SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – The governor of São Paulo, João Doria, announced on Friday the extension of quarantine throughout the state until May 10th. All cities in São Paulo have had their non-essential services suspended since the first day of quarantine on March 24th.
This is the second time that the São Paulo government has announced the deferral of the end of suspension. The isolation rules will be the same as established from the beginning, allowing sectors such as pharmacies, markets, hospitals, and the whole industrial sector, to remain open, as well as bars, restaurants, and bakeries using only a takeout system.
Schools, gyms, stores, malls, and other sectors must remain closed, subject to the risk of losing their licenses.
According to Doria, the quarantine extension was decided to avoid a “collapse of public and private hospitals”. In the state capital, the largest hospitals have had more than 70 percent of intensive care (ICU) beds occupied since the start of the week.
On Wednesday, Emílio Ribas Hospital announced that it had reached 100 percent occupancy of its 30 intensive care beds and that another 20 new beds would be added.
The rates in São Paulo are increasing rapidly. On Thursday, the State Health Secretariat reported that every half hour a patient dies from coronavirus in the State. By then, 853 deaths due to the disease were recorded and 11,568 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Among the sick, 1,125 are hospitalized in ICU beds and 1,259 in wards.
Furthermore, social isolation in the capital decreased on Thursday to 49 percent. In recent days, the rate was 50 percent, still below the 70 percent deemed as ideal by the São Paulo government.
According to infectologist David Uip, coordinator of the Contingency Center for Coronavirus in São Paulo, the 49 percent isolation rate is triggering a warning sign for the authorities.
“Fifty percent is a good number, but our goal is to try to increase it every day,” he said. “But 49 percent is a warning sign. São Sebastião and Ubatuba, on the northern coast, and Lorena, in the Paraíba Valley, are the three municipalities with the best rates of social isolation to date, according to the government.
Last week, the governor said the State Police were authorized to take action to prevent crowds and even considered arresting those violating the social isolation rules.
On Friday, Doria said he could take more drastic measures, should the isolation rates continue to drop, but he chose not to specify details.
Source: El País