Opinion – Finish Line: SP City Hall maintains street races, but with limited audience

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In recent measures in the face of the increase in cases of Covid-19, the City of São Paulo maintained the street racing calendar, but with limited audience. As with other sporting events, the races will have 30% of their capacity reduction.

In a note, the management of the capital of São Paulo also reinforces that the rules are in force: recommendation of distance, mandatory use of masks and requirement of proof of vaccination at events with more than 500 people.

Through its advice, the Municipal Sports Department explained that the protocol for the use of masks will be the same as that which has been adopted in recent events, such as in São Silvestre. The item was mandatory only in the arena, at the start and at the finish, but it was released during the course.

In a report at the end of last year, the leaf spoke with experts about the issue, when runners were preparing to compete in São Silvestre. For infectious disease specialist Raquel Stucchi, from Unicamp (Universidade Estadual de Campinas), although the ômicron variant has changed the perspective on the flexibility of measures such as the use of a mask, the orientation is correct.

“During the race, there is no sense in the potential risk of transmission running, no one will talk”, he pointed out. “Even if you have a platoon with the closest people at the beginning, there’s not as much risk of transmission as long as you don’t keep talking.”

Stucchi reinforced, however, the need to use it both in the arena, where it is more difficult to keep the distance, even if it is outdoors, and in the commute to the race and back home. In addition, she highlighted the recommendation for those who are not going to run all the time.

“There are people who reach a third of the test and start walking, interact with people who are not part of their daily lives. They must wear a mask.”

The races returned to the streets of the capital of São Paulo at the end of last year, after two test events that defined a base of measures to be followed. At that time, however, the country observed a drop in cases and deaths caused by the coronavirus with the advancement of vaccination.

The arrival of the Omicron variant in early December changed this scenario. The moving average of this Monday (17) is already approaching the two biggest of the disease in the country, in March and June of last year. There have been 75,200 infections now, up from 77,120 in March and 78,663 in June, according to Our World in Data.

A survey carried out by laboratories in the country showed that the new strain corresponds to 98.7% of new cases, at the same time that Brazil faces testing problems. Clinics, pharmacies and public services have not been able to meet the demand for diagnosis.

In view of this, the city hall of the capital canceled New Year’s Eve and the street Carnival, in addition to extending the mandatory mask to at least January 31 and limiting the holding of events.

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