IT was exactly two years ago today that trains were stopped on their tracks, planes were grounded on runways and the A1 became as quiet as a country lane.
Because on March 23, 2020, in the biggest disruption seen to everyday life outside of wartime, the UK was placed into its first national lockdown in a bid to ease the spread of Covid-19 across the country.
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In his adress to the nation at the time, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the UK public that they could only leave their homes for limited reasons, including food shopping, exercise, medical need and travelling for work if absolutely necessary.
Laptops were set up at kitchen tables and in spare rooms across the North East as staff prepared to work from home, while others were plunged into uncertainty over whether they'd be placed on the government's furlough scheme - and if so, for how long.
High streets became ghost towns as all shops selling non-essential goods were told to close, public gatherings were banned and significant life events from weddings to christenings were put on hold.
But despite living under the ever-present threat of a potentially deadly virus, there were some chinks of light during those strange and dark times of the very first lockdown.
Communities rallied round to check up on vulnerable neighbours, volunteer networks sprung up to ensure prescriptions were picked up and food was delivered to those most isolated and at risk from the virus.
And who could forget the Thursday night clap for carers that saw thousands turn out on their doorsteps to clang a pan or clap their hands in support of frontline NHS staff who were fast becoming the nation's heroes.
Reflecting on the last two years, Durham County Council leader Amanda Hopgood, aknowledged that they have been 'incredibly challenging' but also praised the resilience shown by North East people.
She said: "No one could imagine the impact the virus would have on our lives at the start of the pandemic, particularly for those who have lost loved ones.
"Our thoughts and condolences remain with them.
“Our communities have been remarkable in their response and I’m very proud of the way in which residents have rallied to support one another."
Cllr Hopgood expressed her gratitude to all the key workers and those who kept council services running during the first lockdown - and the ones that followed.
She said their efforts ensured that a range of support remained available throughout the pandemic including for schools and care settings and also in establishing testing centres and launching County Durham Together - a community hub to provide help with access to food, medication and financial support.
Since the first lockdown, Durham County Council has also paid more than £200 million in various grants to help businesses stay afloat.
Cllr Hopgood added: “As we now learn to live with Covid, it is important that we remember the virus is still with us.
"We understand that people want to move on from restrictions.
"However, we must continue to do what we can to minimise the spread of the virus."
Also reflecting on the two years since the first national lockdown, Darlington Council leader Heather Scott said it was 'quite astonishing' to look back and fully realise what we’ve all endured in that time.
She added: "We could not have predicted the challenges we would face as a nation.
"The pandemic has shown me that our communities are strong, our businesses are passionate and our council is committed, by all coming together and adapting in the ways that we have, we have made it through.
“I am immensely proud of the efforts of everyone in Darlington, we have worked together to deliver care packages to the vulnerable, moved our workspaces to our kitchen tables to keep ourselves and our colleagues safe, redeployed staff to ensure that we supported our communities when they needed it the most, maintained our central services to minimize the impact of the pandemic as much as possible and we have recently awarded £3.8 million to local businesses who have been impacted by Covid-19.
"An exceptional achievement in what was essentially, the unknown.”
Sue Jacques, chief executive at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said, “We’re incredibly proud of the way in which our staff have risen to the challenges posed by Covid-19, remaining calm and devoting themselves to ensuring our patients received the best possible care during this unprecedented period.
"As the number of people admitted with Covid-19 has fluctuated our teams have continued working very hard to safely maintain all our services, including surgery and outpatients.
"The patience and support of our local communities has meant a great deal and we would like to take this opportunity to express our thanks to them.”
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