Sesc SP returns to require the use of masks in closed places

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Sesc São Paulo once again forced the use of masks in closed spaces in its units. The measure is valid from last Saturday, November 19th. The return of the obligation takes place amid the increase in cases of Covid-19 in the context of the identification of new subvariants of omicron in Brazil.

Even with the need to wear a mask, access to Sesc units remains available. For some services, it is necessary to make an appointment in advance. This is the case with restaurants, for example. Other activities, however, do not require prior scheduling: exhibitions, libraries, swimming pools and sports spaces are some of them.

Fiocruz’s InfoGripe bulletin released last Friday (18) pointed to an increase in cases of Covid-19 in Brazil. According to the survey, from October 16 to November 12, among cases with a positive result for a respiratory virus, 47% were caused by Sars-CoV-2.

For comparison purposes, between September 18 and October 15, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in exams was 30.2%.

A possible explanation for this increase in cases is the presence of new subvariants of the omicron strain in the country. One of these is BQ.1, which has caused an explosion in Covid-19 diagnoses in Europe.

Other subvariants have also been recently recorded. In São Paulo, for example, two underlinings already identified in other countries were observed in samples from the capital and the state.

The growth of Sars-CoV-2 infections has led to the resumption of effective measures to stop the transmission of the virus. As in the case of Sesc São Paulo, the use of masks is once again mandatory in some institutions and cities. For example, the Belo Horizonte City Hall has returned to oblige the use of protection since last Friday (19) in public transport and in health establishments.

The Ipiranga Museum, recently reopened in the south of São Paulo, has also returned with the obligation since last Wednesday (16). On the same date, protective equipment resumed its mandatory status in closed spaces at USP.

In the capital of São Paulo, there is no forecast for the return of the mandatory use of masks for the general population – there is only guidance for people to use protection. The city government started distributing the item at bus terminals, where vaccination tents will also be installed.

In addition to the mask, keeping the full vaccination scheme is recommended. There are already new bivalent immunizers —with the original strain of Sars-CoV-2 and with the omicron variant—that may be more effective against the new subvariants. Brazil, however, still does not have these vaccines.

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