WATCH: Brazil’s famous statue lights up with national flags and messages of hope

WATCH: Brazil’s famous statue lights up with national flags and messages of hope
By Christian Fleetwood


Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue has been lit up in a show of international solidarity for everyone affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Overlooking the city of Rio de Janeiro, the 125-foot Brazilian landmark is normally illuminated by a bright white light. However, last week, the message of “#praytogether” appeared in multiple languages across it, along with the flags of all countries that have reported cases of COVID-19.

You can watch the display, courtesy of American broadcaster PBS, below.

 

Before the statue was illuminated, Rio’s archbishop Orani João Tempesta held mass at the foot of the statue, urging people to pray for the sick in support of all those affected by the virus.

Christ the Redeemer is currently closed to the public and will not reopen for at least a week during the pandemic, but typically attracts millions of visitors each year.

It comes as the world battles to contain COVID-19, which as of Monday surpassed 300,000 cases globally, according to the World Health Organization’s latest situation report.

Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo have both declared states of emergency, and warned residents against large gatherings. Sporting and cultural events have also been cancelled, with companies encouraging employees to work from home.

According to Brazil’s Ministry of Health, as of Monday there have been 1,891 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 34 deaths due to the virus.

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