Rio Residents Flood City Beaches on Saturday, Despite Ban

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Lying on Rio’s beaches has not yet been authorized, but it did not seem that way on Saturday. With the temperature close to 33ºC (91ºF) and the dry air, many people went to the beaches and found no major issues regarding inspection by public agents.

According to Rio’s flexibility rules for the gradual restart of business activities, permanence on the beaches is not allowed; those in violation of this rule may be liable to pay a R$107 fine. Mayor Marcelo Crivella’s argument for the ban is that it’s difficult for beachgoers to wear masks due to the heat and sun exposure, and remaining on the shore should only be permissible after a vaccine against Covid-19 is available, or when contagion rates are very low, close to zero.

The pedestrian sidewalks were also crowded. These have already been released by the municipality for individual physical activities, such as jogging and walking, subject to the wearing of masks.

Teams from the Municipal Department of Public Order (SEOP) and the Sanitary Surveillance conducted a joint action on the South Zone’s waterfront and focused on the inspection and guidance of small businesses. According to the bodies, 32 street vendors were inspected, as well as kiosks. A table and 30 glass bottles were seized by inspectors from the Urban Control Coordination of the Municipal Treasury Secretariat.

The teams found that 43 kiosks were working in accordance with the rules established by the city government, and seven were inspected by Sanitary Surveillance inspectors, three of them fined for lack of a doing business permit. A further 34 kiosks did not open their doors on Saturday. In addition, 12 vehicles were removed for irregular parking.

Regarding the municipal guards’ work, the city hall reported that it maintains the special “Blitz da Vida” (Blitz of Life) operation, which aims to raise awareness among the population about care to prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading.

“In total, 104 municipal guards are working in the South and West Zones on Saturday, July 25th. While patrolling boardwalks and the sand strip, the agents address citizens, guide them and notify them of the lack of protective masks.”

Between July 5th and 20th, the Municipal Guard fined 1,966 people for failing to wear masks throughout the city, including beaches.

Asked about the State Police’s actions in alerting bathers to the ban on beach permanence, the Secretariat said in a statement that the corporation is available to support any requirements of municipal bodies in their enforcement actions during this pandemic time.

“State police officers are instructed to prioritize awareness and dialogue in contact with citizens,” the note said.

Source: O Globo