Giant teddy bears are being used on buses in Finland to make sure people follow social distancing rules in the fight against coronavirus.
Giant teddy bears are bringing joy and reminding of safe distance to the passengers in public transportation in the capital region of #Finland . The campaign is organized by @HOKElanto and bus operator Savonlinja. Photo: HOK-Elanto.#finland #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/YA4P1BRCbw
— Finland in New York (@FinlandNY) December 15, 2020
The social distancing measure, an initiative by Finnish company HOK-Elanto and bus operator Savonlinja, comes as Southern Finland has officially announced a second coronavirus wave and new restrictions according to New Mobility News.
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“We wanted to bring the message positively and make people smile,” said Tuomas Ahola, HOK-Elanto’s Communications and Marketing Director, “so we thought of cheering up people by inviting them to sit next to a charming, fluffy fellow passenger.”
This is not the first time stuffed animals have been used in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. For example, a café in Paris had the same idea this summer, and a restaurant owner in Frankfurt filled his restaurant with plush pandas to protest the measures in place in Germany to combat the virus.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
