The chief minister of the Civil House Ciro Nogueira said this Friday (26) that Brazil will close the air borders to six African countries due to the new variant of the coronavirus called Ômicron. According to the minister, the measure will take effect from next Monday (29).
“Brazil will close the air borders to six African countries due to the new variant of the coronavirus. We are going to protect Brazilians in this new phase of the pandemic in that country. Ordinance will be published tomorrow and should take effect from Monday”, wrote the minister on social networks.
The minister explained that the decision was taken together and will be signed by the Civil House, Ministry of Infrastructure, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
According to Ciro Nogueira, the restriction will affect passengers from: South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
the lineage B.1.1.529 of the new coronavirus was classified this Friday by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant of concern.
Identified in multiple countries, according to the WHO, the Ômicron variant has worried scientists because it has many mutations that can confer advantages to the virus. The strain has been found in South Africa, Botswana, Hong Kong and Belgium.
According to a survey carried out by CNN this Friday (26), at least 23 other nations had already announced total or partial blockades to travelers coming from southern African countries.
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Variant Ômicron no Brazil
So far, there are no records of the variant in Brazil. However, the director-president of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa), Antonio Barra Torres, told the CNN this Friday (26) that there is a possibility that the Ômicron variant is already circulating in the country.
“The possibility really exists, we cannot say that there is zero chance of already being in Brazil, that it is not possible. The possibility of having a case that has not been identified exists, it is a possibility, but so far it doesn’t exist.”, says Barra Torres.
On Friday, Anvisa recommended measures to restrict flights, the decision valid for travelers from South Africa, Botswana, Swatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
According to Barra Torres, the measure to restrict flights from African countries is intended to “mitigate or delay as much as possible” the arrival of the new variant in Brazil.
“It is important that the population is aware that the pandemic is not over, the final whistle for this game has not yet been blown. We do have a very strong vaccine culture, we have millions of people voluntarily adhering to vaccination. If vaccination were a candidate and the election was today, the vaccine would win in the first round, the candidate of the moment is the vaccine. We can avoid maintaining a strong vaccination culture”, explained the director of Anvisa.
(*With information from Anna Gabriela Costa, from CNN, in São Paulo)
Reference: CNN Brasil
