São Paulo reverts to strictest quarantine after hospitalizing one person every two minutes

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – After weeks of milder measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, São Paulo governor João Doria announced on Wednesday, March 3rd, that the entire state of São Paulo will revert to the red phase, the most restrictive of the quarantine, from midnight (Brasília time) next Saturday, March 6th.

In practice, the change provides that only essential economic sectors, such as pharmacies, supermarkets and public transportation will operate, as was the case last year when quarantine was introduced in the state. Because of a change made earlier this week, churches will also be allowed to open.

Schools will also remain open, with an 80% reduction in attendance. This stage of the quarantine is expected to run for two weeks, when the situation is to be reassessed.

The intensification of the São Paulo lockdown comes after the state registered a record number of daily deaths on Tuesday: 468, according to figures released by the Health Secretariat. The 1.641 deaths by the novel coronavirus recorded by the Ministry of Health nationwide, disclosed on Tuesday, are also the highest death toll recorded in 24 hours since the start of the pandemic in the country.

According to the governor, the state bed regulation center received 901 requests for hospitalization in ICU and ward beds on Tuesday alone. “An average of one patient every two minutes,” he said. On Wednesday, there were another 367 deaths, totaling 60.381 deaths since the start of the pandemic. “The next two weeks will be the worst two weeks in the pandemic,” Doria said.

ICU bed occupancy in the state stands at 75.3% and at 76.7% in Greater São Paulo. Bed occupancy rate is one of the main criteria for the change of phases in the São Paulo Plan – if it exceeds 75% the regions of the state enter the red phase. According to the government, there has been a 152.5% increase in the number of SUS beds in the state since the start of the crisis – from 3.500 on March 31st to the current 8,839, including 339 beds in intensive care units to be opened next Monday.

Schools will remain open, with daily attendance limited to 35%. “School will be open for those who need it,” said Education Secretary Rossieli Soares, who advised that children who are able to follow classes from home should not be taken to school.

More restrictive measures to contain the advance of the pandemic in São Paulo were already expected from the governor a week ago, when the state reached the mark of 6.657 people hospitalized in public and private ICUs with covid-19, a record since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. However, on Wednesday, February 24th, Doria chose to announce only a restriction on traffic between 11 PM and 5 AM in all São Paulo municipalities.

The measure, effective between February 26th and March 14th, was an attempt to “reduce crowds and gatherings that may occur particularly at night,” in the words of Paulo Menezes, coordinator of the Contingency Center, at a press conference alongside the governor.

These gatherings had already been banned under the São Paulo Plan, the program adopted by the São Paulo state government to control the opening of the different regions of the state during the pandemic. The São Paulo capital, for instance, was in the yellow phase, which banned bars from opening after 8 PM and restaurants from opening after 10 PM.

The new curfew, according to the government, was intended to step up inspections of night-time parties and to fine illegal organizers. Doria’s team made it clear that it would not fine night workers, nor shut down public transports or any essential services.

“We are not going to penalize those who are working or complying with protocols,” assured Patricia Ellen, Secretary of Economic Development. “We are going to have a more focused inspection to control crowds and gatherings. Not only in commercial establishments, but in all areas.”

One week later, the ICU bed occupancy proves that, in practice, the decree was not effective. São Paulo currently registers 7.415 people infected with covid-19, 1.000 more than 10 days ago. Even private hospitals in the capital, such as Albert Einstein and Sírio Libanês, are registering close to 100% occupancy.

After ignoring the call for tougher restrictions by the group of epidemiologists that advises him, Doria gave in as the pandemic worsened. As of Saturday, shopping malls, street stores, and gyms will be banned from operating.

Only essential sectors will be allowed to operate: pharmacies, supermarkets, bakeries, post offices, petshops, veterinary clinics, gas stations, and public transportation such as buses, trains, and subways, as well as churches. The latter had been banned until Monday, March 1st, when the governor signed a decree defining churches as an essential activity.

In the São Paulo state interior, some municipalities anticipated the state government and implemented measures in the red phase. Campinas and Araraquara were such cases, adopting the most restrictive lockdown due to a nearly 100% bed occupancy rate.

Even some essential services, such as supermarkets, are operating through delivery. However, other cities have registered protests against the quarantine and boycotted João Doria’s earlier measures, despite being in the plan’s red phase – such as Bauru, the most populous city in the mid-western part of the state.