Thousands gather in the UK to mark 5th anniversary of COVID-19 pandemic

• Thousands gathered across the U.K. to honor the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was part of a nationwide day of reflection, recommended by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. 
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer led the tributes, acknowledging the country’s grief and sacrifices.
• A National Covid Memorial Wall displayed 3,000 photos, representing just 1% of the U.K.’s coronavirus deaths.

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Thousands gathered Sunday, March 9, to mark the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. The event was part of a nationwide day of reflection, one of the recommendations of the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration. 

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer posted on X: “As we mark five years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, I know for many there is deep grief and loss that may never be relieved. Today, we come together to remember, reflect and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by people across our country.”

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A Highland piper led mourners in a walk along the National Covid Memorial Wall. Organizers told the BBC that the 3,000 photos displayed represent just 1% of the total coronavirus deaths in the U.K. Nearly 227,000 people died from the virus, including more than 16,000 in Scotland.

In London, sobs were heard as bereaved relatives, led by the piper, walked alongside the memorial. The ceremony concluded with a choir performance and a water cannon salute from a London Fire Brigade fireboat on the Thames. A minute of silence followed the chimes of Big Ben, and long-stemmed red carnations were cast into the river.

Sky News reported that Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney participated in the ceremony in Glasgow. Before the service, he recounted the sacrifices people made saying, “Children stopped going to school, many shops and businesses were closed, and we were no longer able to spend time with friends and family as normal.”