On January 4, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes announced the cancellation of the carnival due to the sharp increase in new Covid-19 cases related to the Omicron variant and its rapid spread. City officials made the decision after a meeting with health authorities. According to the government representative, the festival does not limit the number of participants, making it difficult to control the epidemic. Thus, this is the second consecutive year that the carnival in Rio de Janeiro has been canceled due to the epidemic.
Carnival Rio De Janeiro is the largest carnival in the world, attracting millions of people around the world every year. Photo: Travel and Leisure
While the street parades of the "blocos" bands have been canceled, the Sapucaí carnival of samba dancers at the Marques de Sapucaí Sambadrome will still take place with health regulations in place. The area has a capacity of 70,000 people and authorities can control the number of visitors. To attend the event, people must present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate, have a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result and wear a mask.
The emergence of the fast-spreading Omicron variant, combined with increased Christmas and New Year gatherings, has led to a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases in Rio de Janeiro. On January 5, the Brazilian Ministry of Health reported 18,759 new cases and 175 deaths. Currently, 80% of Rio de Janeiro's population has received at least two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, while nearly 25% have received a booster shot.
Rio de Janeiro's Carnival is considered the largest in the world, with two million people taking to the streets each day. According to Riotour, an estimated 7 million people attended the street festivals in 2020.
