More holiday traditions in La Paz, Baja California Sur, have fallen by the wayside this year due to safety concerns about the coronavirus: this time it’s Carnaval and the Christmas Market.

Mayor Rubén Muñoz Álvarez announced during a meeting of the municipal council that the annual carnival needed to be canceled, saying that after discussing the matter with state health authorities, he’s determined that the conditions to have a safe carnival simply do not exist this year.

The announcement came at about the same time as La Paz merchants said they were canceling the city’s annual Christmas Market to avoid the risks associated with the pandemic.

Both announcements follow the cancellation by Catholic Church authorities of festivities related to the December 12 holiday for the Virgin of Guadalupe. Church officials said they were acting in accordance with guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and the state government.

The traditional market, said committee president Gilberto Romero Murillo, employs about 600 casual employees each year and attracts dozens of vendors, annually reactivating the city’s economy.

He lamented the decision to cancel the event but said that after consulting with state health authorities, the market’s committee concluded that putting on the event this year would not be safe.

He asked La Paz residents to continue patronizing businesses that remain open.

Source: El Universal (sp), El Sudcaliforniano (sp)