Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
How we learned to live with virus
Reflecting on 12 months of lockdown life
It is happening abroad, it won’t find its way here. We don’t really have to worry too much about it.
Those are the type of thoughts most of us had when word broke of a mysterious new virus sweeping China and Italy early last year.
But before we knew it, life in Monklands was turned upside down as Covid-19 proved its unrelenting nature by arriving in the area last March – with the first widely reported case seeing Coatbridge’s St Augustine’s Church closing after a young parishioner tested positive for the then relatively unknown coronavirus.
Very quickly, the shocking sight of empty shelves in supermarkets became a common visual as panic buying took hold.
Monklands – and the rest of the country – then entered its first lockdown on March 23, with both its town centres resembling ghost towns.
The Advertiser gave readers a taste of what this strange new world would be like when we spoke to mum Dawn Jane Keogh, who had moved to Milan from Airdrie.
Dawn told us about the “surreal” situation of lockdown life in the Italian city, which she and daughter Sofia, six, had been living with for weeks.
And though we all enjoyed some freedom last summer, we have largely been confined to our homes ever since, with schools closing for months at a time and Airdrie and Coatbridge’s hospitality sector, gyms, hairdressers and community and leisure facilities often coming to a standstill.
However, despite frequent dark days, and heartbreaking personal loss for many, one thing that has remained constant over the past 12 months is the unbreakable community spirit possessed by the people of Monklands.
Kicking off with queuing for our shopping and clapping for carers before donning face masks and embracing the previously alien concept of social distancing, local residents refused to let Covid-19 dampen their positivity, determination, and love and kindness for others.
St Augustine’s Church ensured worship continued when it was chosen by the BBC for a live televised Easter Sunday Mass led by Father Michael Kane, with the church swiftly receiving “more than 3000 appreciative messages”.
Caring Airdrie schoolboy, and budding wrestler, Caelan Mcfaulds, seven, raised nearly £2000 for Monklands Hospital nurses by penning a brilliant book chronicling his dream of becoming a WWE superstar – which caught the eye of several top wrestlers.
The wonderful job that medical professionals, carers and key workers have done throughout the pandemic was exemplified when Monklands Hospital staff received a surprise phone call from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The innovative Eat Out scheme – where people got a discount on meals – was hailed as a “massive success” as Monklands diners saved £668,000.
Despite being very different, locals made sure to still mark poignant milestones and occasions like Remembrance Sunday from their own homes.
Optimism rose when the first Covid vaccinations got underway in Monklands in December and although we’ve been in lockdown ever since, last week’s announcement of opening dates for hairdressers, garden centres, shops, gyms and tourist accommodation, and the lifting of the “stay at home” order on April 2, gives us all hope of brighter days ahead.
No matter what happens, though, one thing is for sure; the people of Monklands will be up for the challenge.