The Minister of Health, Marcelo Queiroga, said in the early afternoon of Tuesday (30) that the vaccine passport is one of the criteria used to try to prevent the spread of the Ômicron variant in Brazil, but that its potential is limited.
“The vaccine passport is not a safe-conduct to ensure that the individual does not transmit the virus,” he said.
The Ministry of Health is considering a “package of criteria” for taking action against the new variant, Queiroga said. “Above all, to reinforce the issue of testing”, he highlighted. “We are going to check what the WHO has decided to make a decision that will bring even more security to the Brazilian population”, he added.
New restrictions in Africa
The minister said that he is evaluating new restrictions on African countries and revealed that Angola, one of the countries with the largest flow of migrants from Africa to Brazil, asked not to be included among the countries with restricted flights.
“Angola, for example… we received a request to assess their (Angolans) situation in particular. They take into account the fact that they were strict with the issue of testing”, he said.
Europeans without restrictions
Even with cases of the Ômicron variant in European countries, the Ministry of Health does not foresee restrictions to countries on the continent.
“Right now, we are not evaluating (restrictions to European countries),” said Queiroga. “But all this is discussed”, completed the minister.
The latest survey carried out by CNN identified the European countries that have already registered cases:
- Belgium
- England
- Scotland
- Germany
- Italy
- Holland
- Denmark
- Portugal
- Spain
- Sweden
Reference: CNN Brasil
