Mayor of Rio de Janeiro says there are no indications for a complete shutdown of state activities due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This Sunday (29), Marcello Crivella, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, gave assurance through a press conference that at the moment commerce remains at a standstill, but that there are no indications for total closure due to the pandemic.
So far, the city of Rio has recorded 489 cases. In total, the state of RJ has recorded 13 deaths and 558 infected people.
According to Crivella, there are no reasons so far to close all segments: “there is no indication so far of doing a 'lockdown', or a 'shutdown'”, which represents when an unrestricted quarantine is imposed for all guidelines and for the entire population.
In the bulletin released this Saturday, the 28th, a total of 489 cases and nine deaths due to Covid-19 were recorded in the capital.
In an interview given online, the mayor reaffirmed that the service sector, such as restaurants and pharmacies, can and should continue to operate.
“If we stop everyone and then let everyone go out on the streets, our infection curve will be in the winter, at the worst time of the year, when we already have a series of other problems, with other viruses,” said the mayor. “What stops is commerce — industries and services continue,” he reiterated.
The places that are authorized to operate are:
- convenience stores; construction material stores; grocery stores;
- poultry farms; warehouses; trade in agricultural inputs; trade in liquefied petroleum gas; markets; fruit and vegetable stores; bakeries and confectioneries; butchers; fishmongers; distributors; transport companies; gas stations; stores selling veterinary medicines, food and products for animal use.
Request for people to stay at home
The mayor once again asked people to stay at home. According to him, establishments that are disregarding the order not to maintain crowds are being fined.
“We need to see the city as we have seen it until now, a practically empty city. This shows people’s civic and intellectual awareness,” he said.
“In some areas of the North and West zones of the city, bars are still creating crowds. However, they are being notified and fined,” said Mayor Crivella.
Public transportation for employees
Crivella also announced that the Ônibus da Liberdade, which are used in the municipal education network, will now serve employees in the areas of Health and Social Assistance, in addition to the Municipal Guard.
There will be 13 lines that will go from municipalities in Baixada Fluminense and Niterói to three points: Terminal Alvorada; Central do Brasil and Madureira.