The flags of countries with confirmed cases of coronavirus have been projected onto Brazil's Christ the Redeemer statue, as a mark of solidarity with the nations that have been affected by the virus.

The iconic 38-metre statue, which sits at the top of the Corcovado Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, was illuminated by a patchwork of flags from around the world as part of a light show on Wednesday night (18 March).

The display also included the message 'Pray together' written in different languages.

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The event - which saw the Bishop of Rio de Janeiro lead a prayer ceremony - was closed to the public, with limited access given to members of the media.

Credit: PA

The flags represented the nations that have been struck by Covid-19, which has now claimed the lives of 10,000. The total number of cases confirmed globally has risen to more than 240,000.

There have been six deaths in Brazil, with 621 cases at the time of writing.

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The Christ the Redeemer statue is a world-famous landmark, which regularly attracts swathes of visitors; last year it welcomed almost two million people.

Credit: PA

However, the site was closed on Tuesday and will not re-open for at least a week.

The stunt on Wednesday was met with praise from across the world, with many on social media saying it was a symbol of hope.

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Ilir Meta, the President of Albania - where there are currently 64 confirmed cases - said on Twitter the display was 'inspirational'.

The statue of Christ the Redeemer, emblematic monument of the city of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, has been enlightened with the flags of places affected by the global #COVID19 pandemic.

Among them is also the Albanian flag! :flag_al:

World Solidarity, Inspirational and Hopeful! :muscle: pic.twitter.com/1qRtGZTO5L

- Ilir Meta (@ilirmetazyrtar) March 19, 2020

Someone else said it was 'so beautiful', while another commented to say: "Excellent idea... it's beautiful!"

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has previously dismissed precautions taken against Covid-19 as 'hysteria', having since been widely criticised for his response to the global outbreak.

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Bolsonaro has been tested for the virus twice, but has said both tests returned with a negative result.

