Queiroga says that care with the omicron should be the same as for other variants

The Health Minister, Marcelo Queiroga, said that the precautions that the population should take in relation to the omicron variant, which appeared in South Africa, are the same as other Covid strains that are already circulating around the world.

“I would like to reassure all Brazilians because care with this variant is the same care with other variants. The main weapon we have to face this situation is our immunization campaign”, he highlighted in a live on social networks.

“It is extremely important that we maintain the focus on the vaccination campaign and maintain the so-called non-pharmacological measures. We avoid agglomerations, hand hygiene, gel alcohol, the respiratory label”, he highlighted.

During the live, members of the portfolio also commented on the government’s measure of prohibiting the entry into Brazil of those who have been, in the last 14 days, in six African countries: South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland (Swatini), Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe .​

For Rodrigo Cruz, executive secretary of the Ministry of Health, this will delay the entry of the variant in the country. The decision had been taken on Friday (26) at a meeting called on an emergency basis, because of the new strain.

The measure was taken after the recommendation of Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency). This Saturday (27), the regulatory agency recommended that four more countries enter the list. They are: Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.

“It was a precautionary measure adopted by Brazil, following the conduct of some countries in the world as well. The entry of people who had at least 14 days in those countries where this omicron variant was identified was restricted. All with the aim of improving our country. surveillance and delay the entry of this variant in Brazil until we have a better idea of ​​its real impacts, in short, of all these issues,” he said.

Anvisa has also proposed that the federal government cover the vaccination certificate against Covid-19 as a way to allow travelers to enter Brazil. The government, however, did not deliberate at Friday’s meeting regarding this request from the regulatory agency at this Friday’s meeting at Planalto Palace.

According to interlocutors from Saúde and Planalto, who were at the meeting, the matter should be discussed this week, but they admit that it is unlikely that the regulatory agency’s request will be met.

The request to establish the “vaccine passport” was presented by Anvisa on the 12th to the Palácio do Planalto, as revealed by sheet, but collides with the negationist banners of Bolsonaro and his allies. The president has already said publicly that he has not yet been vaccinated.

Until this Sunday morning (28), there were confirmed cases of the new variant in at least eight European countries: United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Denmark and Czech Republic.

The WHO classified the new strain as a “concerning variant” because of the potential risk of being more transmissible than the old ones. Even before this evaluation, the large number of mutations in the variant generated a great wave of attention in several countries around the world.

The Ministry of Health issued a warning to state departments about the new variant. The document in the folder was directed to the CIEVS (Strategic Information Center for Health Surveillance) network, which brings together the country’s surveillance system.

The text directs networks to immediately notify the folder when there are suspected or confirmed cases.