On the fifth anniversary of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, people across the United Kingdom came together for a day of reflection. Emotional scenes unfolded on Sunday as bereaved individuals and their communities organized numerous events to commemorate the occasion. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer acknowledged the deep grief and loss experienced by many, stating, “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.”
The annual day of reflection is one of the recommendations put forth by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. In London, mournful sounds filled the air as bereaved relatives, accompanied by a Highland piper, walked alongside the National Covid Memorial Wall. This wall displayed 3,000 photographs of individuals who lost their lives to Covid, representing just over 1% of the total death toll in the UK. The event concluded with a water cannon salute on the Thames by a London Fire Brigade fireboat.
In another part of London, a minute’s silence was observed following the chiming of Big Ben, with long-stemmed red carnations thrown into the River Thames as a tribute. Lynn Jones, whose husband Gareth succumbed to the virus after spending weeks battling it alone in the hospital, expressed a mix of emotions at the event. Meanwhile, attendees at the National Memorial Arboretum in Burton-on-Trent listened to a new poem by Michael Rosen, a writer, poet, broadcaster, and former Children’s Laureate who was hospitalized with Covid and placed in an induced coma.
In Scotland, First Minister John Swinney participated in a commemorative event at Glasgow Green, honoring the more than 16,000 individuals who succumbed to the virus in the region. The event featured a choir performance, a minute’s silence, and the release of doves. Across the UK, various other events such as a special prayer service at Manchester Cathedral and a remembrance concert in Belfast with music, poems, and readings also took place to pay tribute to those affected by the pandemic
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