After Iran unveiled the world’s first COVID-19 stamp in mid-March (“Iran issues COVID-19 stamp,” CSN Vol. 44 #26), more coronavirus issues have been released by Vietnam and Switzerland.
On March 31, Vietnam issued a two-stamp set entitled “Join Hands in COVID-19 Prevention and Control.”
A 4,000-dong stamp shows medical, military and security professionals as the “frontline fighters of the coronavirus outbreak,” according to a statement from Vietnam Post. A 15,000-dong issue depicts “Vietnam doctors with their supreme mission and great efforts to study to find out the best treatment methods to cure timely infected patients and the vaccine to fight COVID-19.”
Vietnam issued a two-stamp set entitled ‘Join Hands in COVID-19 Prevention and Control’ on March 31.
SWISS STAMPS
In early April, Switzerland unveiled a semi-postal stamp entitled “COVID-19 Solidarity.”
Each of the 100-cent stamps includes a surcharge of 500 cents, the proceeds of which will be split between the Swiss Red Cross and Swiss Solidarity. The stamps, which are available in sheets of 10, symbolize solidarity during the coronavirus pandemic with Switzerland at the centre and a rotating cross revealing a shining globe.
ISLE OF MAN ISSUE
On April 26, the Isle of Man Post Office unveiled an eight-stamp set entitled “Carry Us Through,” which it says “reflects the unique response of an Island population to the challenges brought by coronavirus.”
The stamps highlight messages of “love, faith, care, compassion, work, community, words and science,” the postal service adds in a statement on its website. A donation from the sale of the stamps will be made to the Manx Solidarity Fund.
“We wanted to send a positive message into every home in the Isle of Man and to our friends overseas to say how much we appreciate the people who are working tirelessly for us all and to share the sense of strength and fortitude in our community,” says Maxine Cannon, general manager of Isle of Man Stamps and Coins.
“Key workers are so wide-ranging, from the NHS to our pharmacists, nursery staff and teachers to our frontline postmen and women and counter staff, the list goes on and they are all playing an important role in our community. By replacing our normal stamps with these beautifully illustrated tributes, we hope to play our part in thanking the people who #CarryUsThrough and raise the morale of everyone that receives them.”
The Isle of Man Post Office issued an eight-stamp set related to COVID-19 on May 4.
The stamps also feature the “three legs of Man,” symbolizing the motto, “Whichever way you throw us, we will stand.”
“A big thank you to the team at Glazier Design for their superb work at such short notice and creating a theme that is uplifting,” adds Cannon.
Chief Minister Howard Quayle called the pandemic the Isle of Man’s “biggest crisis since the Second World War.”
“The decisions we have had to take have been unprecedented, and no government would ever wish to impose such restrictions on everyday life if it was not essential to save lives; however, it is also times like these where we see the very best of our Island community. Through technology and through being good neighbours, we have in some ways become more connected to our families and our communities. The way in which so many of us have rallied to support each other and, in particular, look out for the most vulnerable members of our society has been humbling and inspiring.”
An eight-stamp presentation pack and first-day cover, which is postmarked with day-of-issue cancellation dated May 4, are available through iompost.com/CarryUsThrough.
OTHERS
China, Indonesia and Sri Lanka are also slated to issue COVID-19 stamps; however, their date of issue is to be determined (and may be postponed due to the pandemic).