Brazil is one of the countries to have suffered the most from Covid 19 with 7.56 million people infected and 192,716 dead on December 30, 2020. The health situation had improved significantly since September with a death toll from 1,100 to 200 on average day and a number of infected from 45,000 to 10,000. But it has deteriorated again since the beginning of November in a second wave with the number of infected on average per day over a week returning to around 57,000 and deaths of 633 with 57,227 infected and 1,111 dead in the last 24 hours.

Most tourist sites have reopened since mid-September (including Christ and Sugarloaf) but with limited attendance and a health protocol to be respected. Ditto for natural parks and museums. However, the sharp acceleration in Covid cases this last week in Rio (+ 24%) raises fears once again that tourist sites will be closed at any time.

The Brazilian government reinstated from December 30, the obligation for Brazilians and foreigners to present to the airline company before boarding the negative results of a PCR test carried out within 72 hours to be allowed to enter the territory. In addition, travelers will have to sign a declaration committing them to accept all preventive measures (without being specified) on Covid 19 taken in the country.

For your information, in Rio, the fireworks over Copacabana were canceled for New Year’s Eve as well as the Carnival in February 2021. Several small fireworks were planned for the end of the year including one on Christ and one on Sugar Loaf with on-line shows but the Rio City Hall has decided to cancel everything and even to ban the kiosks along Copacabana from organizing parties as they usually do every year. In addition, from 8 p.m. on 12/31, all neighborhoods along the Carioca coastline (From Leme to Recreio including Copacabana and Ipanema of course) will only be accessible to residents of the neighborhood upon presentation of proof of residence and this to avoid agglomerations on the beaches. Firecrackers and fireworks, sound systems and private parties on the beaches are also prohibited.

For Carnival, a replacement parade of the 12 best Samba schools will be organized on July 10 and 11, 2021, the latter depending, however, on the availability of a vaccine against Covid on that date.

You can now consider traveling to Brazil although we advise you to wait a few more months, to come and discover, in the best possible conditions, Rio the “Cidade Maravilhosa” and this magnificent country.