Latest news with #UKCommissiononCovidCommemoration
The Guardian
09-03-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Bereaved come together to mark five years since Covid-19 pandemic outbreak
Bereaved families and communities came together in a day of reflection on Sunday to mark five years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Towns and cities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland hosted hundreds of events to remember those who died and also pay tribute to frontline health and social care workers, volunteers and researchers on the annual Covid Day of Reflection. Just under 227,000 people died in the UK with Covid-19 listed as one of the causes on their death certificate. In London, bereaved relatives, led by a Highland piper, joined well wishers to walk beside the national Covid memorial wall. They passed 3,000 photographs of the faces of some of those who died, which organisers said represents just over 1% of the total death toll in the UK. The event was brought to an end with a song from a choir and a salute on the river from the London Fire Brigade fireboat. A minute's silence was held after the chimes of Big Ben and long-stemmed red carnations were cast into the River Thames. The prime minister, Keir Starmer, said: 'As we mark five years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, I know for many there is deep grief and loss that may never be relieved. 'Today, we come together to remember, reflect and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by people across our country.' The annual Covid Day of Reflection was one of the recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration, which counts King's College Hospital nurse Felicia Kwaku as a commissioner. Kwaku said: 'I remember comforting and consoling many, many loved ones and patients. 'Some patients knew that they were going to pass and some patients didn't. I remember many of us not stopping crying for at least two to three years.' The first coronavirus case was recorded in the UK on 31 January 2020. Boris Johnson, the prime minister at the time, announced the first UK-wide coronavirus lockdown on 23 March 2020, with a series of restrictions on people's lives aimed at stopping the spread of the virus. The writer, poet, broadcaster and former children's laureate Michael Rosen said it was 'an honour' to be part of an event in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, where he read a new poem. Rosen, who was taken to hospital with Covid and put into an induced coma in intensive care for 48 days, said: 'A shadow passed over us and hundreds of thousands of people felt the sudden and unexpected loss of loved ones. He added: 'Thanks to the expertise and care I received, I came through, but I look back over my shoulder and think of those who didn't.' Soprano Lesley Garrett was among the performers at the event, and the difficult days during the pandemic were recalled in testimonials from NHS staff, patients, volunteers and senior healthcare figures. Michael Rosen's poem: 'Coughing and coughing, gasping for air. 'Empty streets, no cars anywhere. 'Curry with no flavour. Pizza with no taste. 'Empty days, time to waste. 'Running out of tests and masks. 'What is this zoom thing? Someone asks. 'How many feet are we standing apart? 'A pain in the chest, a pain in the heart. 'Children in their rooms all day? 'Will we ever get away? 'The unprotected driver of the bus. 'Nurses checking, testing us. 'Nurses wearing clinical waste bags. 'People leaving without their name tags. 'Freezing cold, then helplessly hot. 'Blood thinners and blood clots. 'The face we'll never see again. 'A mind chasing grief and pain. 'The risks you took for working on and on. 'The fatigue and strain have never gone. 'The wards too hot in the June weather. 'Medics in teams working together. 'The endless beeps of drips and machines. 'The news they had invented a vaccine. 'Those we met, the paths we crossed. 'Those who went, those we lost. 'The lives of those who fell or faltered. 'The lives of those forever altered.'
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gloucester Covid memorial marks fifth anniversary
A memorial honouring people who lost their lives during the coronavirus pandemic has been unveiled today in Gloucester. The memorial in Gloucester Park features eight trees surrounding a plaque, each representing a group of key workers who provided essential services. A ceremony was being held on Sunday at 11:00 GMT where tributes and poetry were read out loud to mark five years since the pandemic began. Councillor Caroline Courtney, cabinet member for culture and leisure on Gloucester City Council, said: "It's important we can come together to recognise what we each other went through, and are still going through in some way." More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire Mayor of Gloucester Lorraine Campbell led the public ceremony with a tribute before laying flowers. The National Day of Reflection on 9 March is one of the 10 recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. Speaking to BBC Radio Gloucestershire, Ms Courtney said: "We saw people really come together in a way that sometimes a national crisis like this really brings about. "It's important we continue to foster that. We're not out of the woods yet, people are still suffering." "A lot of people are still living with the consequences of the pandemic. There are people who are still grieving their loss, there are people with ongoing health issues. "A lot of people suffered financial hardship from not being able to work or not being able to continue their business. "Not to mention the psychological impact of what we all went through." The day will also see reflections on the sacrifices made and the continuing impact on the public's daily lives, as well as tributes to volunteers who showed acts of kindness during the pandemic. Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Memorial will remember loved ones lost to Covid Gloucester City Council
