London looks back on the early days of COVID-19 – CBC

Pandemic declared on March 11, 2020

Mar 11, 2025

It was five years ago today that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, during a week that saw countries around the world impose lock downs and travel restrictions to slow the rapid spread of the deadly virus.

At the time, Canada had just over 100 cases and only one confirmed death. A vaccine was still months away.

Within days workers were sent home, businesses closed their doors and the Canada-U.S. border was shut to all non-essential travel.

On the five-year anniversary of that week, CBC News reached out to Londoners asking them to share their memories of that time.

The daughter of a parent in long-term care
When London’s largest hospital last week announced new entry restrictions in a bid to curtail an ongoing measles outbreak, Andrea Wojtak was reminded of those difficult days of March 2020.

“It’s triggering,” said Wojtak of the recent measles news. “It really brought my memories back to measures imposed at my father’s long-term care home.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/london-looks-back-on-the-early-days-of-covid-19-1.7479594