Rise in Covid cases ruins San Silvestre race and New Year’s Eve party in Valencia

Rise in Covid cases ruins San Silvestre race and New Year’s Eve party in Valencia.

VALENCIA City Council cancels the popular San Silvestre race and suspends the New Year’s Eve party in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento due to a sudden rise in Covid cases as the virus ruins more events. It is the second consecutive year the race has been affected by the pandemic.

The race, which was due to take place at 8 pm on Wednesday, December 29, has been cancelled due “to the general interest” of the public and is “in line with the guidelines set by the Ministry of Health,” according to the Councilor for Sports of the City Council and president of the Municipal Sports Foundation, Pilar Bernabé.

The decision to cancel the race comes after an increase in incidence in Valencia, which already currently exceeds 300 positive cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Organisors have noted that it is difficult to control the capacity and test all of the scheduled runners.

Last year the race was not held due to the restrictions derived from the Covid- 19, which did not allow mass events to be held.

Pilar Bernabé explained: “We continue to do everything possible to have events like these return to the streets of Valencia, however, we have always prioritised the safety of those attending and, at this time, we have to be prudent and responsible.”

The last San Silvestre de Valencia race in 2019 brought together 600 professional runners and 17,000 people who participated non-competitively.

The Town Hall Square will be closed on New Year’s Eve to avoid parties and crowds and the Three Kings Parade will be held with a smaller capacity and a shorter route.

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