Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in England (January–June 2020)

This timeline documents the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in England from January to June 2020, outlining key events, government responses, and public health measures.

January 2020

• 31 January: The first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the UK are reported. These patients, from a Chinese family, were diagnosed in York, England. They were quickly transferred to a specialist NHS infectious disease centre.

February 2020

• 6 February: A British businessman who contracted the virus in Singapore is identified as a "super-spreader" after transmitting the illness to several others while at a ski resort in France and later in the UK.
• 27 February: The first case of COVID-19 contracted within the UK is confirmed in Surrey, England. The patient had no known travel history to affected areas.
• 28 February: The first British death from COVID-19 is reported. The individual was on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship.

March 2020

• 5 March: The first death in England due to COVID-19 is recorded. The patient, with underlying health conditions, died at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.
• 12 March: The UK government moves from the "containment" phase to the "delay" phase of its COVID-19 response. This includes advising people with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature to self-isolate for seven days.
• 16 March: Prime Minister Boris Johnson advises against all non-essential travel and contact with others, and advises people to work from home where possible.
• 18 March: Schools, colleges, and nurseries across England are ordered to close, except for children of key workers and vulnerable children.
• 20 March: All pubs, restaurants, gyms, and other social venues are ordered to close.
• 23 March: A national lockdown is announced in England. People are instructed to stay at home except for very limited purposes, such as essential shopping, one form of exercise a day, medical needs, and essential work. Social gatherings of more than two people are banned.
• 26 March: Prince Charles tests positive for COVID-19.
• 27 March: Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19.
• 29 March: Dr. Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, warns that life may not return to normal for six months.

April 2020

• 5 April: Prime Minister Boris Johnson is admitted to hospital due to persistent COVID-19 symptoms.
• 6 April: Boris Johnson is moved to intensive care.
• 9 April: The government announces a scheme to pay 80% of the wages of furloughed workers, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.
• 12 April: Boris Johnson is discharged from hospital.
• 16 April: The UK's national lockdown is extended for at least another three weeks.
• 29 April: Captain Tom Moore, a 99-year-old World War II veteran, raises over £30 million for NHS Charities Together by walking laps of his garden.

May 2020

• 10 May: Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces a conditional plan for easing lockdown restrictions in England. The slogan "Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives" is replaced with "Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives."
• 13 May: Some lockdown restrictions are eased in England. People are allowed to exercise outdoors more than once a day, and those who cannot work from home are encouraged to return to work, if their workplace is COVID-secure.
• 15 May: The government publishes detailed guidance for businesses on how to make their workplaces COVID-secure.
• 22 May: Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) warns that the R number (the rate of infection) is dangerously close to 1 in some parts of the country.
• 28 May: The government announces that from 1 June, groups of up to six people can meet outdoors, as long as social distancing is observed.

June 2020

• 1 June: Some primary school children in England return to school.
• 15 June: Non-essential retail shops in England are allowed to reopen, subject to social distancing measures.
• 23 June: The government announces further easing of lockdown restrictions, to take effect from 4 July, including the reopening of pubs, restaurants, and hairdressers, and a reduction in the social distancing rule from 2 metres to "1 metre plus."