Lancashire woman's petition for national holiday to remember Covid victims

A woman from Lancashire has launched a parliamentary petition calling on the Government to introduce an annual national holiday on March 23, to remember those who lost their battle with Covid-19.

Rachael Lidgett's dad Christopher Cooper died of Covid in December aged 63. He was healthy with no underlying health conditions.

The sight of him walking through the hospital doors in his dressing gown on November 22 was the last time his family would see him before he lost his battle with the virus.

Within two days he had been moved to the intensive care unit, then nine days later he was hooked up to a ventilator relying on 100 per cent oxygen to breathe.

The loss of her dad inspired Rachael to set up the new petition, in a bid to urge the Government to consider a national holiday to remember those who died of the virus in years to come.

At 10,000 signatures, the Government will respond, and at 100,000 it will be debated in parliament.

"I knew that I wanted to try and do something to make a difference. This pandemic is going to be in history books in years to come and children will be learning about this in schools," she said.

"I want people to sign the petition and help to share it. If every person who has lost somebody to Covid in this country signed it and got on board, we would be close to the 100,000 mark. If nothing else, I will be happy that people are talking about the impact this has head and the devastation it can leave behind."

To sign Rachael's petition click here: petition