In Italy, people are singing from balconies during the lockdown to bring up morale.
And Clap For #SGUnited is asking Singaporeans to do the same thing, except instead of singing, we shall clap wholeheartedly instead.
#SGUnited: Clap For S’pore
A British expat in Singapore, Martin Verga, is calling for Singaporeans to come together and show appreciation for Singapore’s frontline workers.
How? By standing at their windows, balconies or doors and clapping loudly on On 30 Mar 2020 at 8pm (tonight).
This applause is for everyone who’s been helping to keep Singapore safe and stocked during this tough time, from doctors and nurses to cleaners, warehouse workers and more.
So far, there are 2,400 people who have indicated that they are joining the event, with 3,500 people who showed interest.
Inspired By Britain & Other Countries
According to Timeout, Martin was inspired by the #ClapForNHS movement that happened last Thursday where millions of Britons applauded for the National Health Service.
The #ClapForCarers heard out across London ????#clapforNHS #clapforourcarers pic.twitter.com/AXfKyhZfpg
— Mr. Hello^??????????? (@MrHello1966) March 27, 2020
And it’s not just in the UK.
According to this Twitter user, the residents in Madrid claps for their country’s health care workers and essential service providers from their balconies every evening.
Madrid residents lauding the country’s health care workers and essential service providers from their balconies. This happens here every evening and it’s really uplifting – even if for 5 minutes. #SpainLockDown #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/Tviuvr5Qau
— pratiksha ghildial? (@p_ghildial) March 24, 2020
Martin, the organiser of Clap For #SGUnited, says he’s always felt that the sense of community in Singapore is “amazing”.
And he hopes that our frontline workers will experience something “magical” tonight.
Join If You Possibly Can
I’m sure there are many people out there who are extremely thankful to the workers who’s been working tirelessly to keep Singapore safe.
Yet not all of us can afford to donate to the #SGUnited Portal or send free food to hospitals to thank nurses and doctors.
With the Clap For #SGUnited movement, you don’t need to donate a single cent or a single chicken wing.
Instead, all you need to do is to set an alarm for 8pm, go to your door and clap to show your appreciation.
After all, the purpose of showing appreciation is to help keep these brave people’s spirits up.
And what is more uplifting than seeing millions of Singaporeans clapping in their own homes, and knowing that they’re doing it for you?
You can check out the Facebook event page here if you’re interested to know more.
Other Ways To Show Support For S’pore Frontline Workers
Besides clapping, is there anything else we can do for these people?
For one, you can donate to The Courage Fund.
First established in 2003, this fund is used to help Singaporeans affected by Covid-19.
These include vulnerable individuals and families, including healthcare workers, frontline workers and volunteers, affected by the COVID-19 situation. You can find more information here.
According to Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee, the fund has received more than $5.9 million in donations and will be used to help “support patients, healthcare and front-line workers, vulnerable Singaporeans and the families of Covid-19 victims”.
Help Lighten Their Workload
Another way to show appreciation, or support, for these workers is to lighten their workload.
No, not by becoming a nurse.
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But simply by obeying the safe distancing measures in Singapore, making sure to follow all precautions and obeying the rules will go a long way in alleviating their workload.
Imagine if 100% of people in Singapore follows the rules and regulations? The covid-19 transmission will be cut down and healthcare workers can have less workload.
Also, practise responsible buying and don’t panic buy so that warehouse workers don’t have to work overtime in order to keep the shelves stocked.
Supermarket cashiers can also (finally) have time to go to the toilet from time to time.
Clapping for these workers takes 5 minutes from your time, at most. But to help them substantially? All we need to do is to make sure we do our part.
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In the meantime, keep yourself updated by bookmarking MOH’s website here and registering for the Gov.sg’s WhatsApp service here.
And you can help out in contact tracing by downloading the TraceTogether app.
