UK’s Covidiots Took to Streets to Clap for Essential Workers. Déjà Vu, Indians?

If there is one thing Indians have in common with the British, it is the ability to turn into covidiots.

In a bid to commemorate frontline workers who have been fighting the battle against coronavirus in the United Kingdom for four straight days, citizens on Thursday took to streets at 8 pm to clap for the fourth week in a row.

Called 'Clap for Carers', the mass clapping and applause is intended to cheer NHS staff and essential workers. Like in the past four weeks, this Thursday also saw people in the UK taking part in the clapping.

Amid the pall of over 13,700 deaths, many found their way out to their balconies, gardens, and rooftops to cheer the workers. However, in some places like Westminster bridge in London, things might have got a bit out of hand with locals taking to streets to celebrate.

The video was posted by a doctor who also tweeted later that he was "perplexed" by the lack of social distancing. He was not the only one. Another Twitter user posted a photo of a crowded Westminster bridge, stating she was "shocked" by what she saw.

An aerial footage of Westminster bride after 8 pm showed hundreds of police cars crammed in on a road with people million around.

Similar scenes were seen outside hospitals and police stations where many medical workers and cops themselves were out cheering for essential workers.

Social media was abuzz with outrage. Many criticised the fact that people were breaking the two-metre social distancing rule in the presence of police.

The incident and the outrage was similar to what occurred in India earlier in March when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the call for banging plates and clapping at 8 pm to commemorate health workers. Many people responded to it by taking to streets in large numbers and beating plates, drums and more.

Indians broke lockdown once again in April when PM Modi gave the call for lighting diyas and candles for nine minutes at nine pm to fight coronavirus. Even as the number of cases grew in the country, people across cities took to streets in large numbers and burst crackers.

Meanwhile, global cases of coronavirus have been consistently mounting with over 1,45,568 deaths in a span of months.