The Rio carnival postponed indefinitely because of the Covid

A dancer in Rio, Brazil on February 25, 2020. -

It is the turn of the Rio carnival to enter the dance of events victims of the coronavirus pandemic: its 2021 edition, which was to be held next February, has been postponed sine die.

“We came to the conclusion that the event should be postponed.

We just can't do it in February.

Samba schools will not have the time, financial and organizational resources to be ready for February, ”Jorge Castanheira, president of the Independent League of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro (LIESA), told reporters on Thursday. evening at the end of the meeting of the leaders of this association which organizes the event.

In July, a first taste of this decision had surfaced, when five of the twelve samba schools had assured that in the absence of a vaccine at the end of September, they would request the postponement of the event.

" A report "

“It's not a cancellation, it's a postponement.

We are looking for an alternative solution, something to do when health security allows us to give our contribution to the city (…) But we are not sure enough to set a date, ”Castanheira said.

LIESA's announcement only applies to the Samba Schools Competition, which takes place in the iconic Sambodrome in the Marvelous City.

Each school parades there with nearly 3,000 costumed members, dancing very close to each other and singing throughout the procession, which lasts a little over an hour.

However, municipal authorities have not yet said whether street festivities would be authorized.

The Rio carnival is indeed made up of innumerable parades of “blocks”, these groupings of neighborhoods that wander around dancing, in a joyous explosive cocktail of music, disguise and, often, alcohol.

After Sao Paulo

These celebrations are above all a nightmare for an epidemiologist in view of the promiscuity and the immense crowds they draw: millions of people participate each year, from Cariocas to other Brazilians and tourists.

Such an announcement from LIESA has been in the air lately mainly due to the high prevalence of the coronavirus in Brazil, which deplores the second highest death toll in the world, around 140,000, behind the United States.

Almost 4.7 million people have been infected.

The epidemic on the ground of the Latin American giant has slowed somewhat since its peak in July, but there has nevertheless been, in the last two weeks, a daily average of 30,000 new cases and 735 new deaths, according to figures from the ministry. of Health.

The state of Rio is the second state most affected by the epidemic in Brazil, behind that of Sao Paulo.

The Sao Paulo carnival of 2021 was postponed indefinitely from July 24, including the parade of “blocks”.

The carnival in the city of Sao Paulo is one of the most important in Brazil.

The last edition attracted 120,000 people to admire the samba schools at the Anhembi Sambodrome, while the “blocks” drew more than 15 million revelers, according to the mayor, Bruno Covas.

The new date of the carnival has not been determined but it could be "at the end of May or the beginning of July" 2021, had specified the mayor of the city of 12 million inhabitants.

• World