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.
The annual day is one of the recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration.
But do you remember how deserted the streets near you were throughout the numerous lockdowns?
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The first Coronavirus lockdown was introduced across the country on March 23, 2020.
Aside from people being unable to leave their homes, a majority of businesses were shut for significant amounts of time – from hairdressers to cafes and high street retailers.
Here’s a look back at just some of the empty streets across the nation five years ago.
A look back at the UK’s empty streets during lockdown
An empty Liverpool ONE on the first day of the second national lockdown (Image: Peter Byrne/PA)
From Brighton to Warrington, London to Bolton, and all the villages, towns and cities in between, we’ve gathered some pictures showing the UK’s eerie streets from when households went into lockdown.
Not a person in sight near the streets around Bank Underground station in London, during the pandemic lockdown (Image: Jonathan Brady/PA) In March this year, new figures which were released due to the annual Covid-19 Day of Reflection, showed people’s experiences of poor health and loneliness have not improved five years on from the first lockdown.
A charity also warned “lasting” effects of the pandemic are continuing to leave “many people isolated”.
The proportion of people in Britain reporting good or very good health has declined slowly but steadily since March 2020, while the percentage of those saying they feel lonely often or some of the time has remained broadly unchanged, according to analysis of survey data.
This was Brighton Town Hall during lockdown (Image: Newsquest) The first Coronavirus lockdown imposed widespread restrictions on travelling, socialising and leisure activities in the face of a rising number of infections and deaths.
To trace people’s experiences of wellbeing and loneliness in the period since then, the PA news agency analysed data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in its Opinions and Lifestyle Survey.
The survey was carried out regularly over the past five years among a sample of individuals aged 16 and over in England, Scotland and Wales.
These goats took over the deserted streets of Llandudno, north Wales during lockdown (Image: Andrew Stuart/PA) The data showed that:
- While more than three-quarters (77%) of those surveyed reported good or very good health at the beginning of the first lockdown, this figure started to drop in summer 2020, dipped below 70% in spring 2021, has remained below 70% since early 2023, and stood at 65% at the start of this year.
- Some 23% of people said they feel lonely often, always or some of the time at the start of the first lockdown; the figure has remained between 24% and 29% since early 2023 and stood at 25% in January-February this year.
- Half of people surveyed (50%) reported high levels of anxiety at the beginning of the first lockdown; this fell as 2020 continued, spiked at 42% in early 2021 during the second nationwide lockdown, but has since settled in the low 30s.
- The proportion of people feeling low levels of life satisfaction is similar now (9%) to March 2020 (8%), though levels rose during the autumn and winter of 2020, spiking briefly at 16% in early 2021.
This was Weymouth promenade on Good Friday back in 2020 (Image: Peter Waller) Responding to the findings, the Royal Society for Public Health said persistent poor health suggests there has been a failure to learn lessons from the pandemic, and it urged a shift in approach to prevention rather than just treatment.
William Roberts, chief executive of the charity, said: “This data comes as no surprise. We know that health has been declining in recent years, with healthy life expectancy falling and health inequalities widening.
Streets in Warrington were empty on the first night of lockdown (Image: Marko Chork) “The persistence of loneliness is worrying. Social isolation has negative impacts on both physical and mental health, and is likely driving low levels of happiness and life satisfaction. The effects of the pandemic are lasting, leaving many people isolated.
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“Persistent poor health shows we have failed to learn from the Covid-19 pandemic. If we are to reverse these trends, we need to see a shift to prevention.
“Poor health is not inevitable. If we address the things that make people sick, rather than just treating the symptoms, we can achieve a healthier future for everyone.
“We cannot treat our way out of the health crisis. We need to think beyond the NHS and embed health into every area of our society.”