This Monday (14), the capital of Rio de Janeiro completes a week of the non-mandatory use of masks in closed places. The only sanitary measure for Covid-19 still adopted in the municipality is the collection of the vaccine passport in commercial establishments.
The goal of the city of Rio de Janeiro is to stop requiring the document when 70% of the population of Rio de Janeiro has received the booster dose of the vaccine against the disease. Currently, this rate is 56.4%. According to the municipal health department, 670,000 eligible cariocas have not yet looked for the posts to take the booster.
The release of masks in closed places, according to the Municipal Health Department, was based on the numbers of Covid-19 cases in the city and vaccination coverage. According to the latest data from the Rio Covid-19 Panel, the fatality rate from the disease is 0.3%.
THE CNNthe Secretary of Health, Daniel Soranz, said that the epidemiological scenario in Rio de Janeiro is very positive and that from now on we will have to live with Covid-19 as an endemic disease, as well as other diseases, so vaccination is So important.
“You cannot think about the current moment, about the eradication of Covid-19. It will continue to be present in our daily lives. What we do know is that vaccinated people have a very small risk of contracting the severe form of the disease and progressing to death. Therefore, it is important that people take the 2nd dose of the vaccine and the booster dose, which is essential for this protection. We appeal to cariocas not to miss the booster dose”, said Soranz.
During the weekend, teams from CNN walked the streets of Rio and showed that, among those who used the protective equipment, most were elderly. The municipal decree advises that people over 60, immunosuppressed and people who have not been vaccinated or who have not completed the vaccination schedule continue to wear the mask.
For the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants (Abrasel), it is still too early to assess the impact of the new measure in the sector, but evaluates the measure as positive.
The president of the Hotel Union, Alfredo Lopes, said that many guests have not abandoned the habit of wearing the mask and that he is excited about the season of events for tourism.
“Regarding the non-mandatory use of a mask, I see many people still using it. Rio is very crowded, many tourists and we believe that this season will be very good, even more with the arrival of Carnival. Thankfully, this year 2022 has a calendar of very good events,” he says.
So far, twelve capitals and the Federal District have already made the use of masks optional. As of this Monday (14), the city of Vitória, in Espírito Santo, will make the use of the mask in open places more flexible. In the cities of Rio de Janeiro, Natal and DF there is no longer a requirement for the protection item in closed environments.
With information from Bruna Carvalho and Camille Couto
Source: CNN Brasil