The Mayor of Rio de Janeiro decreed this Friday the closure of all its beaches during the weekend to contain the strong advance of the covid-19 in the “Wonderful City”.
As published this Friday in the Official Journal, from Saturday and until next Monday it is forbidden to bathe in the sea, stay in the sand or perform sport on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, one of the most touristic cities on the continent.
The beaches of the Fluminian capital are often crowded on weekends, even though the country is going through a second wave of the much more virulent and lethal pandemic than the first, which has put the national hospital system on the brink of collapse.
Brazil, the current global epicenter of the covid pandemic, on the eve recorded more than 2,600 coronavirus deaths per third day in a row; reached a record average of 2,087 daily death rates in the past week and amassed 287,499 casualties since the onset of the health crisis.
In Rio de Janeiro alone, 51 covid deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours, so the total is already 19,583. The Fluminian capital also accounted for 1,150 cases per day and has accumulated 216,413 since February 26, 2020, when the first contagion was reported.
The regional government has imposed some restrictions to prevent the virus from advancing, but bars and restaurants, as well as shops, remain open, albeit with reduced schedules.
Other cities in Brazil, such as Sao Paulo, have taken more stringent measures, such as curfewing or closing all non-essential services.
However, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has sued justice for decrees by local authorities suspending economic activities to contain covid-19 to be previously authorized by regional legislatures.
