The increase in cases of Covid-19 and Influenza, in addition to the co-infection conditions, called Flurona, should overload the health systems of municipalities, especially those who make a living from tourism, from the next 15 days onwards, said Gean Loureiro, mayor of Florianópolis and president of the National Consortium for Vaccines of Brazilian Cities (Conectar).
“It will be difficult days,” said Loureiro. “The situation is worrying. The executive secretary (of the Ministry of Health, Rodrigo Otávio) informed that the expectation for the next 15 days is to advance the wave even further”, the mayor told CNN this Friday (7). He met with the secretary last Thursday (6).
He points out that, in Florianópolis, the health sector is already seeing an increase in demand due to the cases of Covid and Influenza. “We have a lot of pressure on public and private units, which meant that we all had to work by expanding the service structure,” he said.
At this time of year, the population of Florianópolis, as in other tourist cities in the country, doubles in size, which tends to increase the transmission of the virus, even in the face of containment measures, and create an overload on health services, highlighted Loureiro .
“This curve (increase in cases) we had already expected to happen because of Ômicron, but not so intensely”, he said.
Despite the increase in cases and the imminent pressure on health services, Loureiro said that there is no joint action by the municipalities and the federal government regarding new restrictions. “This is an individual decision of each municipality”, he stated.
The mayor also revealed that the Ministry is working to change the ordinance that establishes isolation time for people infected by Covid.
The executive secretary of the Ministry said at the meeting with representatives of the consortium that, this Friday, the isolation time for asymptomatic individuals should drop to five days, and seven days for those who presented symptoms.
“The Ministry itself signed a commitment to carry out a technical reassessment of the ordinance. It was recently proven that the isolation required for asymptomatic individuals is five days, and for symptomatic individuals, it is seven days,” said the mayor.
He was in favor of reducing isolation time and said the measure would help “replenish health teams” during a new increase in cases and hospital demand.
30 million tests ordered
At the meeting between the consortium of mayors and the Ministry of Health, it was also defined the acquisition of tests, which will be distributed by the folder to the municipalities by the end of January.
“The acquisition of over 30 million tests under the contract it has with Fiocruz was defined, and its distribution will begin on Monday, with 6 million doses to arrive in the city and 30 million by the end of January”, said Loureiro .
The definition was agreed between the consortium and the Executive Secretariat of the Ministry of Health last Thursday (6). The consortium may request more tests if there is a need identified by the municipalities, said the mayor of Florianópolis.
Reference: CNN Brasil
