São Paulo State Reduces Bar Open Hours but Extends Shopping Mall Hours

SÃO PAUO, BRAZIL – The government of São Paulo state has introduced an extraordinary alteration to the state’s quarantine. From Saturday, December 12th, bars will be forced to close by 8 PM, two hours earlier than before. Shopping malls and street commerce had their opening hours extended from 10 to 12 hours. In both cases, capacity limits remain at 40%. The measure is effective for 30 days.

Restaurants are allowed to operate up to 10 PM, but alcoholic beverage service must be finished by 8 PM. According to the government, the aim of the measure is to prevent end-of-year shopping crowds and to reduce contagion among young people.

Despite these measures, the João Doria administration has not changed the classification of any region in the São Paulo Plan for economic flexibility. The whole state has been in the Plan’s Yellow Phase since November 30th.

The government also said it would increase by 2,000 the number of new beds for patients diagnosed with Covid-19.

“An important piece of news is the maintenance, the guarantee of 2,000 ICU beds in the SUS (National Health System) for this fight. Recalling that at the pre-pandemic time, the Secretariat of Health had 3,500 ICU beds. This number was increased to 8,500 ICU beds, an increase of 140%. Of these 8,500 beds, 2,000 are not qualified by the Ministry of Health. So the São Paulo state government’s announcement today is that it will guarantee the operation of these 2,000 beds for Covid patients,” said Eduardo Ribeiro, executive Secretary of Health.

New rules

– Bars now operate until 8 PM rather than 10 PM;
– Restaurants may operate up to 10 PM, but must stop serving alcoholic beverages at 8 PM;
– Shopping malls, which could only remain open for 10 hours, will be allowed up to 12 hours, to prevent Christmas-shopping crowds.

“We realized it was very important to make an adjustment in the Yellow Phase to extend the operation of commercial businesses from 10 to 12 hours, maintaining the 40% capacity. It was a technical decision between Health and Trade so that we could meet the need for greater spacing between people, prevent crowds, so that all can have their needs met at the end of the year, but with responsibility, with safety,” said Economic Development Secretary Patricia Ellen.

The change comes 24 hours after the São Paulo government reinforced its alert regarding the speed of infection of the disease in Brazil in recent weeks. Several cities in the state have an ICU bed occupancy rate of over 80%.