Melo says he will balance health and economy in the pandemic

The elected mayor of Porto Alegre, Sebastião Melo (MDB), took office this Friday, January 1, accompanied by the vice president, Ricardo Gomes (DEM). In addition to them, the 36 councilors elected in November were also installed. The ceremony, held at the City Hall, was restricted to the authorities. Melo takes control of the city amid the growth of coronavirus cases, with 86.52% of ICU beds occupied.

Even so, the new mayor has made it quite clear that he does not intend to increase restrictions on the operation of commerce. On the contrary, it even calls for more flexibility. “We will confront the issue of covid responsibly, but we will balance health with the economy and the economy with health so that the city does not collapse,” Melo said in his inaugural speech.

Throughout the campaign, the elected mayor has always advocated the reopening of business. Later, in an interview during the transfer of ownership, he said that he would issue a new decree on Monday the 4th to reduce restrictions on trade. “Whatever is more restrictive in Porto Alegre, I will raise it to match it with the State.”