RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Covid-19 surge, with ICU bed occupancy rates above 80% in some states, has prompted city halls and governments to increase restrictions on bars and restaurants and end-of-year parties.
Some capitals and governments have canceled Christmas and New Year, banned the consumption of alcohol altogether or after 11 PM, prohibited parties and shows and even advised the population to cancel “secret Santa” gatherings. Other locations, such as Rio de Janeiro, have only restricted the number of tables in establishments, with no limit to working hours.
After three consecutive weeks of increased Covid-19 cases, with an ICU occupancy rate of 87% for patients with symptoms of the disease, the government of Pernambuco on Monday, December 7th, announced a ban on Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties. The measure applies to public spaces, hotels, clubs and condominiums.
Graduation events and weddings are cleared, as long as protocols are met. Shows and similar parties with or without entrance fees are also banned, irrespective of the number of attendees.
In Recife, restaurants and bars are operating as usual. In many cases, protocols established by the state government are not observed. By decree, they may operate up to midnight and with 70% capacity.
Owners are required to guarantee a minimum distance of one meter between clients at different tables. The protocol also states that tables must respect a maximum limit of ten people. However, several bars and restaurants are not complying with the rule. Customers crowd without being alerted by the establishments’ staff.
In Belo Horizonte, the administration of Alexandre Kalil has issued a decree banning the consumption of alcoholic beverages in restaurants, bars, markets and the like.
According to the city hall, the new decree, which came into force on Monday, aims to reduce the flow of people and increase social distancing in the capital. The decree also recommends that people should not attend end-of-year parties and stresses that licensing for New Year’s Eve parties is not authorized.
“The aim is also to preserve the operation of these activities as much as possible, but it is expected that with such measures it will discourage the population from seeking such venues for crowding and close contact without wearing masks and observing the protocols,” says Jackson Machado, Secretary of Health of the capital of Minas Gerais.
In Curitiba, the city hall has banned the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages between 11 PM and 5 AM, in public areas or in places such as gas stations, clubs and condominiums. This is the same curfew schedule of the state government for all cities in Paraná state.
In Rio Grande do Sul, governor Eduardo Leite mentioned the traditional “amigo oculto” [secret Santa] at the end of the year to alert the population. “If you have a secret Santa, you also have a well-known invisible enemy, which is the coronavirus,” said Leite when he pointed out the second wave of Covid-19 in the state.
The Rio Grande do Sul government has banned end-of-year parties. In the red flag regions, bars and restaurants can only operate until 10 PM, with sitting guests and tables at least two meters apart and with up to six people each. Live or background music, where volume impairs communication, is now forbidden.
In Porto Alegre, the municipal decree allows nightclubs to operate only for bar and restaurant service until 10 PM, with no standing guests.
In Rio, bars and restaurants have been operating with no time limit. Restrictions range from two-thirds occupancy and one to two meters distance between tables. Unlike the state, the city hall authorizes dance floors and does not forbid customers to drink standing up.
In practice, many in Rio fail to observe the rules and it is common to see clients crowded and unmasked. On Friday, acting Governor Claudio Castro and Mayor Marcelo Crivella stated that they will not restrict services and pledged to step up inspections. Shopping malls will be able to operate 24 hours a day, based on the hope of preventing crowds in transportation for Christmas shopping.
The government of Bahia has forbidden shows and parties in the state, irrespective of the number of attendants. The decision, made last Friday, December 4th, is effective until December 17th, but there is already an indication that it should be extended, until January at least.
Last Thursday, December 3rd, the governor expressed his concern with the end-of-year and New Year’s Eve celebrations that have been announced in several of Bahia’s tourist cities. Rui Costa reiterated that the events are banned and said that the State Police will block the entrance to establishments that fail to comply with the determination not to hold parties in the state.
Bahia is experiencing a second wave of Covid-19 cases, according to the state Health Secretary Fábio Vilas-Boas. He said that the state has been experiencing a progressive surge of notifications of the disease in the past three weeks.
In Salvador, the city hall has restricted the operation of bars and restaurants in the districts of Rio Vermelho and Itapuã, which will be forced to close at 5 PM on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The city hall has cancelled the round-the-clock 24-hour Virada Festival, that this year would take place with no audience in a live stream format. “We are not experiencing a moment to celebrate, we are experiencing a moment of concern. This cancellation is intended to show that the city is taking the situation seriously, preparing for a more serious situation,” said the mayor ACM Neto.
In Fortaleza, restaurants can operate with 50% capacity until 11 PM. According to the state decree, bars are still banned.
In Manaus, bars and concert halls have been allowed to operate since last Tuesday, December 1st, but only as restaurants, with occupancy restricted to 50%, and limited opening hours.
However, there are venues that not only allow customers without masks, but also fail to prevent crowds, common in bars, restaurants and nightclubs in middle-class neighborhoods and the periphery.
Over 600 fines have been imposed on establishments for noncompliance with Covid-19 prevention decrees since June. Among the irregular events, some clandestine parties ended by police gathered over a thousand people.
Crowds and disrespect for health restrictions are also common on boats, which have been allowed to operate also as restaurants since November 16th. Operation is only allowed until 7 PM, with a ban on live music and the use of “leisure areas” which, in the case of boats, is the river itself.
Due to the lack of inspection, this last restriction has been disrespected by the majority of boat rentals, rented for private events, such as reunions and birthdays.
Meanwhile, the Ponta Negra beach, the main public beach resort in Manaus and stage of the traditional New Year’s Eve celebration, has been banned since the end of September. According to the city hall, the measure will be maintained until December 31st, and the New Year’s Eve party has been cancelled.
In Belém, bars and restaurants may operate from 6 PM to midnight, and restaurants from 11 AM to midnight, as long as the maximum occupancy does not exceed 50% of the establishment’s capacity.
Bars and restaurants are allowed to have live music, as long as there are a maximum of six musicians on stage and two technical support staff, all with a minimum distance of two meters between them. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is allowed.