SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s Sao Paulo, the country’s largest city and the first to report a coronavirus case, has authorized car dealers, law firms and accounting companies to resume activities as of Friday, the mayor’s office said, after approving health protocols they had developed.
According to the protocols, car dealers will have to control customer traffic to avoid gatherings, adopt a rotating system for employees, and respect the use of face masks and hand sanitizer.
Sao Paulo’s health secretariat reported 73,213 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus by June 4, with 4,568 deaths from COVID-19. Another 4,292 deaths are under investigation.
Brazil overall has one of the world’s worst coronavirus outbreaks. Total deaths now stand at 34,021, trailing only the United States and the United Kingdom..
“The city keeps fighting the pandemic and we’re moving into the second phase of the (reopening) program presented by Sao Paulo governor, but this doesn’t mean we should stop worrying,” mayor Bruno Covas said in a press conference on Thursday.
The so-called phase 2 also allows the reopening of malls and street shops with restrictions, though they remain closed in Sao Paulo as the city hall is still analyzing their protocols.
(Reporting by Eduardo Simões; Writing by Gabriela Mello)
