Against omicron, Doria says it’s not time to have a New Year’s Eve party

The governor of São Paulo, João Doria (PSDB), defended that the cities of the state suspend this year’s New Year’s Eve festivities to fight possible contagion with the new variant of the Sars-CoV-2, the ômicron.

“We are going on the path of caution and zeal to protect life, this is not the time to have a New Year’s Eve party. Mayors can take tougher measures than those of the state, but not more facilitating,” he said on Wednesday (1).

In practice, city halls are free to decide whether or not to restrict New Year’s celebrations. About 15 cities have already suspended the party. Doria said that it will also be necessary to analyze the situation with a view to the 2022 Carnival, although no decision has yet been made.

As far as the state is concerned, Doria will decide on Thursday (2) whether to suspend the release of masks in the streets, which was scheduled to take place on the 11th.

“I made a formal consultation this Wednesday to the scientific committee [do combate à pandemia], who will present their decision tomorrow. What they decide is what we are going to adopt,” said the toucan.

According to sheet heard among government healthcare officials, there are still many doubts about the omicron, which was sequenced by South Africa last week.

Apparently more transmissible because it has a set of 30 mutations in the virus’s binding protein with human cells, the variant caused panic in several countries, which banned flights from the southern region of Africa.

Scientists from São Paulo consider that there is still little information available about the omicron, whose characteristics should be better known in the coming weeks. In the government’s political area, however, the tendency is to defend the maintenance of masks in the streets.

Doria also defended that foreign visitors arriving in Brazil are required to present proof of complete vaccination against Covid-19, which does not happen today.

The toucan is in New York leading a business mission in meetings with investors. This Thursday (2), he will open the American office of InvestSP, the agency linked to the Department of Finance for trade and investment promotion.

The mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes (MDB), is with a delegation participating in the visit. He discussed the issue of the new variant with Doria.

In all, there are 30 entrepreneurs. The mission cost BRL 4 million, funded by the private sector. The government spent R$ 611.3 thousand on tickets and daily rates for its 18 employees, including Doria and three secretaries.

_{Journalist Igor Gielow travels at the invitation of InvestSP.}