The advance of the variant Omicron put down the federal government’s operational plan to release cruises in Brazil.
Since Thursday (30), directors, technicians from the Department of Ports and Airports at Anvisa are trying to reinforce with coastal municipalities the need to follow the Operational Plan agreed between cities and the federal government.
Unsuccessfully. There are already three cruises that have circulated in the country with confirmed cases of Covid-19. The most recent one landed this Sunday (2) in Rio with 28 people infected and 40 suspects.
This Sunday, the agency issued a note that it contraindicates the embarkation of passengers who have trips scheduled on cruise ships for the next few days, especially given the vertiginous increases in cases of Covid-19 with identification of outbreaks on board vessels operating off the Brazilian coast.
The recommendation takes into account the rapid change in the epidemiological scenario, the risk of damage to the health of passengers and the unpredictability of operations at this time, says the text.
A report with the objective of reinforcing the need for suspension of cruises will be sent by Anvisa to Ministry of Health (MS) this Monday (3).
Sources linked to Anvisa said to CNN that the document will suggest that the folder order cruises to cancel new trips in Brazil and be moored immediately, with no operation on board.
For the agency, the outlined plan — which provided for the release of the activity only with a favorable epidemiological scenario — collapsed with the arrival of the Ômicron variant in Brazil.
The measures were in ordinance 661, of December 8, and were decided by the ministerial committee that makes decisions regarding Covid-19.
The understanding is that municipalities started to create new rules or fear the disembarkation of ships with positive cases of coronavirus, ignoring the government action plan for fear that cities have the Ômicron variant circulating.
Precisely for this reason, ships are staying hours — and even more than a day — to disembark passengers, in what has been seen by Anvisa as a ‘bug’ in protocols.
And its opinion to the MS, the agency will also maintain that until December 25, 2021, more than 100,000 travelers took cruises across the country without any precipitous rise in Covid-19 cases and that recent news of 3 to 4 confirmed cases for 20 to 30 suggest, precisely, the presence of the Ômicron variant, which is already being investigated among those who tested positive. Sample results are out in the next few days.
According to Anvisa, the number of cases is enough to be classified as a scenario of sustained transmission, with an outbreak of coronavirus on board.
That’s what happened with the Costa Diadema, which had to go to Santos only with essential activities after 68 people on the ship tested positive for the coronavirus. THE CNN questioned Costa Diadema and is awaiting an answer.
However, Anvisa is investigating whether this rule was broken. The suspicion is that the ship has followed more than 24 hours with the functioning of non-essential activities, despite the sanitary determination.
Therefore, they must call the Federal Public Ministry to investigate criminal responsibilities. The company can still be fined and the ship can even be banned from Brazil for cruises.
Precisely for this reason, in the letter to the Ministry, Anvisa will reinforce that there are signs that the rules agreed with cruise companies have been disrespected and there are images that show the possible violation of protocols by passengers with the coexistence of vessel crews.
The recommendation to suspend the season was made on the 31st, but there is no scheduled date for it to be evaluated by the Ministry of Health. Therefore, the agency’s intention is to raise the tone on Monday (3), in a new statement.
In a previous document, Anvisa highlighted that “it reiterates the need for provisional suspension of cruise ship activities, until evidence of non-compliance with sanitary protocols by the companies responsible for the vessels is verified, that an adequate federative articulation involving the municipalities occurs. that will receive the ships and, above all, the change in the epidemiological scenario”.
AT CNN, the Ministry of Health informed “that it became aware of the recommendation by Anvisa and will evaluate the appropriate measures together with the ministries related to the subject.”
Manifestation on Anvisa’s note
Who also spoke about the note issued by Anvisa, was the Brazilian Association of Maritime Cruises (CLIA Brazil).
According to CLIA Brasil, “the cruise sector was surprised to receive the recommendation, since the less than 400 positive cases identified on board represent about 0.3%, that is, a small minority of the 130,000 passengers and crew embarked since the beginning of the current season, in November”, says the text.
Elsewhere, CLIA states that, “although it disagrees with the recommendation of this technical note, which is opposed to what is happening in regions such as the United States, Europe and the Caribbean, with operations of more than 250
ships and 5 million embarked guests, will continue with the commitment to collaborate and work with Anvisa, the Ministry of Health and the authorities of the states and cities that receive cruises to promote the health and safety of all.”
The company MSC Cruises, in turn, said in a statement that it is following all the protocols established by the agency and that around 0.89% of the total population on board tested positive.
The text also says that all cases are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms.
MSC also reported that the vessel MSC Preziosa, which arrived in Rio de Janeiro this Sunday (2), is operating normally and has authorization to continue with its next seven-night itinerary through the Northeast, as soon as the boarding of guests from the next cruise.
Check out guidelines from the Ministry of Health regarding the positive diagnosis of Covid-19:
Reference: CNN Brasil
