In its edition of October 22, 2020, the Herald reported: "Residents in Waverley are facing tougher restrictions on their everyday lives, with a surge in Covid-19 cases leaving the borough teetering on the brink of Tier 2."

The report explained, "The new three-tier system sees every area of England classed as one of three categories, depending on the rate of infection in that area: medium (Tier 1), high (Tier 2), or very high (Tier 3). Waverley is currently in Tier 1. But under the more restrictive Tier 2, households would be barred from mixing indoors – not only in people’s homes but also in pubs and restaurants."

As the pandemic evolved, so did the UK's restrictions. By mid-2020, the initial national lockdown had been replaced by local 'tiered' lockdowns.

But in November 2020, with Covid cases spiralling out of control, England entered a second national lockdown. This lockdown lasted for four weeks, during which non-essential businesses closed, and people were urged to stay at home except for essential reasons. Social interactions were heavily restricted, with indoor gatherings largely banned.

After the lockdown, the government reinstated the local tiered system in December 2020, with Waverley moving into Tier 2 and later Tier 3. These tiers imposed stricter rules, including bans on indoor mixing between households.

The rapid spread of a new virus variant led to the introduction of Tier 4 in late December, which resembled a full lockdown, and in January 2021, a third national lockdown was implemented, lasting until restrictions eased in spring 2021.

The pandemic deeply affected everyone’s lives locally. The lockdowns, social distancing measures, and constant changes made it a challenging time.

The Mayor of Farnham in 2020, Councillor Pat Evans, noted: "We are blessed to live in a town that has such a special community that can be relied upon to pull together during times of need."