Key COVID-19 Events and PERC activities between March and December 2020

By toniadef

  • First recorded COVID death in the UK; number of COVID cases in the UK exceeds 100 (115)

  • Activity: Gain rapid insight into the public's understanding, attitudes and behavioural responses to the COVID-19 outbreak in order to inform research activity/priorities + establish a network for ongoing engagement

    Activity type: Qualtrics survey

  • UK's COVID risk is raised from moderate to high; those with a cough or fever are told by the government to isolate for 7 days; non-essential travel and large gatherings are advised against by the PM

  • Activity: Explore UK adult's risk perceptions and behavioural responses during the early phase of the pandemic

    Activity type: YouGov
    Activity held over the 17th - 18th March

  • GPs asked to identify vulnerable patients and send out shielding guidance

    Took place 21st March - start of April

  • Lockdown measures are legally enforced

    NB: 23rd March: lockdown was announced

  • Activity: Gaining insight and opinions on digital contact tracing and communicating the outbreak to the public

    Activity type: virtual focus group

  • Prime Minister tests positive for COVID

    PM is hospitalised between 6th and 12th April

  • Activity: Gaining insight and opinions on shielding and following shielding guidance

    Activity type: virtual focus group

  • Lockdown is extended for 'at least three weeks'

  • Activity: Gaining insight and opinions on antibody testing to inform the REACT study

    Activity type: virtual focus group

  • Prime Minister gives conditional plan for lifting lockdown

  • Chief Adviser Dominic Cummings is revealed to have travelled 250 miles to North East England during the lockdown by the Daily Mirror and the Guardian

  • Gradual easing of lockdown measures

    Measures eased throughout June
    Easing includes phased return to school, relaxing of 2m physical distancing rules and non-essential shops reopening

  • Activity: Gaining insight and opinions on the acceptability of antibody testing on children and young people to inform possible implementation

    Activity type: Qualtrics survey
    Activity carried out between 18th and 21st June

  • Activity: Life during lockdown: re-exploring experiences, behaviours and perceptions of risk during the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK

    Activity type: Qualtrics survey
    Activity was carried out between 19th June and 3rd July

  • Activity: Gaining insight and opinions on HIV care

    Activity type: virtual focus group

  • Activity: Modelling COVID-19 Q&A

    Activity type: Q&A session

  • Health Inequalities Q&A

    Activity type: Q&A session

  • Activity: Antibody Testing (REACT-2) Q&A

    Activity type: Q&A session

  • Eat Out to Help Out (50% discount on food and drink) is implemented

    Activity type: Q&A session
    Scheme was run between the 3rd and 31st August

  • Activity: Developing a Vaccine Q&A

    Activity type: Q&A session

  • Further easing of COVID-19 restrictions

    Easing took place from mid to late August

  • COVID-19 restrictions are slowly reintroduced as rate of COVID infections increase rapidly

    Measures include banning of indoor and outdoor gatherings, 10pm curfews for hospitality and work from home measures

  • Activity: Human Challenge Study

    Activity Types: YouGov survey, Qualtrics survey & virtual focus group
    Activities took place between 8th - 13th October

  • Introduction of three tier system of COVID-19 restrictions in England

  • Second lockdown is instated

    PM announced second lockdown on 31st October

  • Second lockdown ends - return to three tier system

  • Tier 4 restrictions are rolled out

    21st December: South East England + London
    26th December: other areas of the UK