RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday, January 8th, the São Paulo government decided to change some of the quarantine rules in the state in order to render the shift to other phases more difficult. As a result, it placed 13 regions in phase 3 yellow and another four regions in phase 2 orange. Phases range from 1 red – the most restrictive – to 5 blue. Quarantine is effective until February 5th.
This means that 90% of the state’s population is in phase 3 yellow quarantine, and 10% remain in phase 2 orange. In phase 3 yellow, trade may open at 40% capacity, with some schedule requirements. Greater São Paulo has been in this phase since early December and remains under the same rules.
The changes mainly impact the rates that rank a region under a certain quarantine phase. Among the new features is the ICU bed occupancy rate. A region will shift to phase 2 orange once it has reached a 70% ICU bed occupancy rate, which was previously 75%.
Quarantine was scheduled to be altered in the state on Thursday, January 7th, but Governor João Doria decided to defer the update due to the announcement of the Butantan/Sinovac vaccine’s 78% efficacy in mild cases of the disease in trials conducted in Brazil.
The decision to tighten quarantine occurs one week after end-of-year celebrations, a period during which several health experts had alerted to crowds and to a consequent explosion of cases. The time for symptoms of Covid-19 to emerge after contact with the virus occurs in up to 14 days, so the numbers should climb further in the coming days.
The state of São Paulo counts a total of 1,528,952 confirmed cases and 48,029 deaths caused by Covid-19, according to data from the State Health Secretariat. The daily average of new cases stands at 7,552 and has remained at this rate since early December. Over the past three days alone, confirmed cases have exceeded 12,000, a figure comparable to the peak of the disease in the state in mid-2020.
The ICU bed occupancy rate stands at 63% in the state and at 65% in Greater São Paulo. The state as a whole counts 5,000 patients in the ICU.
Before Christmas, the São Paulo State Covid-19 Contingency Center issued a letter expressing concern about end-of-year party crowds.
During the holidays, the São Paulo government decided to maintain the most restricted quarantine in all regions for a few days. The state government’s goal was to halt the spread of Covid-19, which registered a 68% surge in cases of the disease in December. But the figures suggest that the strategy has not been effective.
In some inland regions, the data are disturbing. In Sorocaba, the ICU bed occupancy rate stands at 74%, and the daily average of new hospitalizations is 56, a figure sustained for a month and similar to the peak recorded in July. On Thursday alone, January 7th, 70 hospitalizations were registered, one of the highest figures since the start of the pandemic.
The region of Presidente Prudente, which is now in phase 1 red, is struggling to reduce the number of hospitalizations. The bed occupancy rate stands at 74%. The daily average of hospitalizations is 24 patients. Campinas has a 67% occupancy rate and an average of 109 hospitalizations, a rate which has been stable for one month.
Quarantine rules applicable in the regions under phase 3 yellow:
- 40% capacity for street trade, shopping malls, bars, restaurants, and beauty salons, for a maximum of 10 hours per day, until 10 PM.
- Bars may operate until 8 PM.
- Restaurants may operate until 10 PM, but alcoholic beverage service must be ended by 8 PM.
- Events with a standing audience are banned.
- Only events with a seated audience and 40% capacity are allowed. Advance ticket sales are required.
- In gyms, the maximum capacity is 40%.
- Parks remain open.
Source: Exame