Coronavirus: Brazil postpones world-famous Rio carnival over COVID-19

Rio de Janeiro: Rio de Janeiro’s world-famous carnival became the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic Thursday as officials announced they were indefinitely postponing the February 2021 edition, with Brazil still reeling from COVID-19.

“We came to the conclusion that the event had to be postponed. We just can’t do it in February. The samba schools won’t have the time or financial and organizational resources to be ready for February,” Jorge Castanheira, the president of the group that organizes the event, the Independent League of Rio de Janeiro Samba Schools (LIESA), told journalists.