Pause to remember lives lost to Covid-19
Pause to remember lives lost to Covid-19
The Leader of Wychavon has paid tribute to the inspirational spirit of the district’s residents ahead of the National Day of Reflection on Tuesday (23 March).
Cllr Bradley Thomas said many lives had been saved because of the actions people had taken over the last year. He added the strength and determination of Wychavon’s communities to support each other had been inspirational.
The National Day of Reflection marks the one-year anniversary of the first national lockdown.
It is being spearheaded by end of life charity Marie Curie as a way of encouraging people to reflect, remember and celebrate the lives of everyone who has died from Covid-19 and other causes. People are also being encouraged to reach out to those bereaved who may have lost someone to the virus, or to another cause, and have been unable to mourn properly because of coronavirus restrictions.
Official figures show 266 people in Wychavon have so far died where Covid-19 has been mentioned as a cause on the death certificate.
Residents are being asked to pause at midday on 23 March for a minute of reflection and to take a moment to reach out to someone bereaved. At 8pm people are being asked to shine a light from their doorstep or from their window, in memory of those who have died and those bereaved.
Cllr Thomas said: “Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to every single person who has lost someone due to Covid-19, and also to those who lost loved ones due to coronavirus or for other reasons, but were unable to say goodbye or to grieve properly because of the restrictions.
“I am humbled by the amazing dedication of our local NHS, who have saved hundreds of lives through their actions. I am also grateful to all our residents who themselves helped to save many, many lives by staying at home and staying apart from each other, no matter how hard that was and continues to be.
“To those businesses that have played their part by closing their doors despite the hardship it has caused, I say thank you and promise we will help you rebuild.
“We are not out of the woods yet. We must be cautious as we come out of lockdown, but there are better times ahead.
“On Tuesday I urge everyone to pause at midday to reflect on how much we have been through this last year, remember lives lost and loved ones still grieving, and pledge to continue to work together as we rebuild from this pandemic.”
Wychavon has produced a short video to mark the anniversary of the first national lockdown, using items submitted to the Wychavon Covid-19 Memory Bank. Visit our Facebook page from 23 March to view it.
