RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Wednesday, August 5th, the governor of São Paulo, João Doria, authorized the operation of restaurants in the state until 10 PM. In the previous rule, these venues were allowed to operate only until 5 PM. The measure is effective from Thursday, August 6th, in regions that have been in the yellow phase of the São Paulo Plan for at least two weeks.
The operating period is still restricted to six hours a day, despite the expanded schedule. According to Doria, establishments may choose to open on a consecutive or fractional basis, such as three hours during the day and another three at night, as long as agreed with the city halls. The mayors may establish more restrictive rules for the sector, but not more permissive.
The limit of 40 percent occupancy of seated guests and operation restricted to open environments or airy areas remains in place. Doria stressed that customers will not be allowed to stand inside these establishments. Service will only be available to seated customers.
The city of São Paulo is included in this category and the operation protocol signed by Mayor Bruno Covas already provided for remaining open until 10 PM. On Wednesday, Covas also announced the implementation of a pilot project to allow restaurants to place tables on sidewalks and roads in a shared format.
The measure is now banned by the city and the pilot project aims to assess the feasibility of safely authorizing this step. The measure will begin in establishments located in the city center and is temporary. Depending on the result, the initiative may become permanent and be extended to the whole city, which will enable an increase in service capacity.
Evolution of the pandemic in São Paulo
On Wednesday, the state of São Paulo reached 585,265 cases and 24,109 deaths by Covid-19. The ICU bed occupancy rate in the state stands at 60.2 percent and at 58.7 percent in Greater São Paulo.
Source: Veja