13th of December, 2021. International News. Brazil.
Last updated: December 13, 2021 at 8:21 am
Brazilian authorities had earlier said that they are not sure if the world famous carnival events will be allowed next year (2022) in light of the receding Covid-19 pandemic. The popular national event was cancelled in 2021 due to the pandemic, but public opinion is currently divided on carnival 2022 with some wanting it to return while some worry it will serve as a catalyst for Covid-19 and its variants.
Nevertheless, while some cities have officially cancelled carnival 2022, some are going full board ahead. At least 54 cities in the state of Sao Paulo have officially cancelled carnival celebrations for 2022, but the most popular, Rio Carnival, will be returning in full swing between Friday, February, 25 and Saturday, March 5, 2022.
The world famous Rio Carnival, also called “The Biggest Show on Earth,” has both cultural and religious significance. It usually begins the Friday before Ash Wednesday and ends on the noon of Ash Wednesday – running for a period of 5 days. The Rio Carnival usually results in an estimated 2 million people per day on the streets – in close proximity to each other. It includes parades, parties, and open-air performances.
The carnival events in 2019 and 2020 might have served as a catalyst for the spread of the Covid-19 virus in Brazil. Brazil was one of the hardest hit countries in the world by the pandemic – having been dubbed the epicenter of the virus in South America. Nevertheless, Covid-19 infection rates have been on the decline in Brazil recently with an average of less than 5000 new cases per day across the whole country last week. So far, more than 65% of all Brazilians have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 while over 77% took at least one dose.
Meanwhile, Guyana, South America has announced that the world famous Rupununi Rodeo will return in 2022.
