After reporting the first suspected case of the Ômicron variant in the city of Rio de Janeiro, the municipal health secretary, Daniel Soranz, once again defended the importance of greater sanitary control in the entry of tourists into the country.
“We don’t really know if this variant appeared in Africa. We have seen previous cases of the variant being identified in Europe. So, the most important border control right now is to ensure that people entering Brazil have been tested and that these people are also fully vaccinated. This is our biggest challenge. It is very important that Brazil requires the vaccination certificate from people entering the country. This will make all the difference in the control of Ômicron and also in the control of other variants”, argued the secretary.
Although the epidemiological scenario in the city is currently under control, according to health authorities, there is concern because of the approaching holiday season. For now, New Year’s Eve is kept.
“We have an epidemiological scenario today in which it is increasingly rare to find a serious case of Covid-19. Everything will now be constantly evaluated so that we can have a closed decision on the matter. It’s a daily assessment. Covid-19 is a very dynamic disease and we are going to assess daily if there is any indicator that could change the epidemiological scenario”, Soranz pointed out.
By telephone, the state secretary of Health, Alexandre Chieppe, also told the CNN who believes in the importance of greater control over entry into the country. This Wednesday (1), the scientific committee that advises the government met. On the agenda, the new variant and the realization or not of New Year’s Eve with the threat of Ômicron. “Everything will be analyzed day by day,” said Chieppe.
This Tuesday (30), the Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, informed that the country is evaluating a package of measures against the new variant, such as the expansion of testing. He also admitted that the vaccine passport is one of the possible criteria for trying to stop the spread of Ômicron. However, it played down the power of the strategy. “The vaccine passport is not a safe-conduct to ensure that the individual does not transmit the virus,” said Queiroga.
While information about the new variant is scarce, in Rio de Janeiro, the call is for increased vaccination. “At first, she [Ômicron] it is sensitive to the vaccines that we currently have. So, there is no evidence that vaccines do not protect against this variant. It is important that we vaccinate as soon as possible. The vaccine protects, prevents deaths and serious cases. The high vaccination coverage in Brazil will make all the difference against the Ômicron variant”, concluded Soranz.
See Covid-19 vaccinations around the world:
Reference: CNN Brasil
