A minute's silence will be observed at midday today (Tuesday, March 23) to reflect on the anniversary of the first coronavirus lockdown.

It was exactly 12 months ago this evening that the Prime Minister Boris Johnson appeared on television to tell everyone to stay at home – and England was plunged into the most drastic restrictions on everyday life since the Second World War.

Devon County Council is among the organisations that will be falling silent at 12 noon to remember those who have lost their lives to Covid-19. People are also invited to 'shine a light' - a candle or torch - from their doorsteps at 8pm.

A year ago today, schools had already been closed; clubs, cafes, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and gyms had been told to shut their doors from midnight, and sporting fixtures had been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In the evening announcement, the Prime Minister announced the unprecedented lockdown message: 'stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives'.

A year on, we are in much the same position as we were on that fated day 12 months ago.

There are still severe restrictions on our freedoms and our social activities, some industries have yet to reopen and won't for several more months, and for much of the year, Devon's streets have been empty and its businesses shuttered.

Many families have lost loved ones.

Relatively low number of deaths in Devon

Since the start of pandemic, across the county of Devon, 32,905 people have tested positive for Covid-19, and 1,033 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test.

But despite the tragic toll that the last year has taken, it could have been so much worse.

Per population, the Plymouth administrative area has had the fewest deaths of anywhere in England, with Cornwall second, and Devon third. At lower tier level, the South Hams is the lowest, with West Devon second, North Devon third, Torridge fifth, Plymouth sixth, Exeter ninth and Mid Devon 10th.

Devon has had the second lowest overall infection rate (with Cornwall the lowest), and Torbay third, and Plymouth sixth. At a lower tier level, Teignbridge has the fifth lowest rate in England, and East Devon the ninth.

As of last Sunday, more than 250,000 people in Cornwall and 500,000 in Devon have had their first Covid-19 vaccine – amounting to 59.8% in East Devon and 57.1% in Teignbridge. Those numbers have risen further in the last week.

Since the vaccination programme began, the number of people with coronavirus needing hospital treatment or dying have reduced significantly, although Devon's director of public health Steve Brown has warned that 'no vaccine is one hundred per cent effective'.

The latest research shows that the vaccine gives about an 80 per cent protection against needing treatment in hospital, and an 85 per cent protection from dying from coronavirus.

Mr Brown said: "There will still be people who catch coronavirus, and particularly those most vulnerable – the elderly and those who have clinical risk – who will potentially get coronavirus and still become seriously ill.

"We are going to continue to get small outbreaks in settings such as care homes, workplaces and schools. But whenever we get an outbreak, the response is quick and swift.

"Agencies (including Public Health Devon, Devon County Council, NHS Devon, Public Health England) come together. We look at how we can put in additional resources, such as additional staff or other appropriate resources, and we step up the cleaning regime, for example.

"Such measures are designed to protect and safeguard those people in that setting, and to try to reduce any onward transmission.

"Even when you've been vaccinated, it's still really important that you continue to adopt public health measures – stay at home. If you do need to go out, make sure that you keep social distancing, wear those face coverings when indoors in public spaces, and wash your hands regularly."

On the anniversary of the start of Lockdown 1, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has taken a look back at the rise and fall of coronavirus in Devon over the last year, where we are now, and the planned 'roadmap' back to normality.

March 2020

On March 2 2020, three weeks before lockdown began, the first coronavirus cases in Devon were confirmed at schools in south Devon. Two cases in Teignbridge were also discovered, although it is certain that Covid had hit the county in February, if not before.

Cases steadily increased in the county, with the first deaths from the virus being announced on March 20.

April

Throughout April, cases begin to rise, going from 154 as of March 31 to 855 by April 30, although the true number of cases is thought to have been significantly higher because of the lack of testing.

May

As the effect of the lockdown continued, the number of cases in Devon being confirmed fell, with only 302 new positive cases in the month, although again, testing limitations meant the numbers were likely to have been much higher.

Starting in May 2020, the laws were slowly relaxed, as people were permitted to leave home for outdoor recreation from May 13 and to meet one other person.

May also saw the first of many highly critical reports of people flocking to beaches, with fears that this would lead to a spike in infections. The same concerns are being voiced almost a year on, despite no evidence that any mass outdoor gathering has led to an increase in transmission.

June

On June 1, the restriction on leaving home was replaced with a requirement to be at home overnight and people were permitted to meet outside in groups of up to six. Outdoor markets and car showrooms reopened, with non-essential shops opening again on June 15.

The downward trend of cases being confirmed continued, with June 5 being the first date since the beginning of March where no positive cases within Devon were recorded. By specimen date, there was not a single day where more than five cases across the county were recorded.

July

Most lockdown restrictions were lifted on July 4 as hospitality businesses were permitted to reopen. Gatherings up to thirty people were legally permitted, although the Government was still recommending that people avoid gatherings larger than six.

There was a small rise in the number of cases that are confirmed in Devon – but just 62 cases were recorded in the month – and there was just a single death in Mid Devon in the month where Covid was mentioned on the death certificate.

August

While the number of cases in Devon remained very low compared to the rest of the country, the average number being confirmed a day had risen from under two at the start of August to six by the end. The increase was thought to be due to Devon residents returning home from trips abroad, having contracted coronavirus while away on holiday.

