Coronavirus: Rio Carnival 2021 parade has been postponed indefinitely

 

Organizers said the carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, scheduled for next February, has been postponed indefinitely.

The samba schools participating in the show had previously warned that it would be difficult to organize without a vaccine.

The Rio Carnival attracts millions of visitors every year.

Brazil was one of the countries hardest hit by the epidemic, with 4.5 million infections and more than 138,000 deaths.

Jorge Castanhera, president of the SambaLisa Association, said schools will not have time to prepare or organize for the February event.

"We are looking for a choice solution, which is something we can do when it is protected to make contributions in the city. But now we are not positive enough to set a date," he said.

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The announcement applies to the official carnival event in Liesa but not to the local street parties that are held at the same time. It is currently unclear whether this will be allowed to happen.

There is a concern that the economic impact of late carnivals in Brazil may affect families who depend on events for income. Tourism accounts for about 8% of Brazil's GDP.

The Sao Paulo Carnival parade has already been postponed for eight months until October 2021.

Brazil still records thousands of new infections daily. 

At the opening of the United Nations Assembly earlier this week, President Jair Bolsonaro rejected criticism of his handling of the pandemic.

In a pre-recorded speech, the media blamed the media for creating panic and "politicizing" the epidemic.