The Federal Public Defender’s Office (DPU) and the Public Defender’s Office of the State of Rio de Janeiro (DPR/RJ) sent a recommendation, on Thursday (2), for the Union to establish mandatory proof of vaccination for entry into the country.
According to the bodies, there is a concern that there is an exponential increase in the spread of new variants in the country and, therefore, they recommend that the entry by air or land, of foreign tourists, be subject to the display of the vaccine passport.
The document was forwarded to the ministers of the Civil House, Ciro Nogueira, of Justice and Public Security, Anderson Torres, of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, and of Infrastructure, Tarcísio Gomes de Freitas.
The Defender’s Office highlighted that the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) recommended, more than once, through technical notes, the existence of a control policy through the collection of proof of vaccine against Covid-19.
The institutions also highlighted that the existing testing policy may be flawed, as the tests may have a false negative result and do not indicate contamination during the incubation period, which can be up to 14 days.
In view of the new Ômicron variant, which is already in circulation in the country, there is concern about the resurgence of the pandemic, as informed in the document sent.
“It is a public and well known fact that the emergence and spread of new variants, the most recent being called Ômicron, of high global risk according to the WHO (World Health Organization), means a constant threat to the stabilization of the pandemic picture”, said the bodies in the statement.
The note also mentions the need “for intense sanitary control aimed at preventing the entry and dissemination of new viral variants”.
Questioned, the Civil House informed that next Monday (6) a meeting is scheduled with Anvisa and with the other bodies involved, to deliberate on the adoption or not of the need for proof of vaccination for entry into the country, at which time, according to the folder “the Ministry of Health must present its opinion on the proposed measures”.
“The criteria for the entry of foreigners or Brazilians from abroad to the country are elaborated in an integrated and inter-ministerial manner, always aiming at the safety and well-being of the Brazilian population”, said the Civil House and the Ministry of Health in an identical response.
“Decisions on temporary restrictions on entry into Brazil are taken based on opinions from various bodies, such as the Ministries of Health, Justice and Public Security, Infrastructure and the Civil House. The diplomatic issues involved, in turn, are evaluated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”, added the bodies.
Wanted, the Ministries of Justice and Public Security and Infrastructure, so far, have not returned contact.
Reference: CNN Brasil
