São Paulo City Expected to Progress in Reopening Economy in October

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – With the change in the updates of the São Paulo Plan – a state government guideline that establishes the control of the Covid-19 pandemic – the quarantine phase changes are made monthly. The next reclassification is scheduled for October 9th and everything suggests that the city of São Paulo will pass from phase 3 yellow to phase 4 green.

Should this be confirmed, it will be the largest economic opening since the restrictions began in March. The capital of São Paulo could allow a larger opening of businesses, to 60 percent capacity (currently at 40 percent), as well as authorizing the reopening of movie theaters, theaters, museums, and artistic events.

Last week, Mayor Bruno Covas signed a protocol with the cultural sector to establish the guidelines, and once the state government authorizes it, reopening could come into force.

The driving force behind this quarantine progression is the positive rates in the control of the disease. Two weeks ago, Covas introduced graphs that show that the city has improved in three essential criteria for advancing to a new phase: hospitalizations, new infections, and new deaths caused by the coronavirus.

With the data, he showed that in early September the city was in phase 3 yellow, but ten days ago the rates improved and São Paulo could be classified in phase 4 green. The Mayor also said that the projection is for the city to progress in quarantine in October. The opinion was also corroborated by members of the São Paulo government’s Coronavirus Contingency Center.

According to data from the São Paulo State Health Secretariat, in June the capital had 911 requests for hospitalizations per day for Covid-19 patients. This figure has been dropping for two months and reached 393 last Sunday, September 27th.

Another favorable number is new cases of the disease. Between June and August, the daily registered average of confirmed infections was close to 2,000. Since early September this figure has dropped by half and stands at 973, recorded on Sunday.

The daily average of deaths caused by Covid-19, which reached the 100-mark in June, is currently at 32. Overall, the city records a cumulative total of 12,602 deaths and 289,308 confirmed cases of the disease.

Source: Exame