São Paulo Governor Announces Further Relaxation of Isolation Since Start of Pandemic

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Friday, July 10th, the governor of São Paulo, João Doria, announced the most flexible plan of isolation measures since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result of the slowdown in the rates of the disease, the new update of the São Paulo Plan will place 83 percent of the population of São Paulo in the milder phases of relaxation of isolation measures. This is the sixth time the plan has been updated and will be effective between July 13th and 30th.

“We have seen a drop in deaths for the past two consecutive weeks for the first time since the start of the pandemic. We are also experiencing the lowest lethality rate from the disease, at 4.9 percent,” Doria explained. According to the data, three weeks ago the state recorded a peak in deaths, with 1,913 victims. In the previous week it was 1,766 and last week it was 1,733.

According to the new update, municipalities in the regions of Presidente Prudente, Bauru, Sorocaba, Marília, and Piracicaba move from the red phase (the most restrictive) to orange (which partially releases the opening of businesses, malls, and real estate agencies).

In Greater São Paulo, the regions of Guarulhos, Mogi das Cruzes, Taboão da Serra, Itapecerica da Serra, Osasco and Barueri move out of the orange phase and into yellow (reopening restaurants, bars, beauty salons and gyms with restrictions). The regions of Registro and Baixada Santista are also in the yellow phase.

The regions of Campinas, Ribeirão Preto, Franca and Araçatuba are still in the plan’s most restrictive phase, due to the still troubling growth rates of the disease.

The São Paulo Plan is the state government’s guidelines establishing the easing of quarantine. The scale ranges from 1 (red), the most restrictive, to 5 (blue), with the full return of business activity.

The protocol is revised every two weeks and takes into account several factors, such as ICU bed occupancy rate, variation in the number of Covid-19 cases, and deaths.

Currently, the state has a cumulative total of 359,110 confirmed cases and 17,442 deaths from Covid-19. There were 324 additional victims and 9,395 positive tests in 24 hours.

Paulo Menezes, coordinator of the Coronavirus Contingency Center, stressed that despite the relaxation measures the data are monitored daily and, if required, a restriction will be imposed in regions presenting an increase in rates.

“We understand that we are allowing the gradual and careful resumption of activities that had been suspended. And this is followed by constant monitoring. Looking at the progress of the epidemic in the state of São Paulo, I am confident that we are working to avoid the much-feared second wave.”

Source: Exame

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