COVID: Masks are mandatory again in Bosnia and Herzegovina indoors
3 min read
Belo Horizonte’s Minister of Health, Claudia Navarro, told a press conference on Monday (13th) afternoon that the use of masks has become mandatory in closed environments in Belo Horizonte. The law goes into effect on Tuesday (14) and will last, at least, until July 31. Inside football fields and at fairs, for example, there is no obligation. In open areas of schools, it is up to the management to decide.
According to data from the Epidemiological Bulletin of the State Department of Health of Minas Gerais (SES-MG), 13,099 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the state in the past 24 hours.
In the same period, 18 deaths were recorded in the state of Minas Gerais. In an interview conducted last week with O TEMPOAnd the The former member of the extinct committee to deal with Covid, the infectious scientist Unaí Tupinambás, had already considered this measure indispensable, in addition, he considered that the capital of Minas Gerais was going through a fourth wave of contamination with the new coronavirus.
vaccinate children
The Secretary reported that vaccination of children (5-11 years) was significantly lower than expected. Only 70% of the target audience took the first dose, while only 56% of the group was given the second. “The concern is general and the issue of children is linked to the low rate of vaccination,” Claudia explained.
Adult vaccination
Regarding the immunization of adults against Covid-19, Claudia explained that 109% of the public had already taken the first dose (which is more than 100% because it includes people who do not live in Belo Horizonte). Additionally, 100% had already taken the second dose (or one dose) and 34% had received the fourth dose (this audience is still called out).
“We (now) have a very low rate of patients in the hospital and we would (if there was a disclosure) give a misconception, if we compare it to one, two years ago,” Claudia explained during the press conference.
Experts celebrate the decision
Former members of the commission set up by the PBH in 2020 to analyze the progress of the Covid-19 pandemic in the capital, infection scientists Unaí Tupinambás and Estevão Urbano believe the decision to resume mandatory indoor masks has been a success.
“Commitment is better than just giving advice. Especially at this point in the fall and winter, I think it was very important. If you think about it, perhaps, the ideal would be to not cancel the commitment in April. We suspected this new one could happen, but , better late than never. Now, hopefully, who knows, cases will start to drop by the beginning of July, or even sooner,” explains Topinampas.
Urbano agrees with his colleague and classifies the mandatory use of masks in enclosed spaces as a “super right” decision. “We currently have a high level of Covid transmission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is very large in closed and poorly ventilated places. As a result, unvaccinated, elderly and immunosuppressed people are exposed and can develop serious infections,” the specialist continues.
(with Jose Vitor Camilo)
Article updated at 5:58 PM
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