Brazil São Paulo decides to retain mandatory masks in the city until end November

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The city of São Paulo has reversed its decision to allow people to circulate in public places without masks and announced, on Thursday afternoon (14/10), the maintenance of mandatory face protection against Covid-19.

The relaxation had been announced a week ago and would have come into force in the second half of October.

According to a G1 report, the forecast is that the mandatory mask will remain in force until at least the end of November. The setback in the release of facial protection was driven by a study conducted by the city administration, which points out the “importance of maintaining non-pharmacological prevention measures” and indicates the “importance of isolation of the case and quarantine of close contacts to interrupt the chain of transmission.”

In a note last week, the National Council of Health Secretaries (Conass) defended the mandatory use of masks all over Brazil, remembering that the number of cases went up again in other countries after the measure was loosened.

“We need to be aware of the frustrating experiences of some countries that, believing they have overcome the risks, suspended the obligation to use masks, loosened the preventive measures and, for this very reason, had a significant increase in the number of cases and deaths, forcing them to go back,” says the note.

The alert was made after both São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro announced that they are studying the relaxation of the rule, even though the national recommendation made by the Ministry of Health remains in force.

Despite the ministerial guidance, Minister Marcelo Queiroga has already said he is contrary to the requirement. President Jair Bolsonaro, who refuses to wear face masks in public, even asked Queiroga to release the use of masks by people who had been vaccinated.