Since Monday, Mechelen has been lighting up its Sint-Rombouts tower in its entirety, as a beacon of hope through the coronavirus lockdown.
“Under normal circumstances, the tower is lit between 50-70% of the LED capacity,” said Mechelen’s Mayor Alexander Vandersmissen on Monday. “As of today, we are setting the LEDs at 100%. This will make the tower shine even brighter than usual.”
The city also aims to also start its holiday lighting early and hopes to have it ready by the end of the week.
“With these lighting projects, we as a city want to do our part for the #zorgvoorlicht action.” The hashtag translates to ‘ensure light’ and can be taken literally and figuratively, with the word ‘zorg’ also meaning care in Dutch.
The call is an initiative by Het Laatste Nieuws and VTM Nieuws to turn on the light “as a sign of hope and commitment, to the tens of thousands of carers” working in the fight against coronavirus and for anyone who needs it.
Mechelen has called on its citizens via social media to participate in #zorgvoorlicht and turn on a light in their window, in their garden or on their terrace every evening between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
