“Today at 21:00 let's open windows, pause for 30 seconds and say “Thank you!” and applaud our medics, police, teachers, pharmacists, salespeople and news journalists and everyone who keeps going despite the circumstances,” says the event description.
PALDIES!!! Latvijas iedzīvotāji ar aplausiem saka paldies mūsu mediķiem, policistiem, pārdevējiem un visiem, kas pašaizliedzīgi turpina darbu ārkārtējās situācijas laikā. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/XKqpbLSk4W
— LTV Ziņu dienests (@ltvzinas) March 19, 2020
Various musical campaigns have been organized in European countries to show solidarity during the Covid-19 novel coronavirus pandemic by playing instruments and singing the anthem and other popular songs. These campaigns have been dubbed “balcony music”. One of the most “viral” hits has been a quarantined Italian opera singer in Florence serenading his neighbors every evening. Italy has currently surpassed China to become the infection hotspot.
In many locations the people gather at their windows and balconies at 6:00 p.m. when the statistics on numbers of infections and deaths are announced, but much of the singing continues into the night. These campaigns promote positivity while thanking emergency workers during self-quarantine, social distancing and other restrictive measures. Frequently shy Latvians are known to love singing, so maybe eventually the country will also make the jump from clapping to singing!
