OXFORDSHIRE today marks a grim anniversary: it is exactly one year since the first case of the coronavirus was recorded in Oxford
The Oxford Mail has charted the entire course of the pandemic in the county and across the UK – from the first local confirmed case to its 1,000 deaths milestone.
January 10 – Researchers from Oxford University’s Jenner Institute and Oxford Vaccine Group begin work designing a vaccine for new virus Covid-19.
January 31 – A flight carrying 83 British people and 27 foreign nationals from coronavirus-hit China lands at RAF Brize Norton.
February 18 – The Jenner Institute agree a contract with Italian manufacturer Advent Srl to produce the vaccines for a clinical trial.
March 2 – Oxfordshire County Council confirm the first person diagnosed with Covid-19 in the county.
March 16 – One person dies in Oxfordshire after testing positive for Covid-19.
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March 18 – Schools across the country are ordered to shut until further notice.
March 20 – The Prime Minister orders pubs and restaurants, as well as gyms, cinemas, nightclubs, and theatres to close.
Chancellor of the Exchequer sets up Covid-19 job protection scheme, with 80 per cent of salaries of staff not working covered by the Government, up to £2,500 a month.
Oxford Vaccine team announce they have found a likely candidate for a vaccine and are working towards human trials to begin in April.
March 23 – The first UK-wide lockdown is announced.
The plane coming into Brize Norton this afternoon. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
The Prime Minister tells the public they are only allowed to leave their homes for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercising once per day and medical needs.
All non-essential shops are also ordered to close.
Gatherings of two people in public are banned.
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By the time the first lockdown is announced, Oxfordshire has recorded 108 cases of Covid-19.
March 27 – Oxford scientists put out the call for volunteers to take part in the first phase of human clinical trials.
April 11 – Cumulative deaths reaches 104 in Oxfordshire.
April 12 – Professor Sarah Gilbert, who is leading the vaccine trial, says she is ’80 per cent’ confident that the coronavirus vaccine will be a success.
April 13 – Oxfordshire records grim milestone of more than 1,000 cases.
April 23 – First human clinical trials begin for the Oxford vaccine, with Professor Gilbert explaining five years of work has been packed into four months to make it possible.
April 30 – Oxford University announces an agreement with the UK-based global biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca for the further development, large-scale manufacture and potential distribution of the vaccine.
May 10 – First easing of lockdown is announced with people allowed to sunbathe in parks and leave for exercise more than once a day.
May 17 – Business Secretary Alok Sharma says the clinical trial at Oxford University is progressing well, as he announces it will get a share of £84m ‘to help accelerate their work’.
May 22 – Researchers begin recruiting up to 10,260 volunteers for the next two phases in clinical trials – expanding the age range to include older adults and children.
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June 1 – Lockdown measures are eased and primary school children in England (years reception, one and six) return to the classroom.
June 24 – Prince William visits Oxford Vaccine Group facilities at the Churchill Hospital.
July 4 – Pubs reopen and weddings are allowed to take place.
September 9 –Trials of Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine are put on hold due to a reported side effect in a patient in the UK.
September 12 – Vaccine trials resume after an investigation.
Prince William at the Churchill Hospital
In a statement Oxford University unveil that globally some 18,000 individuals have received study vaccines as part of the trial.
September 18 – The Prime Minister meets scientists at the Jenner Institute, which has led research into Oxford’s Covid-19 vaccine.
October 12 – The three-tier system of local alert levels introduced for England.
Oxford is placed in Tier 1 despite cases in the city being higher than some of the areas in the ‘high alert’ of the Government’s new three-tiered system.
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October 27 – Professor Andrew Pollard indicates results show the Oxford vaccine produces a strong immune response in the elderly, those most at risk from Covid, as well as younger adults.
October 31 – Prime Minister announces second national lockdown and the public is told to stay at home for four weeks.
November 23 – Cumulative cases in the county reach more than 10,000.
Researchers announce full late-stage trial results show the vaccine is 70.4 per cent effective, on average, in preventing Covid-19 after two doses were given.
November 26 – Oxford is placed in Tier 2, while Oxfordshire is in Tier 1.
82-year-old Brian Pinker receives the Oxford University/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Sam Foster at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford as the NHS ramps up its vaccination programme with 530,000 doses of the newly approved jab available for rollout
Oxford is to be put into tier 2 when the lockdown ends.
December 2 – England’s national lockdown ends.
It is replaced by a three-tier system.
December 26 – Oxfordshire enters Tier 4 on Boxing Day.
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December 30 – Vaccine officially given the green light with rollout expected from January 4.
January 4 – Dialysis patient Brian Pinker, 82, becomes the first person to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
The retired maintenance manager got the jab at 7.30am from nurse Sam Foster at Oxford’s Churchill Hospital.
Boris Johnson announces third national lockdown.
January 18 – Oxfordshire records 15 deaths in one day, the largest daily number so far.
February 22 – PM announces roadmap to ease lockdown restrictions in England.
February 25 – Oxfordshire County Council confirms that more than 1,000 people have died after testing positive.
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