São Paulo State Passes 5,000 Deaths from Covid-19 (May 19th)

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – São Paulo State reached a total of 5,147 deaths caused by the novel coronavirus on Tuesday, May 19th. There were 324 confirmed deaths from Covid-19 in 24 hours, which represents an increase of around seven percent, and more than a thousand deaths in just one week – on Tuesday last week, May 12th, there were 3,949 deaths.

On Tuesday, São Paulo also topped the one-day record for confirmed deaths, which had been 224 deaths in 24 hours on April 28th.

The bed occupancy rate in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo stands at 88 percent. In the entire state, the average is 71.4 percent occupancy.

When reporting the figures, the state Secretary of Health, José Henrique Germann, urged that during the extended holiday scheduled for the next few days, the population should not leave home. “The holiday we have ahead of us is not a holiday for leisure; it’s a holiday at home,” he said. “It is not about going to the beach, and it is not about going to the parks – also because they are closed – people must wear their masks all the same.”

Dimas Covas, the coordinator of the coronavirus contingency center in São Paulo, stressed that the population’s isolation during the extended holiday is critical to reversing the worsening trend in results.

‘Days of mourning’

He classified the period between Wednesday, May 20th, and next Monday, May 25th, as “the most important days in this battle against the virus.”

“We are losing this battle against the virus; that is the truth,” said Dimas, adding that in the coming days, “the population will have the opportunity to do their part. The following days, in my opinion, are not holidays. They are days of mourning.”

The 5,000-dead mark was reached as the municipal and state governments try to encourage the population to remain at home.

Governor João Doria has submitted a bill to the Legislative Assembly, which proposes bringing forward the July 9th holiday to next Monday, May 25th. The City Council approved a bill authorizing Mayor Bruno Covas to bring forward both the Corpus Christi holiday and Black Awareness Day to this week.

Last Sunday, 54 percent of São Paulo’s population stayed home – one percentage point more than the preceding week – according to the state government monitor that checks isolation. Last Saturday, the rate was 50 percent, the same as last week.

Source: Estadão Conteúdo