Omicron and influenza cause the loss of at least 50,000 employees in Rio’s commerce

Trade in the city of Rio de Janeiro was directly affected by the outbreak of the new Ômicron variant of Covid-19 and the Influenza epidemic.

At least 50,000 workers in the sector were removed from their jobs with symptoms of respiratory syndrome between December 24 and January 10.

The data are part of a cross-reference between the Commercial Association of Rio de Janeiro (ACRJ) and the National Confederation of Commerce in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC).

A survey carried out by ACRJ, at the request of the CNN, shows that approximately 12% of the entire contingent of Rio de Janeiro’s commerce employees was affected by the new wave of Covid-19 and the flu outbreak in the state capital.

On the other hand, data from the National Confederation of Commerce, commissioned by the CNN, point out that, on average, the city of Rio de Janeiro has 382,000 formal vacancies just for commerce.

For the vice president of ACRJ, Ricardo Salles, stores and malls are not the main responsible for the high number of people infected, but public transport, which he calls the ‘vector’ for the spread of both viral diseases.

“As much as we have adequate facilities in establishments for employees to work, public transport sins too much in the circulation of viruses. And these inadequate conditions, the agglomerations and the lack of air renewal in public transport play a large part in this high number of contaminations”, he told the newspaper. CNN, Ricardo Salles, also director of the National Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Council (CNCR).

Traditional clothing store in Brazil, Farm, had to close the store located in the South Zone of the Carioca Capital for a day due to lack of employees. In addition, the establishment stated that it will operate with reduced hours indefinitely to avoid further contagion of workers.

“Farm has been following the increase in cases of Covid-19 and has reduced store opening hours indefinitely. The brand also oriented the home office for all employees who work in a hybrid way or who traveled in the last week of December”, says the official statement.

The epidemiologist at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Celso Ramos, says that closed commercial establishments are also largely responsible for the contamination of Covid-19.

“In a closed place, the chance of contagion by the virus is infinitely greater than in open places. Public transport is largely responsible, but I also believe that shopping malls also help with this high number of infections”, he concluded.