It is said that today, Tuesday 30 June marks the 100th day of lockdown. [I take issue with that, by the way; the first FULL day of lockdown was Tuesday 24 March which, by my reckoning, gives tomorrow that mantel. PoTAYto/poTARto]. Either way, it is some milestone, even if confusion reigns about the day on which it is reached and indeed what sort of lockdown we are presently in.
Over the past 100 days, with the daily commute suspended in place of working from home, there has been barely a day when I haven’t explored my home town, Brighton on foot. In truth, in 10 years of living in Brighton I haven’t spent as much time on its streets and beaches as I have in the past 100 days. Those who follow me on Twitter will know that I have posted a LOT of photos (and taken countless more).
So as we approached 100 days of lockdown, I looked back over my photos and reflected on lots of things – what glorious weather we have been fortunate to have for the most part; the fabulous sunrises, sunsets and strawberry moons; and how wonderfully peaceful Brighton has been. With the gradual easing of lockdown and especially with the hot weather latterly, there has been a return to crowds, some anti-social behaviour such as littering and a clear divide between those who are anxious about a second wave of Covid and those for whom social distancing is, in effect, out of the window.
Like many I suspect, I approach the next phase with a mixture of feelings – a keenness for a return to normality tempered with hope that we will keep some of the best bits of lockdown – not least a return to family values, emphasis on wellbeing and the positive effects on the environment of us travelling less far and widely. And more than anything, I am looking forward to getting my hair cut.
A photographic chronology of 100 days of lockdown, peppered liberally with my Twitter ramblings and a reminder of some key lockdown milestones, follows.
Monday 23 March – day 1
After weeks of pressure, Boris Johnson announces lockdown, confining people largely to their homes. Aside from key workers, the public are allowed to leave their house only once a day for exercise/essential shopping. All shops selling non-essential goods are told to close, gatherings of more than two people in public are banned and all events (including weddings, excluding funerals) are cancelled.
Tues 24 March – day 2
Confusion reigned over the guidance issued overnight for the children of separated parents and whether or not they could pass between two homes during lockdown.
Weds 25 March – day 3
Thurs 26 March – day 4
Support package for self-employed revealed, after multi billion pound package of measures to prevent mass layoffs/improve the welfare system is announced a few days prior. Clap for our Carers begins.
Fri 27 March – day 5
PM and Health Secretary test positive for Covid.
Sat 28 March – day 6
Mon 30 March – day 8
Tues 31 March – day 9
Thurs 2 April – day 11
Fri 3 April – day 12
Sat 4 April – day 13
Sun 5 April – day 14
Queen delivers message of hope to the nation, as Downing Street announces the PM has been admitted to hospital.
Mon 6 April – day 15
Tues 7 April -day 16
Weds 8 April – day 17
Today is widely reported to be the day when the peak of daily Covid-19 deaths occurred in England.
Thurs 9 April – day 18
Fri 10 April – Good Friday – day 19
Sat 11 April – Easter Saturday – day 20
Sun 12 April – Easter Sunday – day 21
PM released from hospital. Covid death toll in hospitals passes 10,000.
Tues 14 April – day 23
Weds 15 April – day 24
National Police Chiefs’ Council says more than 3,200 fines for alleged breaches of lockdown laws were issued by police in England between 27 March and 13 April.
Thurs 16 April – day 25
Dominic Raab announces extension of lockdown measures for at least three weeks.
Sat 18 April – day 27
Sun 19 April – day 28
Mon 20 April – day 29
Government announces that over 140,000 applied to the job retention scheme on the morning of its launch.
Tues 21 April – day 30
Weds 22 April – day 31
Prime Minister’s Questions conducted by video link for the first time ever.
Thurs 23 April – day 32
Millions become eligible for a Covid test under an expansion of the testing programme for essential workers and their households.
Fri 24 April – day 33
Sat 25 April – day 34
Sun 26 April – day 35
Mon 27 April – day 36
Boris Johnson back in Downing Street. Government faces calls for full action plan to tackle rising tide of domestic abuse; and to introduce new measures to ensure employers assess the risks of people returning to work before easing restrictions.
Tues 28 April – day 37
Thurs 30 April – day 39
Boris Johnson announces that the country is past the peak of the disease and the government begins to look ahead at easing certain restrictions. Captain Tom Moore celebrates his 100th birthday.
Fri 1 May – day 40
Sat 2 May – day 41
Mon 4 May – day 43
Tues 5 May – day 44
The UK’s declared death toll rises to more than 32,000 to pass Italy’s total and become the highest in Europe. Trials of new Covid contact-tracing app begin on the Isle of Wight.
Weds 6 May – day 45
Professor Neil Ferguson quits.
Thurs 7 May – day 46
Fri 8 May – day 47
75th anniversary of VE Day and widespread media reports of mass gatherings at parties.
