HOPE SPRINGS

Light at end of the tunnel after year of Covid-19

People in Monklands paused in silence and lit candles yesterday to remember those who have died and been bereaved during the coronavirus pandemic, on the first anniversary of lockdown being declared.

NHS Lanarkshire chief executive Heather Knox praised “the fortitude of residents and colleagues,” while North Lanarkshire’s headquarters was among the public buildings across the country to be illuminated in yellow to mark one year since the initial “stay at home ” instruction.

A total of 1298 residents in the NHS Lanarkshire area have died after testing positive for Covid-19 – 671 of them in North Lanarkshire, with 7500 in total across Scotland – while nearly 39,000 people in the health board area have recorded positive tests to date.

It means the county has been Scotland’s worst-affected region, registering 5872.8 cases and 196.1 deaths for every 100,000 residents.

Twelve months on, and despite case numbers declining, the impact of Covid-19 is still much in evidence through the new normality of face masks and social distancing, the current second lockdown which has again seen shops, hospitality venues, services and attractions closed since Christmas, and changed work and school lives with many pupils only recently returning to the classroom.

Airdrie leisure centre currently has a new use as an asymptomatic testing centre while Ravenscraig sports centre is now the North Lanarkshire vaccination hub – with nearly 52 per cent of the NHS Lanarkshire population having now received the first of two vital immunisation doses.

Ms Knox said: “my overwhelming impression of the past 12 months is the unceasing dedication of NHS Lanarkshire staff in the face of this unprecedented challenge, coupled with the fantastic support the public has given us.

“The people of Lanarkshire have shown endless understanding and my magnificent colleagues have worked harder than ever before, pushing through tiredness and the emotional toll they’ve faced daily.”

Today’s Advertiser reflects on an extraordinary year – see pages 7,8 and 9 for more on the anniversary and reflections on the past year.