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On Thursday (08/09), São Paulo state government and the São Paulo City Hall announced that the use of protective masks against Covid in public transport is no longer mandatory. The new rule came into force on Friday (09/09). With this, bus, subway and train passengers can choose whether or not to wear the mask.
Still Mandatory
The obligation to wear a mask on public transport began in May 2020, shortly after the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
With the new decision, the use of masks will remain mandatory only in places intended for the provision of health services, such as hospitals, laboratories and health units.
Improvement in the Health Scenario
According to the State Health Department, there was a drop of more than 90% in hospitalizations and deaths from Covid in the state of São Paulo this year. The total number of patients with the disease admitted to Intensive Care Units rose from 4,091 on February 3 to 363 in September.
The decision took this improvement into consideration, and it was made after the release of a report by the Management Council of the Secretariat of Science, Research and Development in Health of São Paulo (SCPDS) – former Coronavirus Contingency Center.
