Exactly a year on from the start of the first lockdown, we’ve taken a look at how key coronavirus stats from that day compare to the latest data.

Infection rates

There had been just 61 cases across the whole of Norfolk by the time the first lockdown was declared on March 23 last year.

The highest number of cases was in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, where 11 had been recorded by March 23.

Another 10 cases were recorded in Breckland, while Norwich and South Norfolk each had nine. Meanwhile, Broadland had seen eight cases, and Great Yarmouth and North Norfolk each had seven.

On the first day of the first lockdown the rate of infections for the whole county was 6.7 per 100,000.

That is much lower than today. The latest data is from March 17, when Norfolk’s infection rate was 35 cases per 100,000 people.

However, the lack of widespread testing during the first wave means the number of cases in Norfolk a year ago was probably much higher.

At the moment, King’s Lynn and West Norfolk has the highest rate of infections, at 56 per 100,000 people, followed by Breckland on 52. There were 323 new cases in the week up to March 17, a slight increase on the week before.

In Suffolk the infection rate on this day last year was 8.3 compared to 37 as of March 17.

Beds

By March 23 last year 44 virus patients were in beds across Norfolk’s hospitals.

The highest number of beds was taken up at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital (NHUH), where 37 beds were occupied.

The latest data on hospital bed occupancy goes up to March 16, when 29 virus patients were in hospital beds across Norfolk - lower than the first wave.

The highest level of bed occupancy was on January 15 this year, when 752 beds were occupied.

How many in hospital?

Public Health England started collecting data on virus hospital admission on March 19 last year.

Over the next four days 33 people were taken to Norfolk hospitals, with four patients admitted on March 23.

Hospital admissions in the county peaked on January 12, 2021, when they hit 118.

The latest hospital admissions data is for March 14, when jut three people were admitted across Norfolk’s hospitals.