Ilhabela publishes decree releasing the use of outdoor masks

The city of Ilhabela, on the north coast of São Paulo, published this Friday (11/19) a decree releasing the use of masks in outdoor spaces. The text provides that masks should continue to be used in closed environments, offices and public transport. Outdoors, they will only be required in agglomerations, according to the text.

The state decree that mandates masks to reduce Covid-19 transmission, however, remains in effect. In a statement, the São Paulo State Secretariat for Health stated that failure to comply with the norm “is liable to fines by the Health Surveillance and, eventually, interventions by the Public Ministry”.

According to the City Hall decree, commercial establishments are also required to request from patrons proof of the complete vaccination schedule to enter the spaces. The presentation is also mandatory to enter public offices, weddings, sporting, educational and cultural events.

For Mayor Toninho Colucci (PL), vaccination and the reduction in hospitalization rates allow for more flexible use of masks.

“People on the streets are no longer wearing masks with the same frequency. We have 92% of the population vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine and over 82% with the second dose. We have the lowest mortality rates in Brazil and the rates of hospitalization are very low, that’s why we decided not to demand in open areas”, he says.

Earlier this month, the government of São Paulo announced that it plans to release the use of masks in open environments throughout the state as of December 1st.

According to João Gabbardo, executive coordinator of the state’s scientific committee, the decision will be taken based on the analysis of indicators of the pandemic, which includes the number of cases and deaths, hospitalizations, transmission rate and percentage of vaccination.

To have flexibility, it will be necessary to reach 75% of the population of the state vaccinated, less than 1,100 new cases registered per day and below 300 hospitalizations daily. In addition, it will be necessary to reach the goal of up to 50 daily deaths. Today São Paulo has about 73% of the entire population immunized.

At the end of October, the use of masks in open spaces is no longer mandatory in Rio de Janeiro. According to a state decree, municipalities that have vaccinated 65% of their total population and 75% of their population over 12 years of age, as in the case of the capital, can adopt flexibility.

Last month, the city of Rio argued that the city is experiencing the best epidemiological scenario since the beginning of the pandemic, with a significant drop in the number of cases and deaths, and registers higher vaccination rates than countries that have already released the use of protection .