São Paulo quarantine: What changes with the new government measures?

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – During a press conference on Wednesday, July 7, governor João Doria announced new measures to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and another step in the relaxation of the São Paulo Plan.

The new rules for in-person school classes

Schools all over the state, both public and private, may accommodate an undetermined number of students, provided a minimum distance of 1 meter between them is respected. The rule is applicable to all activities and began on Wednesday, July 7.

Back to school

In the state school system, the return will occur on August 2, after the vacations that start on July 15. The São Paulo City Hall said it will follow the state plan and will not receive students starting next month. For the federal and private schools, the new rules could be implemented as of last Wednesday.

Higher education

Universities may accommodate 60% of their total capacity in classrooms, and the restriction that allowed only practical classes for health courses no longer applies.

New vaccination calendar dates in São Paulo

Governor Doria announced that the calendar will be brought forward in the state but has not yet defined the new dates, which should be released on Friday, July 9.

This new organization is possible because São Paulo succeeded in purchasing 4 million Coronavac doses directly from Chinese Sinovac pharmaceutical company, which should be fully delivered by July 26, the governor said.

New second shot interval

It has not yet been defined if the state will reduce, from 90 to 60 days, the recommended interval between shots for the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

During the press conference, Butantan Institute director Dimas Covas said that the measure is under consideration with the aim of curbing the spread of the Delta variant, but the final decision would be made after a meeting between members of the Covid-19 Contingency Center held on Thursday, July 8.

If approved, the measure will impact the first dose vaccination schedule among the country’s younger population, which will suffer another delay.

New operating rules for commercial establishments

The São Paulo Plan relaxation allows establishments to extend operations until 11 PM. Previously, closing time was 9 PM. The permitted capacity in an establishment has also been increased from 40% to 60%. The new rule will be maintained at least until July 31.