Even after release, paulistano maintains use of mask outdoors

Even after the mask is no longer mandatory in open spaces in São Paulo, there are still those who use face protection on the streets of the capital. Fear of the Covid-19 pandemic and fear of the emergence of a new variant of the coronavirus are among the reasons cited for not abandoning the equipment.

In addition, those who have comorbidity say they feel safer with protection – doctors also recommend continuous use for this portion of the population.

The equipment is no longer mandatory in external areas of the state this Wednesday (9), after an announcement by Governor João Doria (PSDB). The decree with the new rules was published on the same day in an extra edition of the Official Gazette.

Use is still required indoors — full release in the state could occur by the end of this month, according to the governor. In schools, use is no longer required in open environments such as sports courts and patios. In classrooms, however, it is still a mandatory item.

The measure is valid for the 645 municipalities in the state, regardless of the level of immunization in children and adolescents in each city.

Saleswoman Marislane Ribeiro, 34, who was walking near the São Bento subway station exit, in the center of the capital, said she had already taken the three doses of vaccine against Covid-19. However, she is still afraid to abandon the item.

“I think the virus may have one more variant,” she said. “Also, I’m undergoing treatment for a tumor, so it’s even more important for me to protect myself.”

In the vicinity of where the saleswoman passed, people with face protection mingled with those who had already retired outdoor protection. In the Anhangabaú valley, a few skaters challenged maneuvers under the scorching sun this Thursday (10th).

Among them was administrative assistant Thiago Rosa, 40. “Here, I’ll continue wearing a mask because people come, greet and you never know what might happen.”

In empty places, however, he said he had no problem dropping the mask. “There aren’t so many people around here and I think it’s okay not to use them. But where there’s a certain amount of turmoil, I think it’s necessary.”

At Parque Augusta, also in the center of the city, visitors were sunbathing without a mask. Retired José Acassio, 69, took advantage of the morning to exercise and was one of the few wearing a mask. “I still feel insecure,” he says. “I think we need to wait a while for us to get back to normal. I’ll keep using it until the situation calms down.”

Acassio, who said he had Covid-19, said that in the building where he lives, two residents died from the virus. “This caused me a lot of fear. I need to keep taking care of myself, because protection is a very good prevention.”

Researcher Meire Waki, 47, said she also intends to continue using the mask. “I’d rather wait a little longer to see what happens,” she said. Waki’s trip to the park this Thursday was her first outing since the beginning of the pandemic. “Today is my birthday and I decided to get some air.”

In the surroundings of Unifesp’s Hospital São Paulo, in the south zone, the mask appeared on the faces of most people, including the street vendors selling popcorn.

Before João Doria’s announcement, the report was in Ibirapuera Park, in the south zone, and on Rua 25 de Março, in the center, where there were people with and without a mask.

At the park, lawyer Bety da Silva, 52, said she would not abandon the protection item anytime soon and criticized the governor’s decision. “This is called social irresponsibility. Many people have not been vaccinated and there are other variants, so I am against the end of use in public places,” she said. “I will continue to use it and I will continue to guide people to use it.”

experts heard by sheet agreed that the current moment is ideal for making protection more flexible, but they ask for a little calm and guidance on places where the use of the item would still be important.

In addition, they drew attention to the elderly and recalled the care that people with flu symptoms should continue to take, such as, in addition to wearing a mask, avoiding contact with other people.

In a note, the Brazilian Medical Association recommended caution for the release of the use of masks, despite the period of fall in the national average of cases and deaths by Covid-19 and the circulation of the virus being smaller.

In the assessment of the entity, it is important that decisions are taken safely and “that each state or municipality evaluates its epidemiological indicators and its vaccination coverage”.

The mandatory use of masks in São Paulo was instituted in May 2020 as a way of combating and preventing the coronavirus, under penalty of a fine and even imprisonment. From July 2020, when the period of adaptation to the norm ended, to February of this year, the State Health Surveillance recorded 10,742 infractions.

Anyone who fails to comply with the new rule, published in the Official Gazette on the afternoon of last Wednesday (9), can still be fined – the expected fine is R$ 552.71.

According to the government’s Vacinometer, until the night of this Thursday, 89.5% of the entire population of the state over five years old had the complete vaccination schedule.