The expectation of the city of Rio de Janeiro is that this Thursday (02) will be released the result of the analysis of the genetic sequencing of the suspected sample of the Ômicron variant.
The material was sent to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), which gave up to five days to send the result to the state and municipal health secretariats. The patient received two doses of Pfizer’s immunizing agent still in Brazil, according to the capital’s health department.
The 29-year-old woman arrived from South Africa on November 21 and was traveling with her husband, who tested negative. Before disembarking in the capital of Rio de Janeiro, the flight made stops in Johannesburg, Ethiopia and São Paulo.
All contacts with people made since the landing were monitored and, so far, the results have also been negative for Covid-19. Despite not having symptoms, the patient underwent a routine PCR test in the last second (29), which showed a positive result.
Even with the possible arrival of the variant in Rio, Mayor Eduardo Paes told the CNN that, for the time being, the plans for New Year’s Eve are maintained. The governor, Cláudio Castro, follows the same thought, saying that, at the moment, it is not possible to talk about canceling the event.
Meanwhile, the tourism sector is optimistic about the resumption of travel in the period, after the historic drop last year. However, experts say that there is still no way to know what will be the real impact of the dissemination of the new strain on trips during the holiday season.
TO CNN, the president of the Brazilian Association of Tour Operators (Braztoa), Roberto Nedelciu, said that the increased demand for information regarding the current situation of the pandemic is a reality and stressed that immunization against the virus is essential for travelers.
“At the moment, it is not possible to measure a real impact on sales, as the topic is very recent, but operators are still, more than ever, playing their role of providing information and guidance to travelers for a more assertive decision-making, with based on the data to which we have access. The advance of immunization in Brazil, together with the safety protocols disseminated by the sector, continue to be extremely important for a safe and satisfactory trip”, he highlights.
Along the same lines, the Brazilian Association of Travel Agencies (Abav) stated that it is monitoring the scenario so that companies in the sector are able to guide consumers who may eventually have their trips altered.
With the greater circulation of people in the cities, the establishments also foresee an increase in sales. According to Pedro Hermeto, president of the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants (Abrasel-Rio), the arrival of the Ômicron variant does not worry the sector for the high season.
“We understand that there is no reason for alarmism in Brazil. We have high vaccination coverage here in the country and, from what we see in the studies that are beginning to be carried out, the new variant is manifested in greater proportion in places where coverage is very low”, said Hermeto.
The vice president of the Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIm), Isabella Ballalai, however, emphasizes that it is necessary to be cautious on the subject.
“The situation today is favorable to flexibility, even so we are concerned, as both New Year’s Eve and Carnival are events with many tourists and agglomeration. That’s a big challenge for them to be safe. With the new variant, the scenario is worse, one of expectations, we don’t know what will happen, if Ômicron will circulate heavily in the country or not”, he says.
The doctor is also afraid of the parties being canceled at the last minute and being even worse for the health control.
“What we expect from public authorities is continuous monitoring, especially the new variant. I’m afraid of getting too on the date. Having to change everything is maybe even worse. But I leave that to the authorities. Of course, we expect there to be control at our borders, requiring a vaccination passport and tests to enter the country.”
According to the municipal secretary of Health, Daniel Soranz, the city is closely monitoring the local scenario and that there is no evidence yet that Ômicron is more resistant to immunizing agents.
“We are going to wait for the scientific committee, monitor how this new strain is progressing, its impacts, and make decisions in accordance with science”, he declared.
The city’s hotel chain already has almost 80% of confirmed reservations for the turnaround, according to a survey by the Rio de Janeiro City Accommodation Means Union (HotelsRIO). This number already exceeds the 74% occupation that the sector had in mid-December 2019, the pre-pandemic period.
Reference: CNN Brasil
