Also out of fear of the new Corona variant Omikron, the mayors of many Brazilian cities decide against traditional festivities at the turn of the year.
Salvador – Because of the corona pandemic, more than half a dozen major Brazilian cities have not planned or canceled traditional New Year’s parties.
This was reported by the news portal “G1”, citing the mayors of cities such as Salvador, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte and Florianópolis.
Accordingly, the possibility that the new Corona variant Omikron (B.1.1.529) could increase the number of corona infected and deaths in connection with Covid-19 contributed to the decision. The World Health Organization (WHO) classified the Corona variant, which first appeared in southern Africa, on Friday as “worrying”.
It is currently being investigated whether a passenger who arrived in São Paulo from South Africa on Saturday and tested positive is the Omikron variant. The Brazilian government decided on Friday to restrict entry by air from the region from Monday.
According to official information, a total of more than 22 million people in Brazil have been infected with the coronavirus, over 614,000 patients have died in connection with Covid-19 – there are only more deaths in the USA. Brazil has around 210 million inhabitants.
As the vaccination campaign progressed, the number of deaths fell sharply, and optimism grew. São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, for example, are looking into holding New Year’s Eve celebrations, which attract visitors from all over the world, or are sticking to them for the time being. Samba schools in Rio are preparing for the famous parades in the sambodrome. Experts warned that it could give the wrong impression that the pandemic was over. dpa
