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By Aaron Schulze

Healthcare Applause

‘Now more than ever’: Local woman attempting to restart applause for Kamloops healthcare workers

Feb 12, 2021 | 1:53 PM

KAMLOOPS — As B.C. nears its one-year anniversary since a State of Emergency took effect in response to COVID-19, a Pinantan Lake woman is trying to get one of the earlier traditions back up and running.

Suzy Beattie felt a community come together in spring 2020, where Pinantan Lake, the City of Kamloops, and other municipalities in B.C. would clap their hands and bang their pots and pans at around 7:00 p.m. to applaud health-care workers and other essential frontline service providers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The applause dried as the pandemic rolled on, although Beattie feels now more than ever do healthcare workers and residents need the community spirit boost,

“There’s a lot of silence right now,” Beattie said. “I don’t think it’s intentional. People are overwhelmed, worried and fatigued. There are so many rules and regulations right now that are necessary and I think this is a simple and safe way that the public can show that we do care and we are listening. We might have to stay at home but we can still come together and show our support and appreciation. Our healthcare workers are important to us, I know they’re important to me and I want to give a voice to that.”

The recent COVID-19 outbreaks at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH) and some Kamloops schools, along with higher active cases within Interior Health, encouraged Beattie to start the “Kamloops Loves Healthcare Workers” Facebook group.

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Since Wednesday (Feb. 10), the group has reached nearly 200 members. Beattie said some health-care workers have expressed their positive feedback towards the initiative.

“I follow the news and talk to a lot of healthcare workers,” she said. [Applauding healthcare workers] has been on my mind for a few months and I know I’m not the only one. Even before our outbreak situation, I thought it was the year anniversary of COVID-19… it would be a great time to bring it up.

“I wasn’t sure what the response was going to be to [the Facebook group] and then I realized very quickly that the healthcare workers loved it… this is something we can really do and it looks like something people can get behind.”

Beattie’s immediate goal is to get the message of resuming the 7:00 p.m. applause for health-care out quickly. She hasn’t reached out to other partners yet but noted that nothing is off the table for her.

Meanwhile, until the 7:00 p.m. applause becomes a reality once more, Beattie has an online fundraiser started to pay parking tickets for nurses and health-care workers at RIH.