Brazil Not Intending to Close Borders or Ban Flights, Says Health Ministry

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Ministry of Health released further information on the coronavirus cases in Brazil during a press conference on Thursday morning, March 12th.

Currently, 930 suspected cases are being monitored. Out of the total confirmed cases, nine (15 percent) are by local transmission, when it is possible to relate the patient to a confirmed case; and 51 (85 percent) of cases are “imported”, i.e. from people who traveled abroad.

The ministry made it clear that in Brazil there is still no so-called “community transmission” – when it is not possible to determine where the infected person contracted the virus.

In addition, the ministry promised to issue a package of non-pharmacological measures, which encourage actions and activities regarding the contact and flow of people in certain situations. The announced measures will be implemented according to each region of the country.

It was further explained that there is no current intention to establish sanitary blockades, such as closing borders or banning flights. “There is no guidance from the Ministry of Health in this regard. Is it forever? I don’t know, it will depend on the evolution [of the situation],” João Gabbardo, the portfolio’s executive secretary, explains.

Isolation vs Quarantine

The Ministry of Health understands isolation as a “measure of separation of symptomatic or asymptomatic persons, in clinical and laboratory investigation, in order to prevent the spread of infection and local transmission”.

Furthermore, isolation, which will preferably take place at home, should be recommended by doctors or epidemiological surveillance agents, for a maximum period of 14 days, which may be extended depending on the laboratory result.

Quarantine, on the other hand, is a restrictive measure aimed at ensuring the maintenance of health services in a certain specific location.

It must be ordered through a formal administrative measure , issued by a Minister (if it is a nationwide quarantine), State Secretary (if within a state) or Municipal Secretary (if in a city or municipality) and published in the appropriate Official Gazette.

This quarantine period has an initial term of 40 days and may be extended for as long as required, according to the assessment of the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (COE Nacional). In Brazil, no region is under alert or in need of quarantine for the time being.

The quarantine measure cannot be determined or sustained after the closure of the so-called Declaration of Emergency in Public Health of National Importance (ESPIN).

App helps with suspected cases

The Ministry of Health has also launched an App to help the population better understand the effects of the virus and assess whether any symptoms are compatible with the disease.

Under the name Coronavirus – SUS, the App is available for download on smartphones with both iOS and Android operating systems.

In it, users find real-time news, prevention tips, a map with public health centers closest to their current geolocation and, most interestingly, the assessment of their health condition.

If users believe they have symptoms of the Covid-19, they can answer a questionnaire on the App itself that assesses the risk of infection based on the symptoms, countries to which they have traveled and whether they have had contact with any suspected cases.

Source: InfoMoney