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The São Paulo government announced today the extension of business hours from 10 am to 12 pm The measure, which begins to take effect as of tomorrow (12), aims to reduce crowds during year-end purchases.
At a press conference at the Butantan Institute, the government also announced the limitation of the operation of bars at 8 pm and the expansion to 8,500 beds of ICU (Intensive Care Unit) aimed at covid-19, given the increase in hospitalizations in the state.
The entire state returned to the yellow phase of the São Paulo Plan in early December. As a result, business hours were restricted to ten hours a day and total occupancy was limited to 40%. Now, shops and shopping centers will be able to operate 12 hours with closing hours until 10 at night.
The decision is valid for the entire state, but it is not clear what happens if a city does not respect the decisions. In early December, Americana kept the business going at 12 p.m. under the same argument that the state is now expanding it. The MP-SP (São Paulo Prosecutor’s Office) did not comment.
The main concern of the state is the increase in circulation in December, due to the Christmas season. Report by Twitter showed that traders feared the setback would hurt Christmas.
With the extension of hours, argued the Secretary of State for Health, Jean Gorinchteyn, crowds are expected to decrease.
“The state will promote support for the expansion of inspection with a thousand agents in more than 100 municipalities in which it has a demographic density of more than 70 thousand inhabitants. These are the measures that have started from 0 am on December 12 and will last for 30 days, renewable after the pandemic rates, “he explained.
pubs
In addition to the restricted hours for bars until 8 pm, the São Paulo government also restricted the sale of alcoholic beverages in convenience stores until the same time.
The restaurants continue to operate until 10:00 p.m., but they can also sell alcoholic beverages until 8:00 p.m.
The executive coordinator of the Coronavirus Contingency Center in São Paulo, João Gabbardo dos Reis, said that epidemiologists around the world consider that bars are the most suitable places for the transmission of the virus.
“On this issue of nightlife, the contingency center detected the need for tougher measures to reduce the transmissibility of the disease,” he explained.
