In Budapest, more and more people are showing their appreciation towards those who are fighting against the coronavirus on the “frontlines” in and out of the hospitals – doctors, nurses, emergency services, and police – by applauding from their windows and balconies at 8pm every evening. The National Ambulance Service has returned the kindness with a little show that they broadcasted live on their social media sites, while police officers read bedtime stories to children to thank them for their support and that people “are keeping them safe by staying at home.”
The office workers of the Ambulance Service thanked the public for their support and for staying home, as well as for the daily evening applause at 8 pm for all the healthcare workers who fight the coronavirus on the “frontlines.”
On Wednesday, broadcasted live on the official Facebook page of the National Ambulance Service, several of their office workers danced in an area in front of a block of flats in Budapest. They captioned the video with “thank you for staying home for us,” which has become a kind of motto of healthcare workers during the pandemic.
The video, broadcasted live just minutes before the usual applause started at 8pm, featured the hit song ‘Macarena’ from the 90s, to which ambulance staff even danced along with the popular and well known dance moves. Then they sang the song “Szállj fel magasra” (Fly high) from Hungarian band Piramis.
They said to the audience:
“Hundreds of our colleagues, paramedics, emergency service officers, nurses, and drivers of the National Ambulance Service are grateful to you for taking care of us by staying at home. We can only defeat the virus together!”
The police also thanked the constant support of the public on their Facebook page. Almost every police officer who has a little free time voluntarily participates in an initiative, part of which every day a police officer reads a bedtime story to children and then posts them on the social media site of the Police. With the initiative, they want to help parents who stay at home with their children and help curb the spread of the virus. The police have already posted a series of stories on their Facebook page.
Today, on Friday, police Lieutenant Bettina Szabó, tells the bedtime story, The Princess and the Pea by Hans Christian Andersen.
Police spokesperson Melinda Hegyesi said that at first they will only make videos during the time of the pandemic, but because of the enormous amount of interest, it is possible that they will continue the bedtime stories after the state of emergency ends. The police said that they thought that “in addition to our day-to-day work, we would also like to help to make this period a little easier for the small ones and parents as well. Therefore, with all the love in our hearts, we are reading a fairy tale every day from now on.”
featured photo: MTI/Bruzák Noémi