IT HAS been one year since the country was put into its first national lockdown and twelve months on, the country is still under additional restrictions as the virus has taken hold - however the picture has changed dramatically to where we were in March 2020.

With additional local restrictions and tier three and four restrictions, Blackburn with Darwen has spent little time out of some kind of lockdown in the past year, with people and businesses struggling due to the additional measures.

February 10 - The earliest concern of the virus in East Lancashire was raised when Oswaldtwistle’s Stonebridge House practice put a note in their front doors to confirm the cancellation of all open surgeries due to concern over the risk of Covid-19.

Social media rumours also began circulating about a suspected case of coronavirus on the respiratory ward at the Royal Blackburn Hospital.

March 17 - The first case of Covid-19 was discovered in Blackburn with Darwen. At the same time, the number of infections in Lancashire increased to 15.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council also confirmed all local authority-run facilities, including leisure centres, would close the following say

March 20 - The Chancellor announced the furlough scheme, allowing employers to apply for a grant to cover 80% of a staff members wages (up to a total of £2,500 per month).

This was for employees who were not working but are kept on payroll, rather than being dismissed. The scheme was made available to any employer in the country – small or large, charitable or non-profit.

March 23 - The Prime Minister announced the national lockdown, asking people to stay at home.

Mr Johnson told the public to only leave their homes for limited reasons, including food shopping, exercise once per day, medical need and travelling for work when absolutely necessary.

March 24 - The first Covid-19 death was announced by East Lancashire Hospitals at the Royal Blackburn’s intensive care unit.

Bill Smith, from Great Harwood, was in his 80s and suffered from underlying health conditions.

He was the first victim of the Covid-19 pandemic to pass away from the infection at the Royal Blackburn’s intensive care unit.

March 26 - The UK becomes the largest single contributor in the search for a coronavirus vaccine, pledging £210m in aid funding.

A support package for the self-employed is announced - covering an average of 80 per cent of earnings over the past three years.

The Clap for our Carers campaign begins, kicking off a weekly national applause for frontline workers.

March 27 -The Prime Minister and and Health Secretary tested positive for Covid-19, while chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty developed symptoms self-isolated.

April 2 - The prime minister comes out of self-isolation for a brief appearance at the door of No 11 Downing Street to join the clap for key workers.

April 5 - The Queen delivered a speech to the nation while Downing Street confirmed Mr Johnson had been admitted to hospital for tests as a "precautionary step" as his coronavirus symptoms persisted.

April 6 - Downing Street said the prime minister's condition had worsened and he was moved to St Thomas' Hospital's intensive care unit.

April 7 - Downing Street says the PM's condition remains "stable" and he is in "good spirits". He is later moved from intensive care back to the ward.

The first patients were admitted to the NHS Nightingale hospital in London.

April 8 - A temporary morgue was announced at BAE Warton to house up to 1,000 while more nightingale hospitals were erected up and down the country.

April 11 - The Issa Brother's donated £350,000 to hospitals in East Lancashire.

April 12 - Mr Johnson was discharged from hospital to continue his recovery at Chequers, Downing Street said.

April 24 - East Lancashire hit its first worrying milestone of 100 Covid-19 related deaths in East Lancashires hospitals, just one week after the death toll for the UK passed 25,000.

May 10 - Mr Johnson announced the first easing of England’s lockdown, telling people they are allowed to sunbathe in parks and leave the house to exercise more than once a day.

May 11 - Garden centres were able to re-open and unlimited exercise outdoors was permitted.

May 22 - People arriving in the UK were required to self-isolate for 14 days to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

Reports suggest that Mr Johnson's senior aide Dominic Cummings broke the government's lockdown rules when he was spotted at his parents' property in Durham where he was recovering from coronavirus symptoms, after travelling from his London home with his wife and son who also fell ill.

May 23 - A second eyewitness tells newspapers they saw Mr Cummings a week earlier in Barnard Castle, a popular tourist location 30 miles away from Durham, during the period he was believed to be self-isolating.

May 25 - Mr Cummings defended his actions in a press conference in the Downing Street rose garden, saying he behaved "reasonably" and does not regret his actions.

June 1 - School children in England in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 returned to the classroom.

June 5 - The‘R’ number in the North West – one of the government’s key tests for easing restrictions – was at 1.01 which was the highest in England.

Professor Dominic Harrison, Blackburn with Darwen Borough’s public health director, said it was ‘a red warning light’’ and reaffirmed his view that the lifting of the lockdown was proceeding too quickly for safety.

June 13 - “Social bubble” scheme was announced, in which single person households were allowed to meet and stay overnight with another household.

The social bubble scheme is one of the few lockdown lifting elements that has been in place since it was announced.

June 15 - England's retail parks, high streets and shopping centres welcomed back customers.

Zoos and safari parks opened their doors for the first time since March.

Places of worship reopen for private prayer while some secondary school pupils have begun returning to their classrooms.

July 4 - Social distancing rules were relaxed to a “one-metre plus” rule and hairdressers, pubs, cinemas and restaurants were able to reopen.

Swimming returned for outdoor pools and water parks re-opened.

July 13 - Nail bars, salons, tanning booths, spas, massage parlours, tattoo parlours and body and skin piercing services allowed to re-open

July 20 - Blackburn overtook Leicester with the highest coronavirus infection rate in England, new figures have shown.

The borough recorded a rate of 79.2 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 in the seven days to July 17, while Leicester saw a rate of 77.7 per 100,000 people over the same period.

