A year today since first cases of coronavirus detected in Lancashire
Since then hundreds of thousands of people have received their vaccination.
Last updated 4th Mar 2021
Today marks exactly one year since the first cases of coronavirus were detected in Lancashire.
They were identified in South Ribble on 4th March 2020 and as numbers rapidly escalated across the country, less than three weeks later we found ourselves in a nationwide lockdown.
Since last spring, the county has lost thousands of lives to the pandemic, faced months of restrictions and has been one of the hardest hit places in the country over lockdown.
Tushar Das from Blackpool almost lost his life to the virus. He spent 84 days at Blackpool Victoria Hospital and three weeks in an induced coma.
At one stage, his family were told to prepare for the worst. Thankfully, he's now back at home recovering and has been praising the NHS staff that saved his life: "Without them I wouldn't be here, without their dedication, their hard work, their compassion, they're selfless people.
"The patient care and welfare is put before their own in many cases. You can't buy that kind of service.
"They're superheroes as far as I'm concerned. You can forget your footballers and your actors and pop stars, they're nothing compared to what these people do. Without everybody there I wouldn't be here today."
One person who has been at the forefront of Lancashire's ever changing picture over the pandemic is the County Council's Public Health Director Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, he told us: "I wouldn't want to wish a pandemic on any other Director of Public Health.
"How it has affected me personally, I mean my family has gone through a lot of sacrifice, my children haven't seen their dad properly, and I've missed watching them growing up.
"But in my role as Director of Public Health, I've been very very lucky to be working alongside such brilliant colleagues. I feel much more closer to the people of Lancashire than I have ever been."
Dr Karunanithi told us what it was like when he heard Lancashire had detected its first cases: "Well that day was quite a significant day, we knew we were stepping into a completely different world, but we didn't think this would be affecting us in the way it has done.
"I've been living it as well as watching it, Lancashire is my home.
"What I have experienced is what I like to call the 'true Lancastrian spirit' in the face of adversity.
"It's been a true Lancastrian experience of a place where I think everybody has mattered.
"It just reminds us of how fragile life can be as well and thinking about all the families that have gone through loss, it's quite a deep moment."