Sharjah24 – AFP: Britain on Tuesday marks the anniversary of its first coronavirus lockdown with a "National Day of Reflection", which will see parliament hold a minute's silence in tribute to the more than 126,000 people who have died.

"A year on, it is right that we take a moment to reflect on what we as a nation have been through," said Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons. 

"None of us has escaped the ordeal of Covid-19 -- from the shock of having our liberty taken away, to the heartbreak of losing someone we loved," he added.

Lawmakers from both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will fall silent to pay tribute to "the many lives lost and the families that mourn them" and to thank frontline health workers.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered an initial three-week lockdown on March 23, 2020 as the pandemic took hold, shutting "non-essential" shops and services, and banning gatherings of more than two people. 

"From this evening, I must give the British people a very simple instruction -- you must stay at home," Johnson told the nation a year ago. 

"Because the critical thing we must do is stop the disease spreading between households."

The country's death toll at that time was 335. A year later it stands at 126,172. 

Justifying his action at the time, the British leader called the pandemic "the biggest threat this country has faced for decades" and said the state-run National Health Service (NHS) would be unable to cope without radical measures.