Confused clappers took to the streets tonight to pay tribute to NHS workers, after ‘missing the memo’ that last week’s clap for carers was intended to be the last.
People took to social media shortly after 8pm after they were surprised to find themselves clapping alone at their doorsteps, with many not realising that last Thursday’s clap was ‘officially’ the last.
The event saw widespread weekly support after beginning at 8pm on March 25, however organiser Annemarie Plas, 36, a Dutch national living in south London, called for last Thursday’s event, the tenth week, to be the last as ‘it is good to stop it at its peak’.
Warrington police officers PC Evans and PC Davies stopped for a clap while doing their neighbourhood beat in Latchford, despite last week’s ‘final’ clap
Ms Willemse tweeted that she hadn’t realised the last clap was intended to be last Thursday
Emily Powell said she had also ‘missed that memo’ that clap for carers had ended
Another Twitter user praised her neighbour’s perseverance at continuing to set up a sound system to sing on Thursday night in torrential rain
Tonight a limited number of people continued the tribute, unaware of the founder’s intentions for last week’s last hurrah.
However many saw the funny side as they found themselves clapping to an empty street.
Ms Willemse tweeted: ‘Was the only ****head clapping tonight. Apparently last week was the last one… Well I still love the NHS, and all the other key workers who kept us going.’
Student Emily Powell tweeted: ‘Am I the only one who didn’t realise #clapforcarers was over? I definitely missed that memo. Where do people get their info from?!’
Keith Derham shared that he just did not realise he would be the only one clapping, tweeting: ‘Yeah, I was the only one out on my street before realising last week was the final one. #clapforcarers’.
A family outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, south west London, join in applause during a Clap for carers to recognise and support NHS workers. Thursday June 4, 2020
A woman outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital joins in applause during a Clap for carers. Thursday June 4
Keith Derham shared that he was the only one on his street applauding after not being informed it had ended
Louise Buttery said she and her household still did the clap as ‘the virus hasn’t gone, the NHS are still working’
David Guffick from Helston tweeted that he had continued to clap but found the streets ‘much quieter’
Jillian Kowalchuk questioned whether it was really over and said she had been outside the window clapping tonight
One woman found humour in her neighbour’s perseverance, who continued to set up a sound system to sing on Thursday night in torrential rain.
She tweeted: ‘I can’t believe the neighbour that sets up her sound system to sing every Thursday night after the clap for carers is at it again tonight. Never let the torrential rain and the fact the clap is over stop your attempt at going viral. That’s true graft right there.’
Louise Buttery said she and her household still did the clap, tweeting: ‘Well we still did!!! The virus hasn’t gone, the NHS are still working their a**** off, care home staff are still caring and we are still grateful for everything.’
Annemarie Plas, the founder of the Clap for Carers event, joins members of the public for Thursday’s applause, which was the tenth weekly clap and intended to be the last
Lancaster City Council also took the opportunity for ‘one last thank you’ to ‘covid champions’
Explaining her reasoning for ending the event clap for carers’ founder Ms Plas said: ‘Without getting too political, I share some of the opinions that some people have about it becoming politicised.
‘I think the narrative is starting to change and I don’t want the clap to be negative.’
Some clappers said they had continued to mark the clap with privates salutes in their homes tonight as they felt that last week’s ‘official’ end to the event had come too soon – as health workers continue to battle coronavirus on the frontline.
Stay positive: Kate Garraway, her son Billy, 10, and daughter Darcey, 14, clapped for carers on Thursday night as her critically-ill husband Derek continues his fight against coronavirus
Hope: The television personality wrote: ‘No official #clapforcarers tonight but we just wanted have our own mini one as our heart felt thanks go on to all fighting to keep Derek with us’
Kate Garraway, 53, her son Billy, 10, and daughter Darcey, 14, clapped for carers tonight as her critically-ill husband Derek, 52, continues his fight against coronavirus in intensive care, where he is in a coma.
The Good Morning Britain host took to Instagram to share a video of herself and her children applauding key workers in her kitchen with the caption: ‘No official #clapforcarers tonight but we just wanted have our own mini one as our heart felt thanks go on to all fighting to keep Derek with us.’
The clap became a point of contention after Doctors and other key medical workers said they felt the event had become politicised.
Others appeared to be upset by the lack of participation, tweeting ‘I guess we’ve all stopped caring. Typical’
Holly Jane said that she was ‘disappointed’ in her street for not partaking in the clap and said as the pandemic was ongoing people should clap for carers who ‘deserve recognition’
Tracey Douglas questioned why the clap for carers had stopped as ‘they haven’t stopped caring for us!’
Tweeting before last week’s final clap NHS doctor Meenal Viz said: ‘As a doctor, I’ve appreciated your support during Clap for carers.
‘But instead of clapping tonight at 8pm, I’ll observe silence in remembrance of my 237 colleagues who have died during the pandemic.’
Dr Viz, 27, who has worked on the front line during the coronavirus pandemic, said she supported ending the event last week amid concerns it has become too political.
She said the weekly applause had started from everybody showing gratitude for the NHS, showing their love for ‘this amazing healthcare system’.
‘But it went from that to being a stunt that the politicians chose to do,’ she added.
Twitter user Gordon McIntosh warned that by stopping clap for carers some would be missing out on a ‘social connection which they may not have through the rest of the week’ during challenging periods of isolation.
In Falkirk, Scotland, a young bagpiper continued to pay his tributes with a song at 8pm tonight
Gordon McIntosh warned that by stopping clap for carers some would be missing out on a ‘social connection which they may not have through the rest of the week’ during isolation
Reiss Atkins assumed that people had just forgot to clap this week or were ‘doing something better’