Rio City Hall Bans New Year’s Eve Beachfront Fireworks

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Amidst the new surge of Covid-19, Rio de Janeiro’s City Hall decided to announce further restrictive measures to prevent crowds on New Year’s Eve. In addition to isolating the Copacabana neighborhood, acting Mayor Jorge Felippe banned fireworks along the city’s beachfront – including in hotels – from midnight on December 31st to 7 AM on January 1st.

The use of sound equipment on the beachfront was also forbidden. An inspection checkpoint will be placed at the city limits of the capital, blocking access of tour buses, minibuses and vans.

Measures to discourage crowds also include the ban on parking on the waterfront and surrounding streets, as well as blocking public transportation to Copacabana and Barra da Tijuca from 8 PM on December 31st. Beach vendors will not be allowed to remain at a fixed point on the beach or sidewalk until 6 AM on January 1st.

“We must strive to preserve life and health first and foremost, no one is unaware of the gravity of Covid-19. It calls for harsh measures from public officials, and we will certainly find solidarity, commitment and responsibility on the part of the population to prevent an increase in contagion in the city,” said the acting Mayor in a statement.

Beach bars will be able to operate provided no tickets are sold, no shows are held, no sound instruments are used and no enclosures are set up. Amid the upsurge in Covid-19 cases in Rio, the City Hall had already announced on December 17th a ban on private parties on the city’s beaches during New Year’s Eve, when some bars typically set up “enclosures” and hold paid events. The traditional fireworks display in Copacabana, one of the world’s major New Year’s Eve celebrations, was also cancelled.

The ICU bed occupancy rate for Covid-19 in the SUS (National Health System) network – which includes municipal, state and federal units – stands at 92% in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the municipal Health Secretariat reported on Saturday. The occupancy rate in ward beds stands at 88%. In the municipal hospitals, there are 558 patients hospitalized, 262 of whom in the ICU. The SUS network in the capital has 1,327 people hospitalized in specialized beds.