Sat 9 May – day 48
Sun 10 May – day 49
Boris Johnson sets out headline points of a roadmap for easing lockdown, though the detailed document is not published until the following day. He says phased reopening of schools and non-essential shops in England could potentially begin from 1 June if transmission can be reduced and people who can’t work from home should be actively encouraged to return to their jobs. Unlimited exercise granted in England. Leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland refuse to adopt the new “stay alert” slogan and said insufficient details had been provided.
Mon 11 May – day 50
Tues 12 May – day 51
Announced that the furlough scheme, supporting 7.5 millions jobs, will be extended to the end of October with employers expected to pick up a share of the bill from August.
Weds 13 May – day 52
Boris Johnson urges those who can’t work from home to go back to work; people are allowed out of their homes for unlimited exercise and garden centres can reopen. People can meet one other person outdoors as long as they stay at least 2 metres away.
Thurs 14 May – day 53
Fri 15 May – day 54
Sat 16 May – day 55
Sun 17 May – day 56
Government announced to be investing a further £84 million in the hunt for a vaccine.
Tues 19 May – day 58
Weds 20 May – day 59
A testing and tracing system, seen as the key to easing the lockdown, will be up and running by 1 June but the rollout of the contact tracing app will come later.
Thurs 21 May – day 60
Fri 22 May – day 61
Quarantine measures announced requiring travellers arriving in the UK from 8 June to share contact details with the authorities and then self-isolate. Reports emerge that Dominic Cummings broke lockdown.
Sat 23 May – day 62
Sun 24 May – day 63
Boris Johnson backs Dominic Cummings and announces a phased reopening of schools.
Mon 25 May – day 64
Dominic Cummings gives THAT press conference about his trip to Durham and drive to test his eyesight.
Tues 26 May – day 65
Thurs 28 May – day 67
Fri 29 May – day 68
Sat 30 May – day 69
Sun 31 May – day 70
Mon 1 June – day 71
The government reopens all schools for Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 pupils. Groups of 6 people allowed to meet in parks and back gardens. Socially distanced barbecues allowed.
Tues 2 June – day 72
Weds 3 June – day 73
Fri 5 June – day 75
Sat 6 June – day 76
Sun 7 June – day 77
Mon 8 June – day 78
Ministers introduce quarantine measures for all arrivals in the UK. Dentists allowed too reopen for the first time for non-emergency care.
Tues 9 June – day 79
Gavin Williamson tells MPs that primary schools in England won’t be able to welcome all pupils back for a month before the summer holidays as the government had previously hoped.
Thurs 11 June – day 81
Fri 12 June – day 82
Sat 13 June – day 83
The first social bubble, the “support bubble” is announced, with single person households allowed to meet and stay overnight with another household.
Sun 14 June – day 84
Mon 15 June – day 85
All non-essential shops are given the green light to re-open as long as they meet new social distancing guidelines. People can also return to zoos, safari parks and places of worship. Face masks become mandatory on public transport in England. All pupils allowed to return to school if possible to do so with strict social distancing rules in place including 15 pupil caps on classes.
Tues 16 June – day 86
Weds 17 June – day 87
Premier League football restarts after 100 day absence.
Thurs 18 June – day 88
Government announces it is ditching ambitions to develop its own software for tracing app, and will instead work with Apple and Google. App is now hoped to be ready by the autumn/winter flu season.
Sat 20 June – day 90
Summer solstice.
Sun 21 June – day 91
Mon 22 June – day 92
Tues 23 June – day 93
Government announces relaxation of 2 metre social distancing rule to “one metre plus” from 4 July, a shot in the arm for the hospitality industry. From 4 July families will be able to reunite, pubs will reopen and people can go on holiday in England. Cinemas, museums, art galleries, bingo halls, community centres, hair salons, work canteens, outdoor playgrounds and outdoor gyms will be able to reopen.
Weds 24 June – day 94
Scottish government announces it intends to allow outdoor hospitality like beer gardens to reopen on 6 July, non-essential shops within indoor shopping centres from 13 July and households will be able to meet indoors with people from up to two other households from 15 July.
Thurs 25 June – day 95
Northern Ireland announces social distancing requirements will be reduced from two metres to one as restaurants and hotels prepare to reopen on 3 July. Other reopenings include nail parlours and beauty salons on 6 July, playgrounds on 10 July and the resumption of competitive sport on 17 July. The Welsh government has no timetable for reopening pubs and restaurants.
Fri 26 June – day 96
After thousands flock to beaches during a heatwave the PM warns against taking liberties with social distancing rules. Quarantine measures for those entering the UK are set to be scrapped for some counties and replaced with a traffic light system based on a country’s Covid risk.
Sat 27 June – day 97
Sun 28 June – day 98
Mon 29 June – day 99
Tues 30 June – day 100
JCE, 30 June 2020
