The doctor says it is not the time to schedule events, but to organize classes on a personal level

For epidemiologist Paulo Lutovo, it is not time for governments and city councils in Brazil to think about events like Carnival and New Year’s, but rather to focus on going back to school in a safer way for public school students.

In an interview with CNN On Saturday morning (7), the doctor from the University of São Paulo (USP) said that “our priority today is to get back to school safely.”

“If it shows mayors and governors’ schedule, it won’t work. Be careful, and steer clear of actions you feel are no longer necessary, because they still are. Take the time to focus on the school environment. This is our priority today, that classrooms are personal and safe.” Instead of scheduling performances, focus on the school environment,” says Lotofo.

According to him, the celebration of events such as carnival and New Year’s Eve parties signal to the population that “the epidemic is over”, but in fact, this is not entirely the case. “Conservatives need to have a sense of statesmanship. In the entertainment part they are all on the same side, but in the education sector, you have contradictions that need to be lubricated and regulated, and this can only be done with conservatives with a great spirit,” he explains.

new variables

For Lotufo, no government in the world has dealt well with the emergence of new variants of Covid-19, such as Delta, which are clearly more transmissible than others.

“The situation we’re in is the result of a lack of global governance from the start,” he says. “We still don’t know if delta can be more dangerous, but it can be moved further, it’s true.”

anti-vaccine movement

Lotofo sees significant differences between undervaccination in the United States and Brazil. While they are there, many people choose not to receive the vaccination due to the anti-vaccine movement, in Brazil one of the main reasons is the lack of access.

“We see people in the suburbs needing to work every day during the times when the vaccines are in place, and since they are not given on Sundays, that makes it difficult,” he says.