Tulips to medical workers in Taipei

TAIPEI: In the absence of the usual Dutch celebration of King’s Day amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Netherlands Office Taipei chose to express gratitude to the front-line medical staffs in Taipei with 3,999 tulips from the Netherlands.

Dutch flower growers are hit hardest because of COVID-19. Instead of the usual celebration of King’s Day, the Netherlands Office Taipei purchased fresh tulips from the farmers to support the cut flower sector in the Netherlands, and to express the gratitude to the front-line medical staffs in Taiwan.

The office visited four cities with the most confirmed cases of COVID-19 patients, delivered orange tulips together with Dutch stroopwafels to 35 destinations, including the Epidemic Command Center, hospitals designated to care for critical patients or under the local city governments, and Taoyuan International Airport.

By this action, the Netherlands Office Taipei had the opportunity to appreciate the front-liners and caretakers for their determined contribution, generous sharing, and vigilant gatekeeping. It also has expectations that the friendship between the Netherlands and its partners will deepen.

The stroopwafels and tulips were also at the daily press conference of the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), where over 20,000 audiences were watching via the live stream.