REFLECTING ON A WHOLE YEAR SINCE LOCKDOWN IN BRITAIN - OBSERVING ONE MINUTE'S SILENCE

What a sad  day last year when our Prime Minister outlined measures to stop the spread of Covid-19. Since then, the UK's official death toll has risen from 364 to 126,172.

With the lockdown have come tough restrictions on socialising, closures of schools, pubs and shops with many rules currently still in place.

A minute's silence will be held at midday as part of a day of reflection.

A year on, Mr Johnson has praised the "great spirit" shown since that moment and he offered his condolences to those who have been bereaved during the pandemic.The prime minister, who himself spent time in hospital seriously ill with Covid, said the last year had taken a "huge toll on us all" and said the anniversary was an opportunity to reflect on the year - "one of the most difficult in our country's history".

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Breakfast the last year had been "probably the hardest year in a generation" but treatments and vaccines now provided "hope". On the day of the first nationwide lockdown, it was announced that 340 people had died with the virus. That total was later adjusted upwards when the way that figure is measured was changed during the summer.