The Independent
09-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Nation unites in a day of reflection to mark fifth anniversary of Covid-19
Emotional scenes were played out across the nation as the bereaved and communities came together in a day of reflection to mark the five years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. On Sunday, towns and cities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland hosted hundreds of events where the pain, grief, compassion and sacrifice of those difficult times was remembered. Those who died were remembered and the chance was also taken to pay tribute to the frontline health and social care workers, volunteers and researchers who played crucial roles. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'As we mark five years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, I know for many there is deep grief and loss that may never be relieved. 'Today, we come together to remember, reflect and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by people across our country.' The annual day is one of the recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration, which counts King's College Hospital nurse Felicia Kwaku as a commissioner. She recalled Covid's cruel cost as she recounted the anxiety of frontline workers, saying: 'I remember comforting and consoling many, many loved ones and patients. 'Some patients knew that they were going to pass and some patients didn't. I remember many of us not stopping crying for at least two to three years. 'It was very, very difficult (then) and it's difficult being here now.' She added that 'you didn't know whether you were going to get catch Covid, but I remember the teamwork bringing us all together.' In London, sobbing could be heard as bereaved relatives, led by a Highland piper, joined well wishers to walk beside the National Covid Memorial Wall. They passed 3,000 photographs of the faces of some of those who died, which represents just over 1% of the total death toll in the UK, organisers said. The event was brought to an end with a song from a choir and a salute on the river from the London Fire Brigade fireboat. A minute's silence was held after the chimes of Big Ben and long-stemmed red carnations were cast into the River Thames. Lynn Jones fought back tears as she remembered her 'fit and healthy' 66-year-old husband Gareth, 'a loved principal' in their hometown of Stoke on Trent, who died after 'spending seven weeks in hospital battling the virus on his own'. She told those gathered at the London event that in April 2021, there were 152,816 hearts on the wall marking a Covid tragedy and now there are 247,553 hearts. Applause broke out, as she said: 'For me, this wall is an expression of so many emotions – rage, love, grief, pain and unbearable sadness. 'It is also important as an expression of democracy, because this is what the people affected most by the pandemic feel. 'It is a message to those across the water that this is what happens when you get it wrong. It should stay as a constant reminder of the impact of government decisions.' Sisters Colette Woodall, Julie Harvey and Jacquie McEvoy, originally from Liverpool, travelled from their homes in London and Wiltshire to pay their respects to their 80 year-old mother Joan Aspinall at the memorial by the River Thames. Their retired hotelier mother died in September 2021. Ms Woodall said: 'So many people here are traumatised by what has happened. Today has been absolutely poignant. 'It is important for us to be here to represent all of those faces on the wall and to be among like-minded people, some of whom are very angry and upset.' Writer, poet, broadcaster and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen later said it was 'an honour' to have been part of the event in Burton-on-Trent, where he read a new poem and people got to share their feelings about what happened. Mr Rosen, who was rushed to hospital with Covid and put into an induced coma in intensive care for 48 days, said: 'A shadow passed over us and hundreds of thousands of people felt the sudden and unexpected loss of loved ones. He added: 'Thanks to the expertise and care I received, I came through, but I look back over my shoulder and think of those who didn't. 'They were people who were with me in hospital or who didn't even get to hospital – companions of a sort. We owe it to them and their families to remember them.' Soprano Lesley Garrett was among the performers and the difficult days during the pandemic were recalled in testimonials from NHS staff, patients and volunteers and senior healthcare figures including chief nursing officer Duncan Burton. A choir sang and a poem was read to take people into a minute's silence at the reflection event in Glasgow Green. Doves were released and the event also included a wreath being laid, a plaque unveiling and individual yellow roses being left in memory of loved ones. Earlier, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, who took part in the Glasgow ceremony, sent his 'deepest condolences' to people who lost loved ones during the pandemic. Across the UK, just under 227,000 people died who had the virus listed as a cause of death – with more than 16,000 in Scotland. Before Sunday's service in Glasgow, Mr Swinney said: 'Children stopped going to school, many shops and businesses were closed, and we were no longer able to spend time with friends and family as normal. 'Tragically, thousands of people lost their lives, and I offer my deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones in such difficult circumstances.' Mabon ap Gwynfor, a Plaid Cymru politician and Member of the Senedd, said there had been a 'poignant' commemoration at Hafod y Bwch and Erddig where 'the stories shared were moving and important to remember'. Many tributes were held locally but, he added, it was 'disappointing' that the government in Wales had failed to organise an official event.
