Mayor Paes maintains mandatory use of masks indoors in Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The mayor of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, kept the mandatory use of masks indoors. The decree was published in the Official Gazette of RJ this Friday (11/12). The municipal administration had foreseen a relaxation when the city had 75% of the population fully immunized against Covid-19.

Paes suspended a previous resolution made between the city government and the State Health Secretariat that established restriction measures based on the risk classification of the regions.

In the resolution, published in January this year, was foreseen the mandatory use of masks in open places of collective use, when a distance of more than four meters was guaranteed.

According to the Epidemiological Bulletin, the city is close to the mark of 73% of the population with complete vaccination coverage, with two doses or a single dose. The expectation is to reach 75% in the capital in the next few days.

However, Eduardo Paes had already shown, during the week, that he would study maintaining the mandatory use of masks in closed places. In addition, the city hall depends on the approval of the state government, just as it was to release the use of protection in open environments.

Currently, municipalities can only allow the use of masks indoors if they reach 65% coverage of the vaccinated population. There are no rules yet defined about flexibilization in closed places. The State Health Secretariat must meet to discuss the issue on November 19.

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