Organizers: We simply can't have it next February

Rio de Janeiro Carnival postponed indefinitely

In the eyes of epidemiologists, the festivities pose a danger to the great convergence of the participants and the large crowds.

The famous Rio de Janeiro carnival joined the series of global events toppled by the "Covid-19" epidemic, with the organizers announcing to postpone the next edition of the event, which was scheduled to be organized next February, for an indefinite period.

"We came to the conclusion that the event should be postponed," Jorge Castaniera, president of the Autonomous Association of Samba Schools in Rio de Janeiro (LESA) that organizes the annual event, told reporters yesterday.

"We simply cannot do it in February," he added.

Samba schools will not have the time or the financial and organizational resources to be ready. ”

Signs of such a decision had appeared since last July, when five of the 12 Samba schools confirmed their intention to request the event to be postponed in the event that a vaccine against "Covid-19" was not available by the end of this September.

Conglomerates

“This is not a cancellation, it is a postponement,” Castaniera explained.

"We are looking for an alternative solution. What we can do when the requirements of health security allow us to make our contribution to the city ... But we do not have enough guarantees to set an appointment."

Lisa’s decision applies to the main official event at the Carnival, the Samba Schools competition that takes place on the famous Sambodromo Avenue.

Each school participates in a procession in which about 3,000 people participate in spectacular costumes, dancing and singing together without any distance between them along the procession, in an event that lasts for more than an hour.

However, the municipal authorities did not disclose whether they would allow the holding of street parties accompanying the event.

The Rio de Janeiro Carnival consists of a large number of parades of these "masses", which are gatherings that fill the city streets, dancing and singing in a festive atmosphere full of musical performances.

In the footsteps of São Paulo

In the eyes of epidemiologists, celebrations pose a great danger, due to the great closeness of the participants and the large crowds that exist in the place.

Millions of people from Rio de Janeiro and other Brazilian regions, as well as tourists from around the world, participate annually.

The announcement issued by samba schools falls in the context of the wave of cancellations of major events, in light of the widespread spread of the new Corona virus in Brazil, which has become the second country in the world after the United States in terms of the number of deaths resulting from the epidemic, with about 140 thousand deaths due to the virus that infected about 4.7 million people in the country.

The epidemic in the giant South American country is witnessing a relative slowdown compared to the higher levels recorded last July, but in the last two weeks, a prevalence rate of about 30 thousand new infections per day and 735 new deaths was recorded, according to the figures issued by the Ministry of Health.

Rio de Janeiro is the second Brazilian state worst-affected by the virus, after Sao Paulo.

On July 24, the organizers of the Sao Paulo Carnival also announced the postponement of next year's edition of the event, including street gatherings.

Samba Offers

The Sao Paulo Carnival is among the most important events of its kind in Brazil, and its latest edition attracted 120,000 people who came to watch the shows of samba schools on Anhembi Avenue, while the street rallies attracted more than 15 million people, according to the city's mayor, Bruno Covas.

No new date has been set for the Carnival, but it may take place “at the end of May or early July,” as the mayor of the city, which counts 12 million people, announced at the time.

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Of the 12 samba schools, the event requested postponement in the event that a vaccine against "Covid-19" was not available by the end of September.

The famous festival joins the series of global events that were toppled by the "Covid-19" epidemic.

The carnival consists of a large number of parades.

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