When former Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a national lockdown in March 2020 he became the first leader since the Second World War to impose strict sanctions on the freedoms of the British people.
For months prior, a mysterious illness, SARS-CoV-2, had been rocketing in cases in China and the bug had already arrived on continental Europe with worrying levels of fatalities in patients, especially in Italy.
With an under-pressure NHS already at breaking point the Prime Minister decided to follow advice which claimed the system would become overwhelmed by soaring numbers of unwell and dying patients.
In the months and years that followed the nation would endure the devastating effect of COVID-19 and also be left with long-lasting social and economic effects from three national lockdowns.
As Mr Johnson prepares to give evidence at the UK COVID-19 Inquiry Express.co.uk looks at a timeline of events during that turbulent time.
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March 23, 2020 – Boris Johnson addressed the country and announced a first national lockdown saying the world was feeling the “devastating impact” of the “invisible killer” COVID-19. Mr Johnson said: “To put it simply, if too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to handle it – meaning more people are likely to die, not just from coronavirus but from other illnesses as well” adding “and that’s why we have been asking people to stay at home during this pandemic.”
March 25, 2020 – The Coronavirus Act gets Royal Assent.
March 27, 2020 – Boris Johnson announces he has contracted COVID-19.
April 5, 2020 – The Prime Minister, then aged 55, is admitted to London’s St Thomas’ Hospital and put into intensive care. He was not put on a ventilator but was struggling to breathe.
April 12, 2020 – Boris Johnson is discharged from hospital having spent seven nights there. He said afterwards his condition “could have gone either way”.
May, 2020 – Lockdown measures begin to ease.
May 15, 2020 – Pictures from a ‘cheese and wine’ gathering at Downing Street showed staff mingling with one another at a time when Government guidance was that you could meet one person outside of your household in an outdoor setting while exercising. Police did not investigate this meeting. The Prime Minister said “those people were at work talking about work”.
May, 2020 – An email invited around 100 people to “socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden this evening”. Guests included the Prime Minister. A police investigation determined the event did breach the rules at this time.
June 2020 – A birthday party is held for Boris Johnson inside Downing Street. Around 30 people attended and police later said the event did breach the rules.
July 4, 2020 – most lockdown restrictions lifted.
July 8, 2020 – Boris Johnson’s Chancellor and later leadership rival, Rishi Sunak, announces his ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ to encourage Britons to visit restaurants and boost the economy.
October, 2020 – A WhatsApp exchange between the PM and Lee Cain in October 2020, saw Mr Johnson write: “Hardly anyone under 60 goes into hospital (4 per cent) and of those virtually all survive. And I no longer buy all this NHS overwhelmed stuff.”
November 5, 2020 – National restrictions re-introduced in England. During the second national lockdown, non-essential high street businesses were closed, and people were prohibited from meeting those not in their “support bubble” inside.
November 14, 2020 – The Prime Minister’s top aide Dominic Cummings leaves Downing Street in the wake of a scandal surrounding his movements from London to the North East during the first national lockdown.
December 2020 – a tier system is introduced to respond to different patterns of Covid outbreaks throughout the country.
December 16, 2020 – Boris Johnson declares Christmas would not be cancelled and restrictions would be relaxed for five days over the holiday.
December 17, 2020 – leaving drinks held at Downing Street were found to have breached lockdown rules by the police.
December 19, 2020: Christmas relaxation of restrictions plans are cancelled.
January 6, 2021 – a third national lockdown is introduced.
March to July, 2021 – Britain begins moving out of all lockdown restrictions.
May 2022 – A report by civil servant Sue Gray into lockdown parties at Downing Street concludes there were “failures of leadership and judgment in No 10 and the Cabinet Office”.
July 7, 2022 – Boris Johnson resigns.
