Published 15:00 IST, June 21st 2020
Latvia: 20-feet-tall statue unveiled to honour healthcare workers fighting coronavirus
A 20-feet-tall statue of a medical worker was unveiled in Riga, capital of Latvia, to honour the frontline medical staff around the world battling the pandemic.
Advertisement
A 20-feet tall statue of a medical worker was unveiled in Riga, capital of Latvia, to honour the frontline medical staff around the world battling the pandemic. The sculpture, created by Arts Academy of Latvia, was unveiled at the Latvian National Art Museum on June 16.
Sculptor and professor Aigars Bikše from Arts Academy of Latvia created the statue depicting a masked female medical worker with eyes closed and arms outstretched, praising their selfless courage and care during the COVID-19 outbreak. According to the sculptor’s website, Bikše is best known for his interactive sculptures and installations for public spaces, most of which bear historic, socio-cultural and political connotations.
Bikše creates sculptures and outdoor installations, many of which are large scale and constitute the urban environment in various cities in Latvia and abroad, like Japan, The Philippines and elsewhere. The themes in his works draw parallels between his fascination with mythology and socio-political processes in society.
Bikše told The Baltic Time that the three-month-long lockdown period and fear for their lives have made people change their perspective towards doctors, nurses and other medical staff. He added that for the first time, many people are realising the vital importance of the medical staff.
Overwhelmed medical facilities
According to the latest report, almost nine million coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide with more than 467,000 deaths, overwhelming the health care facilities across the globe. The United States, Brazil, and Russia are the worst-hit countries while India reporting a sharp rise in the coronavirus cases.
On June 18, more than 150,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus were reported globally, the highest single-day number so far. During a press briefing, the World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that nearly half of the newly reported cases were from the Americas, with significant numbers from South Asia and the Middle East. He called on all countries and all people to exercise extreme vigilance and continue maintaining distance from others.
15:00 IST, June 21st 2020