Share your memories of lockdown as UK marks Covid day of reflection

Towns and cities across the UK are holding a day of reflection with 2025 marking five years since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Health trusts and councils are among the groups holding events in hospitals, parks and town halls.

There is also a procession along the Covid-19 memorial wall in London, which runs beside the River Thames, ending with a ceremony outside Lambeth Palace.

By late October 2023, there had been at least 232,000 deaths in the UK related to the coronavirus, according to the World Health Organisation.

The day of reflection was announced in December by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who said the events would be organised locally so people could mark the occasion in the way they felt most appropriate.

"The pandemic impacted us all in different ways, with many sadly losing loved ones and others making great sacrifices in their lives," she said. "This Covid-19 Day of Reflection will allow people the space and time to reflect and I would encourage everyone to take part in a way that feels right for them."

The memorial wall was created in 2021 when a man, whose father died after contracting Covid-19, painted a red heart on the South Bank.

There are now more than 200,000 hearts painted on the wall, covering a stretch of a third of a mile (500m). Many have names and dates written inside.

The memorial is maintained by a group of volunteers who rely on public donations. They want it to be recognised as a permanent installation by the government so it can be legally protected.

The procession is being followed by a ceremony and a minute's silence, as well as flowers being thrown from Lambeth Bridge.

One of the people participating in the procession is Dr Phil Banfield, chairman of the British Medical Association council (BMA).

He said: "The emphasis of the day will rightly be one of solemnity and heartfelt reflection, as each of us remembers just how the effects of the pandemic forever changed us personally, professionally and as a society."

Other events include a special prayer service at Manchester Cathedral, an outdoor event at Glasgow Green including a piper, choir and minute's silence, and a remembrance concert with music, poems and readings in Belfast.

The day of reflection was one of the recommendations made by the UK commission on Covid commemoration, which was tasked by the government to find the best ways of marking this period.

Baroness Morgan of Cotes, who heads the commission, said when the day of reflection was first announced: "As each year passes since the height of the pandemic it can feel as if Covid is more and more of a distant memory.

"And yet I know from the conversations the UK Covid commemoration commissioners had, that those who lost loved ones appreciate a day when many others will also remember those who lost their lives with them."

A public inquiry into the government's response to the pandemic is under way with hearings taking place now on the procurement of personal protective equipment for the NHS.