Belo Horizonte Sees Covid-19 Cases Explode As Commerce Reopens

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Specific Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed occupancy for the treatment of Covid-19 has more than doubled in the hospital network of the National Health System (SUS) in Belo Horizonte since the reopening of the city’s commerce on May 25th.

According to city hall data, the use of beds reserved for patients with the disease increased from 40 percent on May 22nd to 82 percent in June 14th, according to the most recent report released on Monday evening.

The percentage increase forced the municipality to implement a contingency plan to provide more beds. The number of cases of the disease, as well as the percentage of ICU bed occupancy for Covid-19, more than doubled in the period.

The public health system in the capital of Minas Gerais also recorded a significant increase in the occupancy of specific ward beds for novel coronavirus patients, rising from 34 to 63 percent in the period. Belo Horizonte counts 246 ICU beds and 688 ward beds reserved for Covid-19. The total ICU and ward beds occupancy rate in the city is 80 and 70 percent, respectively. In total, there are 966 intensive care and 4,407 ward beds in the capital.

The increase in ICU occupancy is one of the criteria used by the Belo Horizonte city hall to reopen the city’s commerce.

The Municipal Health Department states that, due to bed occupancy rates, it has triggered the city’s hospitals to negotiate the provision of beds according to the contingency plan. The strategy is to provide 92 new ICU beds over the next 30 days, according to the city government.

Reopening

Belo Horizonte recorded 1,402 cases of Covid-19 and 42 deaths when commerce began to reopen. On Tuesday, there were 3,412 cases, an increase of over 143 percent, and 76 deaths. The disease is also spreading in the interior of Minas Gerais. On June 11th, the state government was forced to step back and announced the closure of beauty salons, bookstores and newsagents in cities in the central region of the state, which had been authorized to operate since May 27th.

Infectologist Dirceu Greco, professor emeritus at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) School of Medicine, states that the reopening of business activity has significantly contributed to the increase of Covid-19 cases, particularly in larger cities.

“When nothing was open, the workers, who often live in towns close to the large centers, stayed home. Once their activities were restarted, and with the virus circulating particularly in means of transportation, the number of cases increased,” he assessed.

Minas Gerais has a low testing rate, and therefore may have much higher numbers than the official figures, currently at 22,024 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 502 deaths. “We have seen an increase in deaths and Covid-19 cases over the past 15 to 20 days. This is no time to relax,” said Governor Romeo Zema on Tuesday afternoon. He announced the purchase of 500 ventilators. Zema confirmed he will provide 79 ICU beds in the interior of the state, adding to the 2,964 existing intensive care beds.

The governor said that for the time being he does not intend to open the field hospital with capacity for approximately 800 spaces, built at Expominas, the capital’s exhibition center. “This is not yet the time to start. We are increasing the number of intensive care unit beds,” said Zema, referring to investments in public hospitals. “But the field hospital is ready to operate as soon as it is required.”