Singaporeans are planning a round of applause tonight for the medical workers, cleaners, supermarket employees and others working hard to keep the country going amid the coronavirus outbreak.
A call has gone out for people to clap their hands from their homes – from windows, doors or balconies – to show solidarity at 8pm tonight. The campaign was launched by a man named Martin Verga after a similar phenomenon in the United Kingdom has spread to cities around the world. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who has contracted COVID-19, was seen in a video clapping in public to show support for the country’s public health care workers.
The video was posted to Johnson’s Twitter page with the hashtags #clapforourcarers and #clapforNHS – referring to the acronym for the nation’s public healthcare system.
“After watching highlights of the UK population #Clapforourcarers #ClapforNHS on Thursday night in an emotional setting, I believe we can do our own version of this for Singapore! For the doctors, nurses, carers, emergency services, delivery workers, warehouse workers, cleaners, supermarket staff and everyone else keeping Singapore safe and stocked at this time. We will be forever grateful,” details of the event page read.
“So how about it, Monday 30th March, 8pm, out of your windows, doors or balconies of your home we can clap as loud as we can to #SGUnited and let the people getting us through this tough situation be appreciated.”
Around 4,000 people have registered interest in clapping for the city-state tonight.
COVID-19 has infected 844 people and killed three in Singapore. The third fatality was a 70-year-old man with a history of hypertension and hyperlipidaemia who died at around noon yesterday. He had tested positive March 2.
New clusters of infections centering the SingPost Center shopping mall and a bridal company in Yishun have also emerged.
We’ll never walk alone #เสียงปรบมือคือกำลังใจ pic.twitter.com/rFpF2AaqfG
— Kritsana Ritnarong (@denkitsana) March 29, 2020
Thais #ClapForOurCarers on Sunday night
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