It’s been one year exactly since the Prime Minister announced the first National lockdown.
A day of reflection is here with a planned minute’s silence to be held at midday. People are also being encouraged to stand on their doorsteps at 20:00 GMT tonight [Tuesday, 23rd March] with phones, candles and torches to signify a “beacon of remembrance”. The remembrance event is being organised by end-of-life charity Marie Curie.
Today, we’re remembering all the local victims especially, who lost their lives to Covid 19. The number of deaths in Blantyre and surrounding areas is truly saddening and consisted of people of all ages. Figures published by the National Records of Scotland and released under freedom of information laws by Public Health Scotland reveal the full extent of how Covid 19 affected this area in 2020.
Blantyre South & Wheatlands 10 deaths
High Blantyre 4 deaths
Spittal 4 deaths
Low Blantyre & Bardykes 3 deaths
Blantyre North & Coatshill 2 deaths
and also in surrounding areas:
Burnbank South & Chantinghall, Hamilton 34 deaths
Uddingston & Gardenside 28 deaths
Nerston, EK 27 deaths
Hamilton Central & Low Parks 21 deaths
Lindseyfield, EK 21 deaths
Calderwood West, EK 9 deaths
Hillhouse, Hamilton 9 deaths
Whitehill, Hamilton 8 deaths
Little Earnock, Hamilton 8 deaths
Burnbank Central & Udston, Hamilton 8 deaths
Eddlewood, Hamilton 7 deaths
Halfway, Hallside & Drumsagard 6 deaths
Earnock, Hamilton 5 deaths
Burnbank South, Hamilton 3 deaths
Fairhill, Hamilton 3 deaths
These of course are much more than statistics. They are lives lost. Real local people. Devastated families whose lives have been torn apart and will still be grieving. The details above for 2020 will undoubtably be greater when 2021 is included and although things are improving quickly, the pandemic of course, is still not over.
Like much of Central Scotland, a heavy price has been paid. Today, of all days, our thoughts go out to the families who have each lost a loved one during this most difficult of times.
