Since the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Wakefield on March 11, 2020, life in the district has changed in many ways. More than 23,700 people have since tested positive for the virus. While phrases such as "social distancing" and "self-isolation" might roll naturally of the tongue today, it can be easy to forget how much life has changed in the last 12 months. These are a few of the defining moments of the first few weeks of Covid-19 in Wakefield, Pontefract and Castleford.
1. Early days
The first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in the Wakefield district on March 11, 2020. By the end of the month, a further 116 people had tested positive for the virus. This number rose to 787 by the end of April.
2. Panic buying
One of the earliest signs of the pandemic was panic buying. Amid growing concern about the as-yet-unnamed coronavirus, shoppers began emptying shelves of essential goods including pasta, rice and toilet roll. Wakefield Councillors were among those to urge calm. Photo: Isabel Infantes/Getty Images
3. Social distancing
By Friday, March 20, people were being advised to work from home and social distance, only leaving home for essential reasons. Pictured is a Boots phramacy employee wearing a face visor she she speaks to a customer outside the Pontefract branch during the first few weeks of lockdown. Photo: Oli Scarff/Getty Images
4. Quick-thinking
In Castleford, one business-savvy man looked to make a profit of the panic buying - by offering spare toilet rolls on Facebook for a bargain price of £3,000. Richard Taylor said he hoped his post would give people a reason to smile, but also send a serious message about the "madness" of panic buying.