RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil ranks second in the world in terms of the number of people infected with coronavirus. It also holds this position as the country with the highest number of deaths.
As a result, some locations have chosen to restrict visits – especially tourist destinations that opted to close down for a prolonged period. Such is the case of Fernando de Noronha, one of the most exclusive locations in Brazil, a volcanic archipelago officially within the state of Pernambuco but located 354 kilometers offshore, in the Atlantic Ocean.
Unlike the vast majority of tourist destinations, where swab tests are required to determine if the infectious disease is present, Fernando de Noronha requires something different: that visitors interested in its beaches have already been infected.
Only tourists who have already had COVID-19 and have recovered will be allowed to enter the island network, according to statements published by local and state governments last week.
The measure taken by the tourism-dependent archipelago, which has approximately 3,100 permanent residents according to the most recent census, marks singular ways in which authorities are trying to return to a semblance of normalcy as new cases and deaths from COVID-19 stabilize in many parts of the world.
There is considerable debate about the level and duration of immunity that coronavirus patients develop after a first infection. Cases of re-infection have been reported, also in Brazil. However, such records are relatively scarce.
The new rules come into force today, September 1st. Until now, tourists are not allowed on the islands. “There has been no community transmission on the island for a long time. We have to preserve this,” said André Longo, the Secretary of Health of the State of Pernambuco. “Obviously, this step is going to be taken with a focus on security and the reactivation of economic activity in the archipelago.”
In this first stage, only tourists who have already had Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus will be able to land. Visitors must provide a positive virus test result that is at least 20 days old, along with payment of the Fernando de Noronha environmental conservation tax.
“We are reopening responsibly, with caution and without haste,” said Guilherme Rocha, the archipelago’s administrator, at a press conference. “Haste is the enemy of life… We can’t do everything in one go.”
Fernando de Noronha, known for its wild and unspoiled beaches, breathtaking scenery, and national marine reserve, is home to just over 3,000 permanent residents, but its boutique hotels are often filled with jet-setters from Brazil and abroad.
Fernando de Noronha has so far recorded 93 confirmed cases of the virus and no deaths. Tourism has been banned since March. During a period between April and June, not even the residents who had gone to the continent could return.
Brazil is one of the nations most affected by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 120,000 known deaths and 3.8 million confirmed cases up to Saturday evening. However, new cases and deaths have begun to stabilize in recent weeks.
Source: infobae