As Barbadians are being invited to join others elsewhere in the world to applaud health care workers and first responders on the frontline of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the organisers of the initiative plan to take it beyond applause to something more substantial.
The next Clap Barbados is scheduled for tomorrow evening at 6 p.m., as some people indicated that the 8 p.m. time was too late, spokeswoman Sally Clarke told Barbados TODAY.
She urged Barbadians to “come out and clap for these hardworking Barbadians on the frontlines of this pandemic, and if you don’t want to come out of your home, you can always stay inside and say a prayer for them”.
She told Barbados TODAY: “Last week’s support was unbelievable; it was truly overwhelming and breathtaking given the fact we had only thought about it five days before. I was shocked at how quickly the word got around and we received videos from all over the island showing Barbadians taking part in our salute to health care workers.”
Clarke said health care workers will get the primary applause throughout, but this week Clap Barbados will honour the Royal Barbados Police Force, Barbados Defence Force, Barbados Fire Service, Customs and Excise Department as well as Barbados Prison Service and staff from the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
“Next week, we will clap for all the workers who are out there at this time, without singling out any specific group, since there are a lot of people in all sectors who are still on the road every day under these circumstances. Eventually, we want to salute health care workers throughout the Caribbean as well,” she said.
Clarke, who started Clap Barbados along with Ronald Beard and Derek Waithe, said that within another week they will launch a venture to take support for Barbadians during the pandemic to a more tangible level.
She said: “We are starting a non-profit organisation to raise funds which will help people who are out of work after COVID-19, to take some pressure off the welfare system. We will be opening an account and setting up an organisation with a chairman and other measures in place so we can help the needy.”
