It has been five years since Scotland began to shut down in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
On March 19, 2020 the Scottish Government announced that all schools and nurseries were to close their doors, with pubs, restaurants, gyms and more venues around the UK all told to follow suit a day later. But it wasn’t until March 23 that then Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the entire UK to announce a total lockdown, telling everyone to “stay at home” with legal restrictions on travel, work and spending time outdoors all put in place.
Lockdown in Scotland commenced on March 24, 2020, with additional measures regarding social distancing and staying at home introduced, many of which would remain for almost two years.
During those early lockdown periods, almost everything about daily life became unrecognisable. From no longer being able to socialise in person to the new daily commute from bed to the couch, it was an unprecedented time in history which led many to seek out alternative forms of entertainment.
Whether it was downloading Zoom and having online pub quizzes or binge-watching Netflix series like Tiger King, people found new ways to cope with reality at that moment in time.
Covid is still here. But five years later, life has returned to normal and the worst days are now behind us. With so much having changed in that time period, here we take a look at some of the defining cultural moments of lockdown.
1. One way systems and queuing to enter shops
British people are known around the world for our ability to queue, but during lockdown this was taken to the next level for supermarket shopping. In order to avoid overcrowding, shoppers would queue outside while social distancing in order to pick up the messages. Once inside, you’d then have to pay attention to the one way systems put in place, (remnants of which can still be seen in some places, to this day). | Getty Images
2. Joe Wicks
With schools closed and restrictions on leaving the house, parents were seeking new ways to help their children stay fit. Enter Joe Wicks. The fitness guru had been set to tour schools to promote healthy living, but when lockdown began he instead turned to YouTube livestream PE sessions. Viewed by more than 1 million people worldwide, the first stream took place on March 23, 2020 and the last on March 5, 2020. | Getty Images
3. Clap for Carers
With stay at home orders in place, the Clap For Carers social movement was born in appreciation of key workers in the NHS. People around the country would stand on their doorsteps to clap and make noise to share their support for those still working on the frontlines of Covid. | AFP via Getty Images
4. Covid rainbows
Also fostering a sense of community for those at home, children were encouraged to craft their own rainbows, signs and more to hang on windows. To help the kids making them as well as those outside who saw them, it was another unique moment of solidarity among people around the country. | Getty Images