Residents of Rio´s Paqueta island criticize off-season Carnaval: “Nothing to celebrate”

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Paquetá residents did not like the idea of holding an “off-season Carnaval” on the island in September, even after vaccinating everyone over the age of 18 who lives on the island.

The event was announced on Monday, June 14, by Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD) on social networks. According to him, this could be the first test event in the city.

The municipality’s plan is to vaccinate all of the island’s 18+ residents with the two doses of a Covid vaccine by the end of August. The project is part of a study, in partnership with the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), to immunize the entire population of Paquetá, irrespective of the normal vaccination schedule in the municipality.

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However, the city hall failed to clarify how it will control access to the island on the day of the event.

According to municipal Health Secretary Daniel Soranz, the test event should only occur if no case of the disease is registered 14 days after the second dose is administered.

“If the plan is to do a test event, he [Paes] needs to announce it as a test event, not as a Carnaval. Announcing it as Carnaval is inappropriate at this time of pandemic and even disrespectful to everything we are experiencing,” said Leonardo Couto, 37, who has lived on the island for 8 years.

Paquetá without Covid

The study conducted by the city hall and Fiocruz foresees that all residents of Paquetá over the age of 18 will be administered the first vaccine dose on June 20.

The municipality’s scientific committee approved the measure. Currently, Paquetá has some 4,100 people registered as residents by the family health teams. According to Soranz, half of the island’s population has now been immunized. Another 1,800 people are expected to be vaccinated.

According to Soranz, all stages of the study will be voluntary, including participation in the test event, which will be held in an open location.

On Monday night, Soranz took part in a webcast, along with researchers from Fiocruz and the Association of Residents of Paquetá (Morena), to provide further details about the study and answer questions related to the test event.

Once again Soranz said that the event will depend on the adhesion of the population of Paquetá to vaccination – and will only take place if no new cases of the disease are registered on the island 14 days after the second dose is administered.

At no moment of the live broadcast did the Secretary address the off-season Carnaval.

“Fourteen days after the second dose and a period of time with no new cases, the holding of a test event is planned. This event will be in an open and specific place on the island, with people who will volunteer for the research, and safely. People participating in this event will be monitored to determine if they have had Covid or not”, explained Soranz.