Illustration by Emma French
Timeline
We organised hundreds of participants' accounts into a timeline of the Covid-19. We drew on Wikipedia in preparing this timeline.
2020 January
31 January
The first two cases of Covid-19 in the UK are confirmed
Show events before start of project
2020 June
01 June
English primary schools re-open to Reception (ages 4-5), Year 1 (ages 5-6) and Year 6 (ages 10-11)
02 June
UK Covid-19 death toll estimated to have reached 50,000 by The Guardian and Reuters
05 June
Government ban on tenant evictions extended until 23rd August
06 June
Black Lives Matter anti-racist protests held across the UK
15 June
English secondary schools re-open to Year 10 (ages 14-15) and Year 12 (ages 16-17)
15 June
Marcus Rashford starts #maketheuturn campaign to extend provision of free school meal vouchers over the school holidays
16 June
Government announces u-turn on free school meals vouchers and agrees to extend them over the school holidays
16 June
Government announces u-turn to extend free school meals vouchers over the 6-week summer holiday
29 June
Welsh schools re-open but attendance is part-time and not compulsory
Show more +
2020 July
04 July
The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (No. 2) (England) replaces the previous Lockdown Regulations, relaxing rules in most places and enabling local lockdowns in others (e.g. Leicester)
04 July
Minute's silence to remember those who died of Covid-19
05 July
72nd anniversary of the founding of the NHS
08 July
Government announces £30bn spending package to mitigate the impacts of the Covid pandemic, including £1000 per company per employee brought back from furlough
17 July
Government announces extra £3bn for NHS to prepare for potential second winter Covid-19 wave
24 July
Face masks become compulsory in shops and supermarkets
Show more +
2020 August
01 August
Shielding programme ends in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but many vulnerable people continue to shield
01 August
Employers required to contribute to Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme for furloughed workers
03 August
Eat Out to Help Out' begins for one month. The scheme is later linked to increase in Covid-19 infection rates in some areas
11 August
Scottish schools start to re-open
13 August
A level results published based on teachers' predicted grades adjusted based on algorithms. Following major controversy, Government reverts to teachers' grades four days' later
16 August
Shielding programme ends in Wales
17 August
Second self-employed grant released
Show more +
2020 September
01 September
Majority of UK school children return for start of new school year
01 September
Low-income workers who need to self-isolate and who can't work from home become eligible for top-up payment to universal credit or working tax credit while isolating
01 September
Marcus Rashford starts Child Food Poverty Task Force to campaign for an extension to free school meals replacement vouchers, and to end child hunger
10 September
The APPG on Sexual and Reproductive Health warns that it has become much harder for women to obtain contraception services during the pandemic
14 September
Rule of Six' begins, limiting gatherings to a total of six people, excluding children under 11
15 September
Figures show UK unemployment rose to 4.1% between May and July 2020, up from 3.9% from January - April 2020
22 September
Tighter lockdown rules introduced, including weddings limited to 15 people, and all shop staff to wear masks
30 September
JRF and other charities call on the Government to make the £20 universal credit uplift permanent
Show more +
2020 October
02 October
Around 1/4 of the UK population are reported to be living under local lockdown
09 October
Job Support Scheme expanded to cover 2/3 wages of employees where businesses are forced to shut due to lockdown
12 October
Boris Johnson announces new three-tier system of Covid-19 restrictions for England
13 October
UK unemployment reported to have risen to highest level since 2017, standing at 4.5% in August 2020
23 October
House of Commons votes 322 to 261 votes not to extend the free school meals voucher scheme
26 October
Businesses and community groups rally round to provide hot meals for children during half term
30 October
SAGE report that Covid-19 is spreading 'significantly faster' across the UK than in their predicted worst-case scenario
31 October
PM Boris Johnson announces a second lockdown for England for four weeks
31 October
Furlough scheme extended until December
Show more +
2020 November
01 November
Mortgage payment holidays are extended
05 November
England's second lockdown begins
07 November
Government announces U-turn to provide free school meals to children during school holidays until March 2021
