Madrid (AFP)
The San Fermin celebrations in Pamplona, northern Spain, whose bull releases usually attract tourists from around the world in July, are canceled for the second year in a row due to the pandemic, the mayor said on Monday. from the city.
"It is with regret that I see myself in the obligation to officially cancel the San Fermin holidays for this year 2021", explained Enrique Maya during a press conference, stressing that the holding of the holidays " represented a really very high risk "while the number of people vaccinated is still" far (from the level which can allow for) collective immunity ".
The region of Navarre, of which Pamplona is the capital, is one of the Spanish regions with the most cases of Covid-19.
The incidence there is indeed about 400, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Health dating from Friday, against 235 at the national level.
This cancellation is not a surprise.
At the beginning of February, the regional authorities had already expressed strong doubts about the organization of these festivals, judging that "an international festival like that of San Fermin, where millions of people go, will not be possible".
Last year, the pandemic had already deprived Pamplona of its parties, which are usually held from July 6 to 14.
This second cancellation represents a further blow to the local economy.
During this period, the city usually lives to the rhythm of the dangerous releases of fighting bulls, which hundreds of people - dressed in white and red - try to get as close as possible, in the cobbled alleys of the historic center of Pamplona.
The "encierros" which cause many wounded and sometimes dead, horned every year.
Other Spanish cities have been forced to give up, for the second year in a row, their traditional festivals due to the pandemic, such as Seville (south) which has canceled its religious processions for Holy Week.
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