NHS workers react at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the last day of the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, May 28, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Coombs
LONDON (Reuters) – Britons took to their doorsteps and balconies on Thursday to show their appreciation for health workers on the front line of the coronavirus crisis, in what could be the last such celebration.
The ‘Clap for Carers’ initiative has for the last 10 weeks been an emotional moment of solidarity among citizens enduring sweeping social restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 – a virus which now has a death toll of over 48,000 in Britain.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, fresh from announcing a limited easing of the lockdown, clapped outside his Downing Street office. Others across the country joined in, with TV footage showing people banging pots, clapping and cheering.
The woman credited with inspiring the first event, Annemarie Plas, has suggested that this should be the last week of clapping to make sure that the weekly ritual ends on a high. There has been no official announcement on the matter.
Reporting by William James