Rio de Janeiro cancels New Year's Eve festivities over virus
Source: Agence France-Presse
Issued on: 25/07/2020 - 21:02
Modified: 25/07/2020 - 21:00
Rio de Janeiro (AFP)
The annual New Year's Eve celebrations which traditionally see millions of people gathered on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro have been canceled this year as Brazil grapples with surging coronavirus infections, city authorities said.
The celebrations are "not viable in this pandemic scenario, without a vaccine," the city's tourism office said in a statement, noting that the world-famous Carnival celebrations, normally set for February, might also have to be canceled.
Instead, a virtual New Year's celebration was being planned.
"There is no great reason to celebrate, with more than 80,000 deaths" from coronavirus in Brazil, an official told AFP.
The state of Rio de Janeiro has counted the second highest number of deaths from coronavirus in Brazil, after Sao Paulo, and its death rate far exceeds the national average.
Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/20200725-rio-de-janeiro-cancels-new-year-s-eve-festivities-over-virus
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A lot of the US far right helped Brazil's far right turn their election toward Bolsonaro. Well, this is what they get for that. 
