Rio de Janeiro has delayed its annual Carnival parade, saying the global spectacle cannot go ahead in February because of Brazil's continued vulnerability to the pandemic.
Rio's League of Samba Schools, LIESA, announced the spread of the coronavirus has made it impossible to safely hold the traditional parades that are a cultural mainstay and, for many, a source of livelihood.
"Carnival is a party upon which many humble workers depend. The samba schools are community institutions, and the parades are just one detail of all that," said Luiz Antonio Simas, a historian who specialises in Rio's Carnival.
"An entire cultural and productive chain was disrupted by COVID."
Brazil's first confirmed coronavirus case was February 26, one day after this year's Carnival ended.
As the number of infections grew, the samba schools that participate in the glitzy annual parade halted preparations for the 2021 event.
Thursday's announcement removed the cloud of uncertainty that has hung over the city - one of worst hit by the pandemic in Brazil.
Australian Associated Press
