Brazil's Christ the Redeemer Lights up in Doctor's Uniform to Honor Medical Workers — See the Incredible Photos (Video)
Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue lit up in doctor garb on Sunday to honor to the healthcare workers on the frontline of the fight against coronavirus.
Images of a doctor's lab coat and stethoscope were projected onto the iconic 98-foot tall statue. The statue also displayed videos of doctors donning their medical gear, including their protective masks. Beneath the videos, the statue read out "Obrigado," and the word "thank you" in several other languages.
The statue's projections rotated to include messages to the people of Brazil. Phrases like "Fique Em Casa," which translates to "Stay at Home," or handwritten messages from children saying "everything will be alright" were projected onto the statue's arms.
Buda Mendes/Staff A view of a medical worker is projected onto the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer.
Last week, the statue also lit up with images of the flags of the countries that have reported coronavirus outbreaks.
The archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, Dom Orani Tempesta, also performed a mass beneath the gigantic statue during which he honored the medical workers combatting COVID-19, according to CNN.
There have been more than 22,300 confirmed coronavirus cases in Brazil and at least 1,230 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Buda Mendes/Getty Aerial Aerial view of the illuminated statue of Christ the Redeemer as Archbishop of the city of Rio de Janeiro Dom Orani Tempesta performs a mass in honor of Act of Consecration of Brazil and tribute to medical workers amidst the Coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic on April 12, 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Rio has been finding ways to honor the victims and first responders of the pandemic. This month, a firefighter played his trumpet from 150 feet over the city in an effort to "boost the morale" of people stuck under lockdown.
"Everyone is suffering [from] the pandemic and I'm trying to boost the morale of Rio's population, so all this difficulty is lessened in these times we're going through," the firefighter said. "Bringing a bit of music, a bit of air, to these people has meant a lot to me as a musician and to the corps."
Monuments around the world have been lighting up with inspirational messages and sayings while much of the world remains under coronavirus lockdown. Switzerland's Matterhorn has been projecting red-and-white messages of hope on the side of a snowy mountaintop for the world to see.
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The information in this article reflects that of the publishing time above. However, as statistics and information regarding coronavirus rapidly change, some figures may be different from when this story was originally posted. While we strive to keep our content as up to date as possible, we also recommend visiting sites like the CDC or websites of local health departments.
