The coronavirus outbreak across the globe may have put a pause on many key moments in the fundraising calendar, including marathons and other sporting events, but the pandemic hasn't been able to stop charitable givings yet, while still observing self-isolation rules.
In a similar illustration of charity, members of the UK-based Sikh organisations, Langar Aid and Khalsa Aid, travelled 80 miles (approximately 130 kilometers) to deliver food to thousands of truck drivers, who have been stranded in Kent since early this week after France closed its border with the UK for nearly 48 hours amid concerns over the spread of a new strain of coronavirus.
Everyone's working together
On Tuesday, some of the Sikh charity's LangarAid members travelled almost double the distance, from Coventry, to provide nutritious and safe meals including rice and lentils, to the stranded drivers.
"Everyone's working together," KhalsaAid founder Ravi Singh told the BBC.
Not just the above mentioned two groups but several Sikh organizations have also been coming forward to help the waiting drivers. They have been coordinating with aid agencies as well as the drivers in need to ensure they receive water, food, and medication.
In addition, two trucks full of essential supplies including bottled water and packaged meals was sent from Dover to the hungry drivers in Kent, Singh was further quoted as saying.
He added that charities were also "working with the local Sikh community to prepare 800 hot meals for the drivers".
According to media reports, some European nationals living in England have come to the aid of their compatriots who are stranded in Kent.
Members of a Facebook page for Hungarians in the UK even helped to organise food donations.
These groups have also been raising awareness and donations for the stranded drivers on social media platforms such as Instagram. Calling it 'Operation Stack', the group posted a poster seeking donations of supplies along with the following message, "We will be making goodie bags for truck drivers stranded by #Dover border," they wrote on social media.
Fear of new virus strain
The incident occurred after France sealed its border with UK following widespread reports and concerns about a new mutated and possibly more transmissible strain of coronavirus that has been seemingly spreading in Britain.
Rail, air and sea routes, however, were restored between the two countries on Wednesday only after Britain a night before agreed to conduct mass coronavirus tests on truck drivers as part of a deal made with French authorities.
The border closure had left more than 1,500 trucks stranded as the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel were shut to outbound traffic. Reports even said that some drivers had to sleep in their trucks for two nights.
The New York Times reported that the entire supply chain in Europe was disrupted due to the temporary blockade, while industry experts warned that the effects would continue to ripple across the continent for days.
As per the recent easing of restrictions, France has allowed only a selected group of people to travel across the border, especially if they could produce proof of their negative coronavirus test. Those now allowed to travel include the French and European Union citizens, noncitizens with a permanent residence in EU and people whose travel is deemed essential.
