Next month will mark the one year anniversary since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

When the Prime Minister Boris Johnson locked down the UK on March 23rd 2020, I don’t think any of us anticipated the difficult journey that lay ahead.

In the past 12 months we have all experienced huge changes to our day to day lives, and sadly far too many people have suffered loss and hardship.

Being in the midst of our third lockdown, and still unable to spend time with family and friends, it is little wonder that some people are still feeling down and overwhelmed by our circumstances. However, it is important that we keep in mind the huge advances we have made in tackling this awful virus since March last year.

At the start of the pandemic there was so much uncertainty, no clear route to a solution, and consequently households throughout the country were filled with fear and angst.  

Fast forward to now, February 2021, and people here in North Wales, and indeed across the entire UK, are being vaccinated at speed.

Last week North Wales achieved its first vaccination target. A huge achievement providing us all with confidence that better times are on the horizon.  

The large majority of over 70s and those on the shielding list have received their first jab, and second doses are now being rolled out.

All NHS staff, military personnel and volunteers involved in this mammoth vaccine operation deserve huge praise.

I had the honour of meeting some of them when I recently visited the Mass Vaccination Centre at the Rainbow Hospital in Llandudno, the busiest vaccination centre in the whole of North Wales.

The team there are working flat out to ensure people are protected from Covid and I can’t thank them enough for what they are all doing. They have been dealt a huge task, but they are dealing with it efficiently and swiftly and anyone due to be vaccinated at the centre can rest assured that they will receive the best service.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has now started vaccinating the following priority groups, which it aims to complete by the Welsh Government’s target date of 30th April. They are being contacted automatically by the NHS in order of priority: 

• All those 65 years of age and over
• All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with health conditions that make them vulnerable to Covid-19
• All those 60 years of age and over
• All those 55 years of age and over
• All those 50 years of age and over

There is undoubtedly still a way to go until we reach the light at the end of the tunnel, but thankfully it is definitely getting brighter.

We have all made huge sacrifices to protect ourselves and our loved ones from Covid and it is crucially important that we do not give up now.

We all want this lockdown to be the very last, so it is important that we all play our part to ensure that it is.