July 24 - Face coverings become mandatory in shops across England, with £100 fines to people who flout the rules.

July 30 - Separate households across five of six East Lancashire boroughs were banned from meeting indoors from midnight on August 1.

Residents from separate households in Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Hyndburn, Rossendale and Pendle as well as people in Greater Manchester and parts of West Yorkshire were all banned form indoor socialisation after a rise in Covid-19 cases.

July 31 - Measures due to be lifted on 1 August, including allowing small wedding receptions, reopening bowling alleys and casinos and pilots of larger gatherings in sports venues, were delayed for at least two weeks.

August 1 - Rishi Sunak’s branded Eat Out To Help Out scheme launches with up to 50 per cent price reductions to tempt customers back to restaurants from Monday - Wednesday all month.

August 21 - Darwen and Rossendale were taken out of tough coronavirus restrictions as parts of Blackburn and Pendle were placed under an even tougher regime.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock eased curbs in nine wards from Blackburn with Darwen, due to take effect from 12.01am on Wednesday August 26, but restrictions he imposed suddenly on July 30 were ramped up in eight others, effective from 12.01am on Sunday.

The whole of Rossendale was taken out of the regulations governing household gatherings along with Darwen and parts of Blackburn.

September 3 - Bosses in charge of the coronavirus testing system apologised after it emerged UK labs were struggling to keep up with demand.

Some people were being asked to travel hundreds of miles to get tested including Cllr Maureen Bateson who was asked to travel to the Scottish Highlands for a test.

UK labs were described as "maxed out" after a rise in demand - 170,000 tests a day are being processed, up from 100,000 in mid June.

September 18 - The government confirmed that local lockdown restrictions would be enforced across Lancashire from Tuesday to “curb rising infection rates”.

The new restrictions banned residents from socialising with people outside of their own households or support bubble in private homes and gardens.

Hospitality for food and drink was restricted to table service only and were required to close between 10pm and 5am.

September 22 - The Prime Minister announced new restrictions including a 10pm curfew on pubs, bars and restaurants across England from 24 September, while face coverings are made mandatory in more scenarios and limits for weddings and receptions are cut to 15 people maximum.

October 12 - The three tier system of restrictions were announced, with Lancashire initially being placed in tier 2 restrictions.

October 17 - Lancashire was told that Tier 3 restrictions would be imposed from midnight which banned pubs from serving drinks without a substantial meal, closing all wet-led pubs.

The restrictions also banned any socialisation outside of a persons household or social bubble and cancelled wedding receptions in any capacity.

October 29 - Blackburn with Darwen's infection rate reached a record high passing the 800 cases per 100,000 people mark for the first time.

The borough continued to have the countries highest infection rate of 803.6.

October 31 - The Prime Minister announced a four-week lockdown for the month of November, six weeks after SAGE called for a circuit-breaker.

November 5 - Second national lockdown begun. Pubs, restaurants, gyms and non-essential shops closed for four weeks, however schools, colleges and universities were able to stay open.

December 2 - Lockdown was lifted and England went into a new four-tier system of restrictions, with Lancashire being placed under tier 3 restrictions.

The new tier system meant that all hospitality settings, accommodation venues, indoor entertainment and tourist venues and indoor attractions all had to remain closed.

Weddings were able to continue however receptions were not permitted.

December 8 - The first Covid-19 vaccination was delivered to Margaret Keenan, marking the start of the national vaccination drive.

East Lancashire Teaching Hospitals death toll passes 500 as the hospital trust reported 507 people had lost their life to the virus.

December 16 - Johnson insisted Christmas wouldn’t be cancelled and that restrictions would be relaxed for five days over the festive period.

Hancock announced a new coronavirus variant had been identified in the U.K.

December 19 - London and the South East were put into tier 4 restrictions, banning any social mixing and cancelling the Christmas relaxation plan.

Elsewhere, the Christmas relaxation was limited to just Christmas Day instead of the original five day plan.

December 30 - The Health Secretary announced that Lancashire would be placed under tier 4 restrictions from midnight as infection rates continued to climb.

Tier 4 restrictions enforced a stay at home rule that meant people should only travel for work, education or other legally permitted reasons.

January 3 - School's across East Lancashire announced they would not be allowing pupils back to the classroom and would move back to online learning.

Teachers unions backed schools that were remaining closed however the Prime Minister assured the public that classrooms were safe.

January 4 - Boris Johnson announced the country would go into its third national lockdown would come into force on January 6.

Schools and colleges were closed as was all non essential retail and hospitality.

The stay at home rule was implemented nationally with people only able to leave home for work if they cannot work from home, for essential shopping or exercise.

January 18 - Blackburn Cathedral becomes a mass vaccination centre for Lancashire.

The crypt was made into a vaccination centre to boost the vaccine drive in Lancashire.

February 22 - The Prime Minister announces his roadmap out of lockdown.

The road map stated that pupils would return to the classroom from March 8.

The rest of the roadmap sets out that from March 29, people will be able to meet in gardens or parks in groups of six.

From that, the government also hopes that on April 12

February 27 - Health Director Dominic Harrison said the under 50's JVCI vaccine prioritisation strategy is “deeply flawed” and has failed to take into account "mortality risk by place".

He said that due to consistently high infection rates in Lancashire, the county should receive a higher number of vaccines so that more people are protected in the area.

March 5 - East Lancashire Hospitals hit a grim milestone of 1,000 Covid-19 deaths.

March 8 - School children returned to the classroom, with many schools adopting a phased return system.