Brazilians continue to travel despite restrictions due to COVID-19 and hospital collapse

Authorities in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro begged the population to stay in their homes, but thousands of Brazilians travel to coastal towns and ignore recommendations for the first weekend of a 10-day vacation period decreed to contain the increase in COVID-19 infections in the country.

Some residents are enjoying the holidays, despite warnings from the authorities. Brazil’s two largest cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, have imposed significant restrictions on non-essential activities. State officials brought the holidays forward to create a 10-day rest period, which began on Friday.

Many scenes in Brazilian cities show the Difficulty of the authorities in obtaining the cooperation of the population to contain the spread of the virus.

In Sao Sebastiao, a city of more than 80,000 inhabitants on the coast of São Paulo, the the tourists destroyed the barriers installed in the access to the beaches to avoid the crowds, according to local reports. The city is among those that have suffered an invasion of tourists who have taken advantage of the holidays decreed by the state government.

“Don’t come to the coast. We depend on tourism, but currently we depend on health. We must avoid an even bigger collapse», Declared the mayor Felipe Augusto, irritated by the acts of vandalism.

In Ubatuba, another of the main towns on the São Paulo coast, residents burned tires on a road in an attempt to prevent the arrival of visitors.

The activity restrictions implemented last year were timid and sabotaged by President Jair Bolsonaro, who tried to avoid economic ruin. He is still not convinced of the need for drastic measures, fearing that damage to the economy could lead to further unemployment and social chaos.

Brazil is currently responsible for a quarter of daily COVID-19 deaths globally, far more than any other country, and health experts warn the country is on the brink of an even greater catastrophe. The seven-day national average of 2,500 deaths will reach 3,000 in a matter of weeks, experts told The Associated Press.

The healthcare system is already collapsing, with almost every state’s intensive care unit near or at full capacity. As of Sunday, 92.6% of intensive care unit beds were occupied in São Paulo, while the state of Rio de Janeiro had 92%.

The authorities of the city of Rio closed 19 stores and fined 60 bars, restaurants and street vendors Saturday for breaking the rules that prohibited his operation. On the city’s beaches, some people ignored the new rules and stayed on the sand.

In absolute terms, Brazil is the most grieving country in Latin America – and the second in the world – with 312,000 deaths from the pandemic.

(With AP information)

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