Rio government studies combining April holidays into 10-day period, starting March 26th

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Rio de Janeiro State Government is studying to anticipate the April holidays to March, in order to reduce the circulation of people and prevent the increase of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths by Covid-19.

The proposal is to create an extended holiday (called a “feriadão” by locals) between March 26th and April 4th. In addition to the Tiradentes (April 21st) and Good Friday (April 2nd) holidays, the state holiday of São Jorge, celebrated on April 23rd, would also be anticipated.

On March 20th the acting governor, Claudio Castro, discussed the proposal with representatives of businessmen from various sectors, such as trade, industry and tourism. The meeting was also attended by state secretaries, federal deputies Dr. Luizinho and Hugo Leal, and state deputies Marcio Pacheco (government leader in the state legislature), Rodrigo Amorim, and Léo Vieira.

Representing businessmen at the meeting were the presidents of: Fecomércio, Antonio Florencio de Queiroz Junior; the Commercial Association of Rio de Janeiro, Ângela Costa; the Brazilian Association of the Hotel Industry, Paulo Michel; the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants, Pedro Hermeto; the Association of Supermarkets of Rio de Janeiro, Pedro Paulo; and MetrôRio, Guilherme Ramalho.

Representatives from the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan), Supervia, Fetranspor, the Bars and Restaurants Union of Rio, the Events Companies Association, Apresenta Rio and Multiplan were also present.

Sunday morning, the subject was to be discussed between the governor and the mayors of Rio de Janeiro, Eduardo Paes, and Niterói, Axel Grael, in a meeting at the Palácio das Laranjeiras.

Collapse of the health system

The occupancy rate of intensive care units (ICUs) for patients with Covid-19 in the National Health System (SUS) has been growing consistently in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In the last bulletin of the Covid-19 Observatory of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), dated March 16, the rate was 79%, and according to yesterday’s update of the state pandemic monitoring panel, this percentage has already reached 85.5%. In the capital, the situation is even worse, with 93% of ICU beds occupied.

Any percentage above 80% is considered in the critical alert zone by Fiocruz. Last week, the foundation recommended measures to reduce the circulation of people and promote social distancing throughout the country, in order to contain what is considered the biggest health and hospital collapse in the history of Brazil, since 24 states and the Federal District had exceeded 80% of bed occupancy last Wednesday.

Vaccines

The Rio de Janeiro State Department of Health plans to deliver tomorrow the largest number of Covid-19 vaccines to the municipalities since immunization started in the state. It will distribute 759,100 doses of the CoronaVac vaccine (618,200 for the first dose and 130,900 for the second dose) and 10,000 doses of the Covishield vaccine, from Oxford/AstraZeneca.

Since the beginning of vaccination, the state of Rio de Janeiro has received 2,716,120 doses of vaccines, 2,425,120 of CoronaVac and 391,000 of Covishield. Of the total immunizers received by the state of Rio de Janeiro, 1,869,210 had been distributed to Rio de Janeiro cities by Wednesday.

Until 9am March 21st, some 850,000 people had received at least the first dose of one of the two vaccines against Covid-19, according to the state government’s Vacinometer. The second dose has already been applied to over 294,000 people.

According to the Covid-19 Monitor panel, from the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the number of people vaccinated with the first dose corresponds to 6.29% of the Rio de Janeiro population, and 2.18% of people who also received the second dose.

Source: Agencia Brasil