海角大神

It began with one clap, then two, then three 鈥� then dozens resonated in unison above the streets of Boston on April 3, 2020 as part of the #ClapBecauseWeCare initiative encouraging people around the globe to pause and show appreciation and encouragement for essential workers helping to fight the coronavirus outbreak.

While some people simply clap as others sing, cheer, or bang pots, the intention is clear: a "thank you" to those tirelessly working to care for the ill, keep grocery stores open, and city streets safe.

Community cheer events first started in Wuhan, China, in mid-January when quarantine measures took effect. Then the practice took off in Italy, where residents added singing and waving flags. As the pandemic swept the globe, citizens around the world have continued cheering together.听

The sounds of gratitude can be heard from听. France, Spain, Canada, England, Italy, Turkey, and India have all been clapping in unison regularly these past few weeks 鈥� even the British royals from inside Kensington Royal Palace joined the movement.听

Usually organized through local social media groups, there are little instructions other than enthusiasm and gratitude.

鈥淔eeling frustrated sitting at home, while others are risking their lives on the frontlines of the coronavirus outbreak? Well, there is something you can do as you continue 鈥� hopefully 鈥撎齭elf-quarantining,鈥� says the听听for Massachusetts, which hopes to draw people to cheer every Friday evening at 7 p.m. 鈥淐lap. That鈥檚 right, clap for the health care workers, first responders, nurses, grocery store employees, those keeping our public transit running, truck drivers & many more who are stepping up to keep us safe during these unprecedented times.鈥�

Many city neighborhoods are also breaking into song, such as this rendition of 鈥淟ean on Me鈥� that reverberated across the skyline in a New York neighborhood, a timely tribute to its composer Bill Withers, who died on March 30:

鈥淚t warms my heart. It has been really good to hear. I know people are grateful for my friends on the front lines doing this work,鈥� mental health nurse Matt Mendelow, who is quarantined in his apartment as he recovers from COVID-19, told . 鈥淟ike clockwork, the last few nights there鈥檚 been this intense noise hooting and hollering.鈥�

And the cheers don't come solely from outside hospitals. In a video from the听Sant Joan de D茅u Hospital of Barcelona, hospital staff can be seen 鈥� reminding everyone of their importance in this battle. In another video, workers in a Spanish hospital gather to give a round of applause after their and left the facility.听

In some cases, health care workers themselves are singing between shifts. Dr. Elvis Francois of the Mayo Clinic 听on YouTube wearing hospital scrubs, as a colleague accompanies on the piano. And in a hospital in Cambridge, England, a nursing apprentice sings "Rise Up," by Andra Day, on the piano, a :听"All we need, all we need is hope.听And for that we have each other."

Editor鈥檚 note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It鈥檚 free.听