A year on since Barrow had to call in the army to help set up a Covid recovery centre at a local school, councillors have reflected on how far the town has come during the pandemic.

Cases have dropped massively since the nation’s eyes turned on the town after it was highlighted by the Guardian, when according to Government figures Barrow had a rate of 882.2 for every 100,000 people – one of the worst in the country in May last year.

As of April 2, two new people had a confirmed Covid test result over the week from March 27 to April 2; 13 people had a confirmed positive test result.

This was down 48 per cent compared to the last seven-day period.

And, only last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock heaped praise on the area’s swift vaccine rollout, with Barrow being one of the best in the UK.

"I am delighted to inform you that Barrow Millom PCN is one of the best performing Covid vaccination teams in the country,” said Mr Hancock.

“With the highest total number of vaccinations in cohorts one-six of any PCN in Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust."

Councillor Bill McEwan said Barrow had come a ‘very, very long way’ and said he was proud of how the community had worked together throughout the pandemic.

“I think under the circumstances we’ve pulled together and worked in partnership,” he said.

“At one time we were among the highest, if not the worst, in the country with rates.

“Since then we’ve pulled together, we’ve set up the jabs.

“We’re really ahead on that and we’re one of the leaders on jabs in the country.

“I’ve had both my jabs now and we have done really well.

“Everybody has pulled together to get us where we are a year down the line.

“I’m very proud of the people in the community and as long as we keep it going now, we’re seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Councillor Alan Pemberton said the community had done 'an excellent job'.

“I think we’ve done excellently with the NHS and all the volunteers, the rotary clubs; everyone’s done an excellent job,” he said. “Really magnificent.

“I think we’ve definitely come a long way.

“I’ve had both of my injections now and both times they were excellent, the organisation was top class."

Councillor Frank Cassidy reflected on how Barrovians had been touched by the virus and warned ‘we are not out of the wood'.

“On Easter Monday it will be a year since a good mate of mine died from Covid-19 at Furness General Hospital and every family will have been affected in one way or another,” he said.

“But Barrovians are made of good material and our NHS staff, local authority officers, charity workers, third sector people and a small army of volunteers have performed heroics from day one.

“The Government's test-and-trace debacle wasted billions of pounds of taxpayers' money and it's a scandal that NHS workers were offered only a one per cent pay rise.

"Mortality rates have fallen and new infections continue to drop, but we are not yet out of the wood.”