The popular Pamplona bull-running festival has been canceled for the second year in a row due to COVID-19 concerns.
Officials said that because the infection rate remains high and that the rate of those getting vaccinated is much slower than expected, the city of Pamplona and the Navarra region were not prepared this year to host the event.
"Only 202 people out of 1,000 have received one dose, and 83 out of 1,000 have received both," Mayor Enrique Maya said in a news release. "The forecasts spoke of 70% of the population being vaccinated in June. For this reason, it is necessary to make the decision now, however painful it may be, since we are just two months away from San Fermín”.
Officials hope the event will resume in 2022.
The last time Spain canceled the event two years in a row was during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, Reuters reported.