11 November
UK Covid-19 death toll reaches 50,000
24 November
England, N Ireland, Scotland and Wales agree plans for mixing between three households for five days over Christmas
25 November
Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivers Spending Review, including £3bn for the NHS, £3bn for local councils, and £250m for rough sleeping
Show more +
2020 December
01 December
The first Covid-19 vaccine is approved for use in the UK
08 December
Covid-19 vaccination programme starts in the UK
13 December
Some London schools who had switched to remote learning ordered to stay open by Minister for Education Gavin Williamson
19 December
Boris Johnson announces tier 4 restrictions for large parts of England, bans household mixing in tier 4 over Christmas, and reduces household mixing to Christmas Day only in tiers 1-3
25 December
UK Covid-19 death toll reaches 70,000
26 December
More areas of England moved up to tier 4, Scotland maintains level 4 measures, Wales and N Ireland enter lockdown
31 December
More areas of England moved up to tier 4, totalling 78% of the population
Show more +
2021 January
01 January
Britain officially leaves the EU following the June 2016 Brexit Referendum
04 January
Despite backlash from unions, English schools re-open for two days, shutting to most students again from 6th Jan
04 January
PM Boris Johnson and FM Nicola Sturgeon announce third lockdown in England and Scotland lasting 6 weeks (Wales and Northern Ireland already in lockdown)
18 January
The House of Commons votes 278-0 to pass a non-binding motion to call on the Government to extend the £20 UC uplift past March 2021
28 January
The UK Government withdraws a social media advert telling people to stay home amid criticisms it was sexist. It depicted women cleaning and home schooling children, with the only man depicted watching television
Show more +
2021 February
01 February
The Isle of Man lifts Covid-19 lockdown restrictions
09 February
Women and Equalities Committee releases report concluding that Government pandemic policies have 'repeatedly skewed towards men' and make 20 recommendations to redress this
22 February
Boris Johnson announces four-step plan to end Covid-19 restrictions in England by 21st June 2021
23 February
Nicola Sturgeon announces plan to end Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland
Show more +
2021 March
02 March
The Isle of Man reimposes a 21-day lockdown
03 March
Chancellor Rishi Sunak delivers Spring Budget, including: an extension to the furlough scheme until September 2021, an extension of the £20 UC uplift until September 2021 and a one-off payment of £500 to households receiving working tax credit
08 March
English schools re-open
08 March
Northern Irish schools start phased re-opening
10 March
Tenants eviction ban extended until 31 May 2021
15 March
Scottish schools re-open
29 March
Stay at home order ends for England. Two households of up to six people are allowed to meet outsisde.
Show more +
2021 April
01 April
Shielding officially ends in England and Wales
12 April
Covid rules eased across the UK: Non-essential retail re-opens in England and Wales, Stay At Home order ends in N Ireland, and school pupils return in Scotland and NI
12 April
Welsh schools and universities re-open
19 April
Isle of Man lockdown ends
20 April
ONS reports that 811,000 payroll jobs were lost in the UK in the year to March 2021, with 80% of losses among under-35s
Show more +
2021 May
17 May
Covid-19 rules relaxed in England, Scotland and Wales: pubs and restaurants allowed to re-open, and indoor mixing of two households of up to six people is permitted. Some overseas travel allowed
Show more +
2021 June
02 June
Government announces £1.4bn funding for education to help pupils catch up on missed education. Education Recovery Commissioner Sir Kevan Collins resigns in protest, having estimated £15bn was needed for the scheme
10 June
PM Boris Johnson announces the UK will donate 100 million Covid-19 vaccines to poorer countries as part of Covax scheme
14 June
PM Boris Johnson announces final stage of lifting lockdown restrictions will be delayed by four weeks, until 19th July 2021
Show more +
2021 July
Show more +
2021 August
2021 September
2021 October
2021 November
Show more +
2021 December
Show more +
Contributors featured in
Home What we've learned ⤷ People's experiences ⤷ Write-ups ⤷ Zine ⤷ Audio Researching together ⤷ Resources ⤷ Researching poverty blog ⤷ Webinars Blog About ⤷ Meet the team ⤷ Contact ⤷ Data ⤷ Privacy Get involved
Covid Realities
is a collaboration between the Universities of
York and Birmingham, and
Child Poverty Action Group. The project has been funded by the Nuffield Foundation
but the views on this site are those of the project team and not necessarily the Foundation.
Menu