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SAO PAULO (AP) – A wave of COVID-19 cases halt samba footsteps in Brazil’s largest metropolis as Argentina’s capital returns to tango soil.
The two largest cities in each of the neighboring South American countries are heading in opposite directions, showing that those who ease restrictions despite warnings from scientists are seeing a spike in the pandemic while others who maintain measures of Social distancing in place are able to reopen their savings sooner. .
Sao Paulo, home to nearly 12 million people, is bracing for the worst two weeks of the pandemic and the growing risk of its once resilient health system collapsing, Governor João Doria told reporters on Wednesday. More than 75% of the city’s intensive care beds are occupied by COVID-19 patients, and some departments – like those at the private Albert Einstein hospital – are full for the first time.
Doria announced that the entire state, where 46 million people reside, would face the highest level of restrictions on Saturday to stop the spread of the virus. This means the closure of all bars, restaurants, shopping centers and any other establishment deemed non-essential until at least March 19.
Meanwhile, Buenos Aires’ nearly 3 million residents are benefiting from an easing of their restrictions, with permission to go to cinemas taking effect this week. Official figures on Wednesday showed that only 26% of intensive care beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients. The low hospitalization rate also allowed local authorities in mid-February to reopen bars and restaurants until 2 a.m., something long sought after in a city renowned for its open culture.
This means that Buenos Aires’ famous steakhouses rekindle their fires, while their Sao Paulo counterparts put out theirs.
Buenos Aires casinos also reopened at the end of 2020 and authorities are wondering if the football-mad city will be able to return to stadiums soon. In Brazil, despite Bolsonaro’s desire to allow supporters to return, no local authority is seriously considering opening stadiums. The 48,000-seat NeoQuimica arena, east of Sao Paulo, is used as a vaccination post.
Good news from the Sao Paulo region arrived on Tuesday, when the great football player Pelé received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The 80-year-old posted the news on his social media.
“The pandemic is not yet over. We have to maintain discipline to save lives until many people have taken the vaccine, ”said the three-time World Cup winner. “When you go out, don’t forget your mask and maintain social distance.”
His advocacy is important – even a year after the start of the pandemic – because Bolsonaro continues to cast doubt on the effectiveness of the masks.
The distance between the two countries has apparently widened during the pandemic, with Bolsonaro and Argentinian Alberto Fernández taking opposite turns in their handling of the crisis. The former downplayed the risks of illness and insisted that the economy continue to run, while the latter took a more cautious approach.
Fernández imposed one of the longest quarantines in the world between March and October, despite the risks of hurting an economy already in recession.
In the past week, Brazil recorded 35 deaths from COVID-19 per million population, nearly triple that of Argentina.
The unrest in Sao Paulo worsened after the stealthy carnival celebrations in mid-February. Although street celebrations and parades have been canceled, many paulistas, as residents are known, have traveled or joined unmasked gatherings. The city refused to allow traditionally allowed days off during the carnival period, in an attempt to prevent people from partying.
Izidoro Silveira, 34, found a job at a pizzeria in downtown Sao Paulo two months ago, after almost a year of unemployment. He is upset by the imminent closure of his restaurant.
“Those who make the deliveries won’t be hurt, but I and many others will,” said distressed Silveira while watching a TV news show about the shutdown. “I don’t know what to say to my wife and my daughter. I’m afraid of losing my job again, even though I work in a place that takes all precautions.
Nearby, the cinemas on the city’s main street, Paulista Avenue, are empty, as they have been since the start of the pandemic.
Argentina’s ease doesn’t mean the virus is completely under control. Official figures on Wednesday showed 262 deaths and more than 8,700 new infections in the country. Vaccine deployment is slow. But the overwhelming gloom observed in Sao Paulo seems to be far from Buenos Aires.
With a bag of popcorn in one hand and a soft drink in the other, 8-year-old Bautista Sundblat couldn’t wait to walk into a movie theater in Buenos Aires’ Tony Palermo neighborhood to watch ‘Bad Boys Forever’.
“He’s very excited,” said his mother, Martina. “We have been waiting for a long time. There are few places, everything has been sorted out. He’s a movie fanatic. There is still a long way to go, but little by little we are getting where we wanted.
___ Rey reported from Buenos Aires.
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