Brazil has postponed Rio de Janeiro’s famed carnival for next year. The festival, known the world over for its scantily-clad samba dancers and spectacular floats is the one in a long line of major events either postponed or canceled as a result of the pandemic.
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Rio’s samba schools warned in July that without the certainty of a vaccine this year it would be difficult to organize the February 2021 festival.
“It’s not a cancellation, it’s a postponement,” said Jorge Castanheira, president of the group that organizes the parades. “We are looking for an alternative solution, something we can do when it’s safe to contribute to the city.”
Castanheira did not give an alternate date for the parades but said it will depend on whether a vaccine is available and if there will be immunizations.
Photo courtesy: VCG Images
So far, the Rio city government has not announced whether the carnival street parties will be held.
The announcement marks the first time the carnival had been postponed since 1912.
Brazil has the world’s second-highest death toll after the United States — nearly 140,000 fatalities — and is still battling to bring the virus under control.
Story compiled from wire reports