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nation unites in a day of reflection to mark fifth anniversary of Covid-19
Emotional scenes were played out across the nation as the bereaved and communities came together in a day of reflection to mark the five years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. On Sunday, towns and cities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland hosted hundreds of events where the pain, grief, compassion and sacrifice of those difficult times was remembered. Those who died were remembered and the chance was also taken to pay tribute to the frontline health and social care workers, volunteers and researchers who played crucial roles. Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'As we mark five years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, I know for many there is deep grief and loss that may never be relieved. 'Today, we come together to remember, reflect and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by people across our country.' The annual day is one of the recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. In London, sobbing could be heard as bereaved relatives, led by a Highland piper, joined well wishers to walk beside the National Covid Memorial Wall. They passed 3,000 photographs of the faces of some of those who died, which represents just over 1% of the total death toll in the UK, organisers said. The event was brought to an end with a song from the choir and a salute on the river from the London Fire Brigade fireboat. A minute's silence was held after the chimes of Big Ben and long-stemmed red carnations were cast into the River Thames. Lynn Jones fought back tears as she remembered her 'fit and healthy' 66-year-old husband Gareth, 'a loved principal' in their hometown of Stoke on Trent, who died after 'spending seven weeks in hospital battling the virus on his own'. She told those gathered that at the London event that in April 2021, there were 152,816 hearts marking a Covid tragedy and now there are 247,553 hearts. Applause broke out, as she said: 'For me, this wall is an expression of so many emotions – rage, love, grief, pain and unbearable sadness. It is also important as an expression of democracy, because this is what the people affected most by the pandemic feel. 'It is a message to those across the water that this is what happens when you get it wrong. It should stay as a constant reminder of the impact of government decisions.' Well wishers at the National Memorial Arboretum in Burton-on-Trent heard a new poem from the writer, poet, broadcaster and former Children's Laureate Michael Rosen. He was rushed to hospital with Covid and put into an induced coma in intensive care for 48 days. Singer Lesley Garrett was among the performers and the difficult days during the pandemic were recalled in testimonials from NHS staff, patients and volunteers and senior healthcare figures including chief nursing officer Duncan Burton. A choir sang and a poem was read to take people into a minute's silence at the reflection event in Glasgow Green. Doves were released and the event also included a wreath being laid, a plaque unveiling and individual yellow roses being left in memory of loved ones. Earlier, Scotland's First Minister John Swinney, who took part in the Glasgow ceremony, sent his 'deepest condolences' to people who lost loved ones during the pandemic. Across the UK, just under 227,000 people died who had the virus listed as a cause of death – with more than 16,000 in Scotland. Before Sunday's service in Glasgow, Mr Swinney said: 'Children stopped going to school, many shops and businesses were closed, and we were no longer able to spend time with friends and family as normal. 'Tragically, thousands of people lost their lives, and I offer my deepest condolences to those who lost loved ones in such difficult circumstances.'
The Independent
09-03-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Day of reflection to mark five years since start of Covid-19 pandemic
Bereaved families and communities are coming together to mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in a nationwide day of reflection. Hundreds of events and spaces for reflection have been organised by communities to remember those who died. Sunday will also be a chance to pause and think of the sacrifices made and pay tribute to the frontline health and social care workers, volunteers and researchers who played crucial roles. The deadly virus shut down the world after it began to spread from Wuhan in China at the beginning of 2020. The annual day is one of the recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration, whose chairwoman Baroness Morgan of Cotes said: 'It is right that, as a country, we take the time to remember the Covid-19 pandemic, to reflect on what happened, remember those whose lives were impacted in so many ways and honour those who tragically lost their lives. 'Today is an opportunity for communities to come together to reflect and commemorate their loved ones.' The bereaved will be join a walk along the National Covid Memorial Wall in London, followed by a ceremony and a minute's silence, and flowers being cast from Lambeth Bridge. They will pass around 3,000 photos of the faces of some of those who died, representing just over 1% of the total death toll in the UK, organisers say. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 'The pandemic impacted us all in different ways, with many sadly losing loved ones and others making great sacrifices in their lives.' She said she hopes the day will 'allow people the space and time to reflect' and added: 'I would encourage everyone to take part in a way that feels right for them.' NHS Charities Together will pay tribute to the critical role played by the NHS, its workforce and charities in supporting patients and communities during the pandemic. It will be held at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, which commemorates the thousands of people who died. The experiences and challenges faced by black, Caribbean and African communities during the pandemic will be honoured in a special prayer service at Manchester Cathedral. Liverpool's St George's Hall will be city's focal point for the day's activities, while a commemoration, speeches and a showing of the Stories From The Pandemic documentary are part of events arranged in Sheffield by the city council and the community-led, NHS-funded programme Compassionate Sheffield. A piper, choir and minute's silence will be part of an outdoor event at Glasgow Green, hosted by Covid-19 Families Scotland. In Treorchy, South Wales, the bereaved will gather and remember their loved ones and place named flags in a yellow heart made of local stones. A group set up by bereaved families during the pandemic, called Memory Stones of Love, will hold a remembrance concert in Belfast. There will be music, poems and readings and they will display their stones with inscriptions of those died during the pandemic.
