Rio lives a decisive week for the future of the pandemic, says municipal health secretary

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The public and private hospital network in Rio has an ICU occupancy rate above 90% and the waiting line for hospitalizations has been breaking records day after day for almost a week. There are almost a thousand people waiting for a vacancy, most of them for an ICU.

In recent weeks, there has also been an intense demand for care in the primary care network with suspected Covid-19 cases. “It is certainly the decisive week, more important is that all health units will vaccinate 40 thousand people per day to hold this moment (more complicated),” said Daniel Soranz.

“By speeding up the vaccine, getting social isolation and increasing beds we hope to reduce mortality and be the first city to get out of this Covid-19 mess,” he added. “If the super recess goes well, we hope not to have to renew the restriction measures, but it is clear that some will remain and what will tell are the numbers and the adhesion of everyone”, evaluated the secretary.

Even so, on the first weekend of the super recess there were parties and illegal events with crowds, people on the beaches that are “closed” with only sports activities on the sea and sand allowed.

Soranz stressed the importance of the population’s behavior for the success of the measures and the reduction of the health crisis.

“We saw an intense reduction in the circulation of people in the city of Rio, but unfortunately we still see very irresponsible people crowding around and partying. We really need the population, even more at a time when the Manaus variant is dominant and we need to interrupt the circulation of the virus,” Soranz told Reuters.

From Friday to Sunday, Rio’s city hall issued 2,788 fines and interdictions to establishments, health infractions, traffic fines, tows and seizures of goods.

Among them, 289 fines were applied to bars, restaurants and street vendors, in addition to the interdiction of 42 establishments that were in violation of the current determinations. The city of Rio intends to reach the end of March having vaccinated everyone aged at least 70, and to close April with all the elderly over 60 immunized.It’s not only the city of Rio de Janeiro that faces tighter restrictions.

Last week, the acting governor of the state, Claudio Castro (PSC), issued a decree with tougher restrictive measures to contain the spread of the disease. Most regions in the state have a high or very high level of Covid, according to data from the State Health Secretariat.

The state of Rio de Janeiro has accumulated more than 36,000 deaths and more than 640,000 people infected over more than a year of pandemic.

On Sunday, the acting governor celebrated his 42nd birthday at a house in the mountainous region near the capital. The celebration, according to people close to the governor, brought together about 15 family members and their respective companions. Outside the house, more than 10 cars were seen by neighbors.

The Guanabara Palace advised, however, that part of the vehicles were from the governor’s security and guaranteed that there were no crowds. According to a nearby resident, the guests had to leave their cell phones at the entrance (to prevent being tracked) but the state government denied that this had occurred.

Source: Moneytimes