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What started as an idea on social media has turned into a daily nationwide tribute to the healthcare professionals working tirelessly to help a nation fighting coronavirus.
In Portugal, at 10pm, people are taking to their balconies and windows and joining in on a nationwide standing ovation as a thankyou to all the healthcare professionals who are working around the clock to help stop the spread of the virus.
In the dark of the night, with strict closing times in place for most commercial establishments, including bars and nightclubs, the applause echoed through the unusually quiet streets of the country.
Emotional videos are circulating on social media, filmed in several cities and towns across the country, showing people giving healthcare professionals a round of applause, from their windows and balconies.
A social media post did the rounds asking people to applaude the professionals, from their homes, at 10pm.
Portugal: standing ovation across the country by the people quarantined at home to say #ObrigadoSNS, thank you to the National Health Service and its brave and selfless staff. Very moving. And very much deserved. #SNSpic.twitter.com/tkUDszuHDU
Portugal has a strong national health service that is struggling right now to face #COVIDー19 . Today, at 10pm, portuguese people thanked the tireless work of the medical staff. United we can win this pandemic 🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/GHpEKbQgme
There are calls on social media for the round of applause to be repeated, nationwide, every night at 10pm, while the country fights the virus.
The westernmost country in Europe is a popular tourist destination and, while its situation is not quite as dire as Italy, it has now moved into a strict containement plan as it fights the spread of the virus.
Pelas ruas de Portugal, o apoio aos profissionais de saúde que lutam contra o #COVID19PT. Estou de urgência no Hospital de Braga e sinto-me emocionado com a força do povo português. OBRIGADO A TODOS! pic.twitter.com/cW5nIIdVZW
The plan includes self-isolation, shutting down of schools, limited access to malls and other public spaces, among other measures. Visits to hospital patients and retirement homes are also being gradually reduced.
