Six months of lockdown and exponential increase of COVID-19 cases is sure to take a toll on anyone. To shake off the pandemic blues, Brazilians celebrated their Independence Day on September 7 by thronging the sunny beaches of Rio de Janeiro. 

A day ahead of Independence Day, thousands flocked to Rio de Janeiro's famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches along with Santos, Guaruja, Sao Sebastiao and Ubatuba in Sao Paulo on Sunday.

Quarantine-weary Brazilians headed to the gorgeous sunny beaches for a day of fun and relaxations as the state had opened a few sectors and limited rules have been relaxed. With hundreds of umbrellas lining the white sands, the celebrations did come as a major cause of concern. However the Independence Day parade was cancelled by the Defence Ministry. 

Rio de Janeiro has put a ban on all social gatherings due to the pandemic. Sao Paulo is one of the worst hit areas where more than 40% residents refrained from participating in the celebrations. 

Social distancing measures, wearing masks and maintaining proper SOP are still in place as Brazil continues to remain the third worst hit country till now.