Brazil's Rio cancels New Year celebration as pandemic continues

FILE PHOTO: A couple celebrates during New Year's Eve, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil January 1, 2021. REUTERS/Lucas Landau

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - The mayor of Rio de Janeiro canceled New Year's Eve celebrations after Brazil confirmed the first known cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Latin America’s biggest country.

Eduardo Paes tweeted on Saturday that he would follow the recommendations of Rio de Janeiro state to cancel the celebrations, despite the city's own view to the contrary.