While several capitals canceled the New Year’s Eve party, other tourist cities decided to keep the New Year’s Eve celebrations on the beachfront, with fireworks, despite the advance of omicron in the country.
Some city halls still condition the decision to the position of state health agencies or await confirmation from sponsors.
A few weeks before the event, New Year’s Eve in Rio de Janeiro still does not have formal sponsorship. According to Riotur, the municipal body responsible for the event, the companies are waiting for a decision from the city hall to confirm the sponsorship.
The forecast is for three stages to be set up on Copacabana beach, one main stage and two “satellites”. The expectation is to receive two million people. Another ten regions of the city should also have stages.
Mayor Eduardo Paes (PSD) says he will analyze the epidemiological scenario until the 15th to decide whether to hold the events or not.
“I want to remember that having planning for the event does not necessarily mean that it will be held. After all, it is entirely possible to cancel what was held”, says Paes. “But we are doing our homework and cheering so that today’s favorable scenario is maintained and that it will be even better in the coming weeks and months”.
In a statement, the Municipal Health Department confirmed that the decision will be taken in accordance with the epidemiological scenario in the coming days.
Currently, the capital of Rio de Janeiro has good indicators. With 77.4% of the population with the complete vaccination schedule by this Friday (3), Rio has been registering a drop in the number of deaths and hospitalizations for weeks. The occupancy of ICU beds is 5%.
In the rest of the state, cities like Niterói and Campos dos Goytacazes have already announced that they will not hold public events on New Year’s Eve because of the pandemic.
In Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, there will be no fireworks. The edge will have free access for people to circulate, but the city has prohibited the assembly of tents or private tents. Last New Year’s Eve, any type of access for people to the beach was prohibited.
Kiosks and street vendors, which normally cannot work on Fridays, are allowed to work on the 31st, but only until 8pm. The city hall released private events, but with a capacity limit of 80% of the public and requirement of proof of vaccination.
The City Hall of Balneário Camboriú, in Santa Catarina, informed that the traditional fireworks display on the central beach is maintained, for the time being. According to the municipality, guidelines from the government of Santa Catarina allow the party and the advance of vaccination in the city will provide security for those present. Balneário Camboriú has 70% of the population fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
The municipality can also review its position in the event of a worsening of the pandemic. He recalled, however, that there was a widening in the strip of sand where tourists follow the fireworks display recently. This will make it easier for the approximately 1 million people expected for New Year’s Eve to keep their distance.
In Alagoas, the City of Maceió also declared that, at first, the New Year’s festivities are still confirmed. He cited the reduction in Covid-19 cases and the complete immunization of 80% of its population to justify the celebration.
The municipality traditionally promotes fireworks and shows on the beaches of Pajuçara and Ponta Verde. This year, due to the pandemic and so that more people have access to attractions, the intention is to distribute events in seven points of the city.
All of this, however, can be cancelled. “The holding of the parties will depend on the country’s sanitary situation in relation to Covid-19 and the decrees of the sanitary protocols that will be in force during the period”, declared the city hall.
We already have an event contracted for New Year’s Eve, but we are analyzing the possibility of releasing New Year’s Eve and also Carnival in our city.
In Manaus, the city hall has not yet defined whether it will promote public New Year’s Eve parties. The city’s municipal management will assess the pandemic indicators in the coming weeks to make a definition.
But Mayor David Almeida (Avante) said on the 29th that he is working to “authorize the New Year’s Eve Virada da Esperança 2022, with security for the entire population”.
According to the mayor, the decision on holding or canceling the event will be taken and announced between the 10th and the 12th. “We already have an event contracted for New Year’s Eve, but we are analyzing the possibility of releasing New Year’s Eve or not and also of Carnival in our city,” he stated.
Regarding the celebration of the New Year’s Eve party, David said that, despite the event being contracted and partially paid for, there will be no problem in postponing it to a later date, if necessary. “Manaus suffered a lot earlier this year and we don’t want it to come back,” he said.
The capital of Rondônia, Porto Velho, has yet to decide on the New Year’s Eve parties to celebrate the arrival of 2022.
“There is a pre-programming that can be confirmed or not, depending on how the scenario will be in front of Covid-19 for the next few days,” said the city hall in a press release.
The City Hall of Rio Branco, in Acre, said that there is no confirmed position on New Year’s Eve parties and that it is awaiting the opinion of the Special Monitoring Committee to Covid.
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