Despite the suspension of the carnival, thousands of people …

Despite the fact that authorities have banned traditional carnival festivities due to the covid-19 pandemic, mThousands of people participated in underground parties and flocked to the beaches of Brazil. Rio’s mayor’s office has reported the closure of at least four nightclubs that have violated containment rules and imposed seven fines for violating social distancing.

During the weekend large numbers of Brazilians and tourists invaded the beaches of states such as Rio, São Paulo, Bahia and Santa Catarina. Brazil is one of the global epicenters of the pandemic and the second country with the most coronavirus deaths in the world only after the United States, with nearly 240,000 victims.

For the first time in 180 years, Rio de Janeiro is not celebrating its iconic carnival, which has been canceled to prevent further spread of the virus. The growth of the so-called Brazilian variant of covid-19, which is more contagious, and the crowds recorded in recent days despite the cancellation of the holidays, They are raising fears among authorities of an increase in the number of infections and deaths in the immediate future.

Beyond the bans, on Sunday evening, a large number of people without masks could be seen in bars, restaurants and streets in southern Rio. IThere was even an impromptu dance in Plaza Cazuza de Leblon, neighborhood located next to one of the most famous beaches in Brazil. The mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, has decided to reduce the movement of people and limit the entry of tourists, even though this weekend thousands of Brazilians were seen without masks on the beaches.

In São Paulo, the state health surveillance under the direction of Governor João Doria ordered the closure of 11 establishments and the application of 22 fines after a “flagrant” violation of quarantine rules in the Brazilian capital. The State Secretariat for Health has mobilized around 1,000 Health Surveillance agents in operations to check the use of masks and compliance with guidelines to avoid crowds in commercial establishments, the newspaper said. Newspaper.

One of Salvador’s most-visited tourist destinations, the Museum of Modern Art Beach, welcomed crowds of people on Sunday afternoon. The images obtained by the UOL portal were taken at a party in the place in which about 500 people participated. In the video, residents and tourists can be seen huddled on a narrow strip of sand, most of them without masks.

“I received the videos and organized the team to start the operation to remove the people who were there. More than 60 civilian guards and a military police car were involved in the operation. On arriving at the site, we found about 500 people on a small beach, with a strip of about 100 meters “, revealed Maurício Lima, director of urban security and violence prevention in Salvador.