Increase in Covid cases leads regions of Minas Gerais to back down flexibility measures | National newspaper

Downtown Belo Horizonte is so crowded that it appears that the pandemic is under control. But it is not, no. So much so that the government tightened the reins. Seven regions fell back on the waves of the program that guides flexibility in the cities that joined Conscious Mines.

The macro-regions of Jequitinhonha, East, South and Northeast have switched to the red wave, which only allows essential services. The East was already there. The Central, Central-South, North and West macro-regions fell from green to yellow, joining the Southeast, South and Vale do Aço: only the services with the least risk of contagion can be opened. The other three remain in the green wave and have greater flexibility.

Minas Gerais was setting an example. As soon as the pandemic started, municipal governments shut down non-essential services. They avoided an explosion of cases and had time to prepare the health system. People collaborated. But then came the neglect: parties, funk dances, crowded bars, crowds, lots of people without masks.

In the last week, there was a 27% increase in the Covid contamination index, according to the Minas government. Now, there are nearly 430,000 infected people in the state. More than 10,000 died. The authorities are on alert.

“We could not open the beds at the rate that the epidemic is multiplying. The citizen must have this notion. The epidemic multiplies in geometric progression, by the thousands. By opening beds, we open by dozens, at most, ”says Carlos Eduardo Amaral, Secretary of State Health (MG).