RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s top tourist destination, on Friday, February 5th, banned entry of passenger buses and other transport vehicles between February 12th and 22nd, after cancelling the traditional Carnaval celebrations that were scheduled for the period.
The measure, designed to prevent further fueling the city’s already large novel coronavirus outbreak, temporarily “prohibits the entry into the city of buses and rented vehicles,” the Municipal Gazette notice said.
Carnaval always sees an uptick in visitors, especially from other parts of the state, who arrive in the morning to attend parades and street parties and leave later in the day.
Rio’s Carnaval, considered the largest in the world, was called off by the mayor’s office due to fears the event, which draws millions of tourists from around Brazil and abroad, would simply worsen the pandemic.
The mayor’s office also banned large gatherings, parades and similar festivities, and warned the samba schools that customarily compete in the carnival that they would be barred from participating next year if they flout regulations and hold celebrations.
As of Thursday, February 4th, 30,354 people had died in the state of Rio de Janeiro from COVID-19.