Rio De Janeiro Samba Schools Delay 2021 Carnival Parade Over Coronavirus

“It’s increasingly difficult to have Carnival without a vaccine,” Leisa President Jorge Castanheira told journalists. “There is no way to have Carnival without safety.”

Castanheira said the 2021 Carnival parade could only be delayed until January 2022 at most, so as not to interfere with the following year’s parade.

Brazil’s top 13 samba schools normally parade through the Sambadrome before up to 90,000 local residents, tourists and VIPs celebrating Carnival, with the date changing annually as the festival precedes the Roman Catholic period of Lent.