20 September 2021
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The Faroes Island have issued two stamps to reflect on the fight against viruses, including the Covid19 virus that affected the whole world.
The tumultuous year 2020 saw a range of ‘Covid stamps’ issued in the wake of the pandemic, most thanking the key workers who worked so hard during such a difficult time. The Faroes Islands have waited a little longer before revealing any values referring to the virus, with a new se-tenant pair.
But it’s not just the fight against Covid that is reflected on the two values. In 2001, the Faroese salmon industry was hit by a disaster. In most fish farms, the salmon had been infected by the influenza virus infectious salmon anaemia (ISA). In a very short time, the salmon farmers lost approx. 90% of farmed salmon and the industry collapsed.
The 20KR value features an illustration of salmon and the virus that so severely affected the Faroese stocks, whilst the design also shows a syringe reflecting the ongoing research and examinations of samples from the breeding stations.
Meanwhile, the year before the salmon were hit, the Faroese locals were dealing with Covid. by the end of March 2021 there had been 661 cases of Covid-19 in the Faroe Islands, of which 660 have recovered. 241,082 tests have been made on a population of 52,920 individuals, the highest number of tests in the world in terms of population. Now, just as it is in so many other countries, the challenge is to have everyone vaccinated.
The 25KR stamp shows the all-too-familiar depiction of the Coronavirus, whilst a swab can be seen alongside a subtly depicted map of the region.
Issue date: 20 September 2021, en.stamps.fo
