THIS MONTH marks four years since the world as we knew it changed forever and we entered the first of a few Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

On Monday, March 23, 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the country in the first of many announcements to follow implementing restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19.

In this statement, he announced that people would only be allowed to leave their home for the following very limited purposes:

  •  Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible
  •  One form of exercise a day - for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of your household
  •  Medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
  •  Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home.

The main message of his announcement was a phrase that everyone would become very familiar with: “Stay at home, protect our NHS and saves lives.”

Here, the Leader takes a look back at the day we went into lockdown and reflect on some of the stories we covered back then ...

On March 11 2020, The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared coronavirus as a pandemic.

Five days later on March 16, the first coronavirus death was reported in Wrexham.

On March 19, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) began setting up testing units across North Wales.

A day later (March 20), schools in Wales closed their doors to all but vulnerable and key worker children.

In April, social distancing was introduced in the workplace, with businesses being ordered to “take all reasonable steps to ensure the two-metre social distancing rule”.

In the same month, temporary hospitals were set up in North Wales at Deeside Leisure Centre, Venue Cymru Llandudno, and Bangor University.

May saw Wales pass more than 10,000 cases of coronavirus, with the death toll passing the 1,000-mark. Home testing kits were also made available that month.

By June 2020, all non-essential retailers were allowed to reopen and children return to school in Wales in a phased approach.

But by October of the same year, local lockdowns were announced throughout north Wales, including in Flintshire and Wrexham.

In December, vaccine roll-outs began in Wales with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine given to care home staff, people aged over 80, and frontline health and social care workers who are most at risk.

Bryn-yr-Haul care home in Mold was the first in Wales to receive the vaccine that month.

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Among other notable moments were:

  • Wedding venues across North Wales forced to postpone or cancel upcoming events, leaving many not knowing what to do with their big day plans.
  • National Trust sights such as Erddig Country park and Chirk Castle also announced they would be closed off from the public.
  • Both Glyndwr University and Coleg Cambria campuses closed for students, however the kids clubs and nurseries remained open for key workers.
  • Both Wrexham and Flintshire councils announced the closures of parks and limits to gatherings.
  • The popular toy retailer The Entertainer, which has a shop on Broughton Shopping Park, announced the closure of its 172 shops.
  • KFC, Nandos, Costa, Subway and Gregs announced the closure of their branches in the UK due to the coronavirus.
  • There was also an end to foreign travel and holidays for many across the country for a signifcant period of time.

On the flip side, of course, many communities rallied together to support those who were most vulnerable.

Many people stood outside their homes on a regular basis to applaud the work of NHS staff during the pandemic.

The likes of Mold Bookshop, which is located on the High Street, offered free books to children during the coronavirus outbreak.

The impact of the pandemic is still being felt today of course.

Work life has changed for many people, who know work more from their own homes, while family life has also been altered for many who have sadly lost loved ones to the virus.

The number of people who have died with Covid as a contributory factor had reached 12,581 in Wales by earlier this month.