The city of Rio de Janeiro has cancelled its famous carnival parade for a second year due to the spread of the Omicron variant in the country, but will allow Rio's samba schools parade to go on, Mayor Eduardo Paes said
RIO DE JANEIRO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th January, 2022) The city of Rio de Janeiro has cancelled its famous carnival parade for a second year due to the spread of the Omicron variant in the country, but will allow Rio's samba schools parade to go on, Mayor Eduardo Paes said.
The carnival traditionally takes place in February and includes competitions at the Sambadrome exhibition place, with paid access and street processions attracting millions of spectators. According to the mayor, a parade of Rio's samba schools will happen this year at the Sambadrome.
"Today I met with the people from the 'blocos' (musical band and a group of partiers), and we informed them of the impossibility of holding a street carnival," Paes said on Tuesday during a livestream on Facebook.
The official said that it is impossible to establish effective epidemiological control in a street carnival, which is necessary given the spread of the Omicron.
The city of Salvador in the northeastern state of Bahia also announced the cancellation of its carnival. Similarly in Recife, in the state of Pernambuco, many traditional samba groups said that parades would not take place, regardless of the local authorities' decision.
On Tuesday, Brazil's Health Ministry reported 18,759 new COVID-19 cases, including 170 of the Omicron variant, and 175 deaths.
