OREANDA-NEWS. As Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Pais said on Twitter, the city authorities have decided to cancel the famous and expected by everyone annual carnival in 2021.

In September, the organizers of the carnival in Rio de Janeiro canceled it in February 2021 due to the situation with the coronavirus. In November, the League of Samba Schools proposed holding this important  event in July if progress was made in vaccinating the population.

As the mayor of Rio de Janeiro wrote, "I have never hidden my passion for carnival and a clear vision of the economic importance of this cultural event for our city. However, now it makes no sense to assume that we will be able to hold a carnival in July." According to Eduardo Pais, such a large-scale celebration requires a lot of preparation, which seems impossible at the moment.

The mayor added that certainly in 2022, all properly vaccinated citizens will be able to celebrate the country's life and culture with all the intensity they deserve.

At the moment, Brazil is one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the latest data, 8 697 368 cases of coronavirus infection were registered in the country, 214 147 people died.