09
Mar
Tributes paid to North Yorkshire NHS and care workers on covid anniversary
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Tributes have been paid to NHS workers and carers in North Yorkshire on the fifth anniversary of the covid pandemic.
Representatives from North Yorkshire Council’s care services were joined by colleagues from the NHS for the ceremony which saw a tree planted in the grounds of County Hall in Northallerton.
The United Kingdom was put into lockdown in March 2020 amid the widespread transmission of the coronavirus, which took thousands of lives across North Yorkshire.
During the event, Boroughbridge teenager Dan Byron gave a rendition of Bring Him Home from Les Misérables and the council’s chaplain, The Venerable Simon Golding, gave prayers for those affected by covid.
A plaque was unveiled at the tree-planting which includes a tribute to the people of North Yorkshire for the care and support they showed to protect their family, friends and communities.
Cllr Roberta Swiers, chair of the council who attended the ceremony, said:
The care workers and NHS staff were at the forefront of the impact of the covid pandemic in raw and human terms. We wish to honour their commitment during those years, and through to today, in caring for many of our most vulnerable residents.
Among those at the ceremony was Julie Samways, a reablement care and support worker in the team covering the Yorkshire Dales during the pandemic.
Mrs Samways, who lives in Richmond and has worked in the care sector for 21 years, spent three days in hospital herself in March 2020 after contracting Covid-19 due in part to complications caused by the asthma she suffers from.
She said:
It was the most challenging time I have ever experienced in my career as a carer as life literally changed overnight. The isolation and loneliness were the biggest things for our clients as they were at home and only saw us when we went round, but even then we were in full PPE (personal protective equipment).
The pandemic’s devastating impact saw about 2,000 deaths registered in North Yorkshire which were linked to covid.
North Yorkshire Council is backing a national day of reflection which will be staged on Sunday, March 9, when residents will be asked take part in a series of activities including a simple act of kindness for a friend, relative or neighbour.
Residents are also being urged to spend a moment of reflection at locations on a tree trail which was planted by the council in 2023 across North Yorkshire to act as a lasting memorial to all those who lost their lives during the covid pandemic.
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