Taking a look back at a year dominated by Covid-19

Well, after a year of lockdowns and Covid-19 news and views, time has truly turned it into a blur for some.

It’s been a year of new variants for the virus, of the push for vaccinations, then second jabs and lately boosters, and of the rise of the anti-lockdown (and occasionally anti-vaccine) voices.

With all that in mind, here are some of the key moments from this year.

The main focus of this year, for the Government, has been the vaccine programme which launched in care homes and for those aged 80 and over in December 2020. Since then it has seen more than 126,533,737 doses given in total.

Three key players have been at the forefront of this – Astrazeneca, Moderna and Pfizer.

From January 4, the programme really began ramping up, starting with an aim to get the top four priority age groups their first dose by February and reaching all adults by June 18.

Later in the year, the jab would be allowed for all those over 12.

Second doses were initially delayed from three to 12 weeks in a bid to ensure people but were opened up shortly after.

However, as new variants appeared the Government decided third booster doses would be needed.

These, they said, will top up the protection in the face of waning immunity.

This year also saw an increased number of people become sceptical of the virus and the measures being taken to tackle it.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a huge rebellion from his own party while trying to bring in Covid passes with almost 100 Conservatives, including several Lincolnshire MPs, voting against the plans and they were only passed with support from the Labour Party.

Reports of parties in Number 10 and other government locations while restrictions were ongoing, alongside health secretary Matt Hancock’s office romance and Dominic Cummings’s trip to Barnard Castle, have accumulated to cause anger among many.

There’s an increasing call for people to accept the virus and live with it now, and it’s hard for many not to be swayed by it.