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'Masked caper' puts coronavirus masks on Tucson landmarks

Massive masks send message about virus safety
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TUCSON, Ariz. — Humor can't kill the coronavirus, but one "masked caper" in Arizona woman thinks it could help keep the virus from spreading.

Scripps station in KGUN in Tucson, Arizona spoke to a woman who has been anonymously putting coronavirus masks on some of the city's most iconic landmarks — including the giant Tiki at a local bar and a huge T-Rex at a McDonald's.

She started out trying to make high-protection masks for health workers, but her sewing machine couldn't punch through the heavy fabric. So she hit on high-profile humor to send a serious message.

"It doesn't feel like a lot of people are taking this very seriously because we're not a hot spot," she said. "So you don't actually see the bad things that are happening unless you're connected with health care. So I feel like any reminders are good reminders to wear a mask. It shows how much you care about other people."

The wildcat statues at the University of Arizona are fairly easy to mask up. Taking care of the T-Rex and the Tiki were a bit tougher.

"My climbing days are over," she said. "Yeah, I don't do the climbing there."

Luckily, the statue owners arranged to strap those masks on.

She is still making masks for human-sized faces, while she scouts for more local icons to help spread her message.

This story was originally published by Craig Smith on KGUN in Tucson, Arizona.