Florist in the Philippines selling anti-coronavirus bouquets for Valentine's Day
A florist in the Philippines is selling romance and practicality this Valentine's Day with a bouquet of flowers that comes with anti-coronavirus gear. The innovative gift – which includes sanitizer, soap and a mask and gloves – is proving popular among local residents in Manila.
The owner of the flower shop said she made the "anti-nCoV bouquet" in part because she is "scared" of the rapid spread of the virus, The Associated Press reports.
"This bouquet that I made, the anti-nCoV bouquet, I thought of this because we have this coronavirus and so that people can have an idea that flowers are not the only thing you can give during Valentine's," flower shop owner Mary Jane Villegas told the AP. "Because of the spread of the virus, I included a mask, sanitizer, toothpaste and soap for Valentine's, instead of the usual things like chocolate."
The bouquet is Villegas' unique response to the recently named COVID-19. The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency over the virus' outbreak.
"I chose this bouquet to avoid getting the virus. ... This is also hygienic, and we can avoid the virus," customer Mark Richard Gigantone told the AP. "I want my gift to be different, I always give flowers to my wife. This is unusual and it also provides protection from the virus."
The Philippines has three recorded of cases of the coronavirus, including one death, the AP reported.
In China, the death toll from the virus has hit 1,367, and the number of confirmed cases has reached 59,804.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not recommend that people wear masks for protection if they are well. Instead it recommends avoiding close contact with people who are sick, avoiding touching your face with unwashed hands, staying inside when sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue, disinfecting surfaces and washing your hands often.
