UK falls silent to remember Covid victims one year after first lockdown

The nation fell silent at noon today to remember all those who have died during the pandemic, a year after the first UK lockdown was imposed.

The Queen led the tributes, talking of the nation’s “grief and loss”, while Boris Johnson said it had been like “fighting in the dark against a callous and invisible enemy”, with the successful vaccine rollout finally offering a path back to freedom.

Tonight people are being encouraged to stand on their doorsteps with lights at eight o’clock, creating a national “beacon of light”.