RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The state government of São Paulo announced, on Wednesday, 28, changes in the quarantine rules throughout the state.
Local retail and restaurant businesses will be able to open at 80% capacity (previously 60%) and between 6 a.m. and midnight (previously until 11 p.m.) starting August 1. The new regulation is valid until August 16.
The curfew will no longer exist. From August 17, there will no longer be a capacity limit.
Since the beginning of May, the government of João Doria decided to adopt a quarantine that he calls ‘transition’ in a uniform way throughout the state, allowing city halls to impose stricter rules according to the local situation.
Before the model was determined by phases and colors, from red 1, the most restrictive, to blue 5, the most flexible, and done by macro-regions.
In the public and private school networks, the government kept the current rules, with 100% capacity, with a distance of one meter between students, the mandatory use of masks, and the availability of alcohol gel. For now, the return is not mandatory, and each school has the autonomy to establish rules that make sense in the local context.
HOSPITALIZATIONS, CASES, AND DEATHS IN DECLINE
Overall, the state of São Paulo managed to reduce the rates of cases, deaths, and hospitalizations by Covid-19.
The state rate of occupancy in ICU beds is 54%, and in Greater São Paulo at 49%. The daily average of new cases is 9,693, half of the peak in June and close to the first wave in the middle of last year.
When the rate is only for the São Paulo capital, the scenario is less worrisome than a few months ago. The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the last week was below 10,000, similar to the number recorded at the beginning of the pandemic in April 2020.
In the interior, the drop in the number of deaths is also significant. Almost half of the municipalities in the state of São Paulo – 288 out of 654, or 44% – did not record any deaths from Covid-19 in the penultimate week.
According to data from the São Paulo State Health Secretariat, the daily average of victims in the past week was 383. The number is lower than that recorded at the pandemic’s peak in early April, with more than 800 daily deaths.
In the evaluation of public health specialists heard by EXAME, the numbers reflect the success of vaccination. On Tuesday, 27, the state reached 75% of the adult population vaccinated with at least the first dose. Those who have completed the vaccination scheme, with two doses or a single dose, 20% are fully protected.
QUARANTINE RULES ARE VALID UNTIL AUGUST 16
- Commerce, shopping malls, restaurants, salons, and gyms: the opening is allowed from 6 AM to midnight, with an 80% capacity
- Bars can only open as restaurants, following the same rules
- Parks can open from 6 AM to midnight]
- Cultural activities (museums, galleries, and the like): open from 6 AM until midnight, with an 80% capacity
- Churches and temples can open, with 80% capacity
- Schools: may open with 100% capacity, respecting safety protocols
- Curfew no longer exists