The first reports of Coronavirus (Covid-19) emerged from Wuhan in China late in December 2019. The first confirmed case in the UK was at the end of January 2020, with the first death in early March.
On 23rd March, in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease, contain the number of infections, reduce the number of hospital admissions, thus reducing the number of patients requiring critical care in overstretched hospitals by the NHS, the British Government introduced a strict police-enforced lockdown on the whole of the country. People were permitted to only leave their homes for very limited purposes: shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which had to be as infrequent as possible, one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle - alone or with members of their household, any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid or escape risk of injury or harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person, travelling for work purposes, but only where working from home was not possible, adhere to strict social distancing measures. These measures included closure of non-essential shops, entertainment venus, pubs, cafes, meeting places, shopping arcades, group gatherings, schools, etc. Those with underlying health conditions and those classified as vulnerable were advised to remain in isolation at home.
These full lockdown restrictions would remain in place from March until May when, due to a slight reduction in infections, the restrictions were eased ‘slightly’.
Throughout the summer months, by closely adhering to various covid-19 prevention measures and practices daily life resumed some kind of normality.
With infections once again rapidly increasing and with the approach of the autumn and winter months the whole of the country was once again placed under new severe lockdown restrictions. These would begin on 5th November and run through until 2nd December 2020. During December further ‘Tiered’ restrictions were introduced throughout the country to try to prevent the continuing rise in infections. These new restrictions would remain in place through to 2021.
On 8th December, following the approval of two Covid-19 vaccines, the NHS began the biggest vaccination drive in British history.
It is hoped that the following collection of photographs, images and notices will portray, in a small way, how the town of Alresford and it’s residents adapted.
The full effect of the virus on the world and the tragic loss of life will be well documented by history in the fullness of time.
Unfortunately not all of the images displayed on these pages can be attributed to their rightful owner, especially those published/submitted to local social media sites. If you see one of your images displayed here and wish to have it removed please contact me at info@alresfordheritage.co.uk and it will be deleted immediately. The same if you require any alterations/corrections to any of the captions.