions eased in the summer of 2020, and the government launched the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, before impositions tightened again with a lockdown in November 2020.
The Covid vaccine arrived on the Island in December 2020 with pensioner Ken Killeen the first to receive a dose.
Ken Killeen receiving his Covid vaccine
The Isle of Wight was placed into 'Tier 1' restrictions in December 2020, the lowest level, before further restrictions were imposed on Boxing Day - allowing Islanders to spend Christmas with their loved ones.
County Press reporter Jon Moreno was admitted to hospital with Covid over New Year following a positive test on Boxing Day, at one point losing all breath before making a full recovery.
The Isle of Wight then moved from among the lowest number of Covid cases to the highest, as the UK was plunged into another national lockdown.
Signs like this became the norm
Schools closed to move to online learning and non-essential retail closed, as the nation received vaccines.
Although restrictions gradually lifted throughout 2021 and we eased back to normal life, Islanders were left with the lasting impacts of Covid, many of which carry a legacy today.
