“We are still far from ending the pandemic” – Brazil’s health minister

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga warned Monday that Brazil is far from ending the Covid-19 pandemic, despite declines in key indicators, such as the moving daily average of deaths, pointing to the vaccination campaign against the disease as key to overcoming the coronavirus.

“We are still far from putting an end to the pandemic. There are challenges, such as confronting possible variants of this virus, like the Delta variant, where there have been cases in Brazil,” he said.

“There are still not that many, but that doesn’t mean it’s only those who have been diagnosed, so we must maintain our vaccination campaign with vigor,” he told reporters in Brasilia.

Queiroga said vaccination is the “key” for Brazil to get out of the pandemic.

Asked about the authorization granted by the Federal District local government for spectators to attend soccer matches, the minister said it is possible to resume some events if health protocols are followed, pointing to the need for spectators at those events to be tested against Covid-19 or already vaccinated.

He said he spoke with President Jair Bolsonaro, who was released from the hospital Sunday after treatment for intestinal obstruction, and said he was pleased to see the president “apparently recovered” and said he hoped Bolsonaro would follow his doctors’ guidelines.

The minister also welcomed the decision by the National Health Authority (Anvisa) to approve clinical trials to study the effectiveness of the third dose of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, and the drug proxalutamide for possible use in treating the disease.