RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Santa Catarina Health Secretariat reported on Wednesday, March 10th, that there are 419 Covid-19 patients waiting for intensive care unit (ICU) beds and 45 waiting for ward beds in the state.
The pandemic’s advance led the state government to decree more restrictive measures, among them the suspension of transportation, limited opening hours, and the shutdown of non-essential activities on weekends.
“The scenario is assessed after 14 days of the measures being in force, based on the several criteria and issues pointed out by our tool and technical team,” says the secretariat.
According to the secretariat, during weekdays several activities will be limited, both in terms of occupancy and opening hours. In the case of public transportation, vehicle occupancy will be limited to 50% capacity. The operation of nightclubs and concerts, as well as any kind of crowding are still banned.
According to the Santa Catarina government, 2,654 equipment items in general (infusion pumps, ambulances, hospital beds, emergency carts, and IV stands), 819 cardiac monitors, and 1,034 mechanical ventilators have been sent to the state’s hospitals.
Over the past 30 days, 580 new medical and 380 ICU beds have been contracted in the state, known for having one of Brazil’s best-organized public health systems.