September

Schools returned from the start of the month, and on September 14, England's gathering restriction was tightened and people were once again banned from meeting more than six people socially. Eleven days later, pubs, bars and restaurants were told they had to shut between 10pm and 6am.

Cases continued to rise in Devon, although the increase was mainly linked to students arriving at the University of Exeter.

October

The month began with cases at the University continuing to rise – at one stage leading to Exeter having the seventh highest infection rate in England – but because it was concentrated in that area and students were told not to mix, there was no 'local lockdown'

The following week, on October 14, the Government introduced a tier system and while much of the north of England was put under tougher restrictions, Devon was in Tier 1 and continued pretty much as normal, with bars and restaurants open, sport being played and people meeting outdoors.

But the month ended with England being placed into a second national lockdown as a result of rising cases, which had filtered into deaths occurring in the county for the first time in nearly two months.

November

On November 5, national restrictions were reintroduced in England. During the second national lockdown, non-essential high street businesses were closed, and people were banned from meeting those not in their support bubble inside. People could leave home to meet one person from outside their support bubble outside.

As the county endured its second national lockdown, infection rates initially rose from 88 per 100,000 at the start to 122 per 100,000 by the middle of the month, before falling to 77 per 100,000 at the end.

But as infections increased, the number of patients in hospital in Devon after a positive Covid-19 test rose to a higher number than at the peak of the pandemic.

As the lockdown ended, Devon was placed in Tier 2 – which allowed pubs and restaurants to reopen, but placed a ban on household mixing indoors.

December

On December 2, the tier system was reintroduced with modifications, restrictions on hospitality businesses were stricter and most places where initially placed in tier two and three areas, including the whole of Devon.

On December 19, the Prime Minister announced that a new 'tier four' would be introduced following concerns about a rising number of coronavirus cases attributed to a new variant of the virus. The tier four rules were like the national lockdown rules imposed during the second national lockdown.

By the middle of December, cases in Devon had begun to rise again, going over the 100 per 100,000 threshold by December 14 and ending the month at 163.6 per 100,000 population. Deaths hit levels in the county not seen since May.

The county briefly had a period in Tier 3, before England moved into its third national lockdown.

But despite the doubling of cases in most areas, Devon's eight districts all remained in the bottom 16 of 315 in England.

January

National restrictions were reintroduced for a third time on January 6, with people once again being told to stay at home, and leaving home for outdoor recreation banned again.

January 7 was Devon's worst day for new cases being confirmed, with 626 added to the database, with nearly 10,000 coronavirus cases in the county confirmed in the month. The week ending January 22 was the deadliest of the pandemic, with 99 deaths in Devon.

February

National restrictions remained in force throughout the month, but on February 22, Boris Johnson unveiled his roadmap out of lockdown, with the hope that all remaining legal limits on social contact could be dropped by June 21.

As the vaccination rollout gathered pace, as well as the effects of the lockdown, cases and deaths in the county begun to plummet, with deaths more than halving in the space of the month, and the end of the month seeing the start of the week with the lowest number of confirmed cases since the end of September.

March

On March 8, the first step out of lockdown was taken, with the return of schools and permission to spend time in outdoor public spaces for recreation, rather than just for exercise.

Cases across Devon have generally continued to fall with the county's infection rate of 18.6/100,000 (and falling) as low as it has been since mid-September.

On Sunday, just nine cases were confirmed in the Devon County Council area – the first recording of single figures since September 19.

The roadmap out of lockdown

March 29

Outdoor gatherings (including in private gardens) of either six people or two households will be allowed, making it easier for friends and families to meet outside.

Outdoor sports facilities and open-air swimming pools will be allowed to reopen, and people will be able to take part in formally organised outdoor sports.

The 'stay at home' rule will end on March 29.

Not before April 12

Step 2 will see the opening of non-essential retail; personal care premises such as hairdressers and nail salons; and public buildings, including libraries and community centres.

Indoor leisure facilities such as gyms will also reopen (but only for use by people on their own or in household groups); as will most outdoor attractions and settings including outdoor hospitality venues, zoos, theme parks, and drive-in cinemas. Self-contained accommodation such as campsites and holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, can also reopen.

Hospitality venues will be allowed to serve people outdoors at Step 2. There will be no need for customers to order a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks and no curfew, although customers must order, eat and drink while seated.

While funerals can continue with up to 30 mourners, the number of people able to attend weddings, receptions and commemorative events such as wakes will rise to 15.

Not before May 17

Most legal restrictions on meeting others outdoors will be lifted – although gatherings of over 30 people will remain illegal. Indoors, the Rule of six or two households will apply.

As soon as possible and by no later than Step 3, the Government also plans to update the advice on social distancing between friends and family, including hugging.

Although the advice has been to socially distance from anyone not in your household, it has never been law.

Indoor hospitality will reopen in Step 3, including cinemas and children's play areas; the rest of the accommodation sector, including hotels, hostels and B&Bs; and indoor adult group sports and exercise classes.

The government will also allow some larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues where crowds can be spread out. Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions and wakes, as well as funerals.

Not before June 21

The government will complete a review of social distancing and the other long-term measures put in place to cut transmission. This will inform decisions on the timing and circumstances under which the rules on 1 metre plus, the wearing of face coverings and other measures may be lifted, and guidance on working from home.

By Step 4, the government hopes to be able to remove all legal limits on social contact, allow remaining premises including nightclubs to reopen, and ease the restrictions on large events and performances.