Families remember loved ones lost to Covid on one year anniversary of lockdown

By Rachael Burford, Local Democracy Reporter

Londoners today remembered the loved ones they have lost to coronavirus and said lessons must be learnt from the pandemic.

More than 15,000 people in the capital have died with the virus in the year since the country was plunged into its first national lockdown on March 23 2020.

Families said being unable to come together to grieve because of restrictions has been one of the most difficult parts of the last year.

Mother-of-five Sharon Beaumont, 42, from Croydon, caught Covid in mid-March 2020.

She was rushed to hospital by her husband Mark at 4am on March 24 when she was struggling to breathe. The family made the agonising decision to turn off life support on April 11.

Mrs Beaumont eldest daughter Laura said today: “It has been a very hard. Mum was such a beautiful and kind person.

I don’t think it has really hit us all that she’s gone because we haven’t been able to come together properly to process it.”

She added: “It might have just been better to have us locked down earlier and for longer.

When there was the second wave I just became really scared for my dad and other family.”

Leading NHS eye doctor and father-of-six Paul Kabasele, 58, died from coronavirus at Kings College Hospital on April 24.

His brother Charles Mwambi said that “he may still be alive today” if the first lockdown had been brought in earlier.

He added: “We are heartbroken it’s been such a difficult year. His death has left a huge hole in our lives.

Dr Kabasele, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, had worked at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

Before his death he recorded a video warning of the dangers of coronavirus.

Mr Mwambi said: “Maybe if we had locked down earlier he would have been alive today, so many people were getting Covid and passing it on in those early days. His video tried to educate people. Some people don’t believe Covid is a thing still, it’s so sad.”

Charity worker Josephine Mukanjira, 38, was found dead with Covid in her home in Rainham, east London, on April 17 having been self-isolating.

Fears were raised for her welfare when she did not attend an online memorial ceremony for friend Mona Mahmoud, 42, an interpreter for charity Citizens UK who died from Covid a week earlier.

They had worked together at the charity, based in Whitechapel.

Friend Bekele Woyecha said her family, who live in Uganda, have not been able to come to the UK and could not attend her funeral.

“It hasn’t been easy,” he said. “We’ve all lost close friends, family and colleagues and have not been able to come together. Josephine was supporting some of her family in Uganda so we are still thinking of ways we can help.

Pictured top: Josephine Mukanjira