Two Brazilian cities limit reopening as cases rise

The Brazilian cities of Belo Horizonte and Cuiaba this week rolled back reopening to only essential businesses due to an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the last few days.

While the cases and deaths caused by the new virus were falling in cities like Rio de Janeiro an Sao Paulo, reopening commerce and easing the restrictive measures meant the virus spread was moving to the countryside, affecting other cities and small towns.

According to Dr. Margareth Dalcolmo, pneumologist and researcher at the renowned FIOCRUZ Institute, less than 20% of the Brazilian municipalities have the ability to properly treat patients in serious conditions.

She added that the lack of efficient logistics, like the ability to transport patients to main cities with ICUs, hospitals and a functional health system will present a problem for Brazil.

Dalcolmo said the virus spread in Latin America's largest country was still rising and that she did not agree with the relaxation of all but just some preventive measures.

She said with more people in the street the closure and reopening of businesses, relaxing and tightening measures would occur more frequently in the country.

"It's already happening in some European cities", she said.

The pneumologist said Brazil lost the opportunity to apply a proper lockdown at the very beginning of the pandemic to avoid the almost 59 thousand deaths registered Monday in the country.

"(It) has not helped to control the epidemic but has contributed to a loss of lives, and I have no doubt, could have been avoided."