Brazil's Christ the Redeemer lit up to honour medics

With churches closed due to the restrictions on the movement of people to contain the spread of the virus, Archbishop Orani Tempesta carried out an Easter ceremony alone at the foot of the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Images of health workers asking people to remain at home and flags from different countries with the word 'Hope' were also projected during the event.

Rio De Janeiro: The iconic statue of Christ the Redeemer in Brazil's Rio De Janeiro lit up to honour the healthcare staff working in hospitals across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.

With churches closed due to the restrictions on the movement of people to contain the spread of the virus, Archbishop Orani Tempesta on Sunday carried out an Easter ceremony alone at the foot of the statue, some 709 metres above sea level, reported Efe news.

Flags from countries affected by the coronavirus pandemic, including China, the US, Spain, Italy and Brazil, were projected onto the 38-meter-high Christ the Redeemer.

At the end, an image was projected on the statue that "dressed" the Christ in a doctor's coat, a tribute to the healthcare staff working in hospitals and risking their own lives at the forefront of the fight against the COVID-19.

Words such as "Thanks" and "Hope" written in several languages were displayed on the statue along with "Stay home for us, for everyone. We are in this together".

A few hours before the ceremony in Corcovado, Father Omar Raposo, rector at the Christ the Redeemer Sanctuary blessed the people of Rio de Janeiro from a helicopter that flew over the city for an hour.

According to the latest official figures released on Sunday, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country stood at 22,169 with 1,223 fatalities.

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most affected with 2,855 infections and 170 deaths so far.

IANS