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It was recently announced by the Government of São Paulo that citizens will be able to stop wearing a mask outdoors from December 11th. The news came as a relief to many people, but many experts and even the OMS still consider that we are not at the time to stop wearing masks. That's because other care can be left aside. 2q6u38
Although it seems a little early, there are already Brazilian capitals that are making the use of masks more flexible since October, even with the Brazil and the world still going through the pandemic of COVID-19. Thinking about talking more about it and answering questions about wearing a mask, we developed this special article. Watch out and get your mask (at least in some cities).
How is the study for release carried out? 641n5e
So that people have a day to day without the mask, the OMS recommends that three factors be taken into : the vaccination rate, how the community transmission is in the place and the care indicators (new issions, requests for ICU vacancies and lethality). THE Municipal Health Secretariat of São Paulo has an indicator system that, based on this data, confirms when (and if) we are going to stop wearing a mask.

Photo: FreePik
But that still does not mean that the pandemic of COVID-19 ended as soon as outdoor use is no longer mandatory. An example is the case of EUA, who had to revoke the decision to stop wearing a mask three months later due to vaccination not continuing to advance in the country. As well as the variant Delta became more present.
Experts are of the same opinion about stopping wearing a mask: vaccination needs to continue to advance and people still need to have the same care as during the beginning of the pandemic. This goes for the use of gel alcohol and avoiding agglomerations as much as possible.

Photo: Brasilia Agency
A OMS also warns that in Europe, where immunization is as low as in the US, there could be 700 deaths by March next year. Care needs to be maintained even when the flexibility of mask use actually happens.

Photo: FreePik
On November 24th, the Governor João Dória announced that the population of the state of São Paulo could stop wearing a mask outdoors from December 11, when the complete immunization of all inhabitants is expected to be above 75%.
“By exceeding 75% of the population fully immunized, the Government of SP will withdraw the mandatory use of masks outdoors from December 11th. We took this measure based on scientific evidence, which shows a drop of more than 90% in hospitalizations compared to the peak of the pandemic, and the acceleration of vaccination in the state that vaccinates the most in Brazil."
João Dória, Governor of the State of São Paulo
Flexibility of mask use in other countries q1923
The great fear of epidemiologists is that with the decision to stop wearing a mask, the transmission rate will rise again due to the population relaxing care. If for flexibility to happen, the recommended transmission rate is below 1 – which means that every 1 infected citizen will transmit the virus to another 1 citizen – the same scenario must remain after the decision is made. But that's not what happened in countries that stopped wearing masks.

Photo: The Globe
Once the Government of Israel announced that its population could stop wearing a mask, the economy even started to flow again, but a big problem came back: infections and deaths resulting from COVID-19. In this period of relaxation of measures against the virus, 7.500 cases of COVID-19 were recorded in a week, as well as 600 people needed to be hospitalized and 150 died. The country also needed to be adept at the third dose of the vaccine Pfizer/Biontech for people over 60 as a way to slow down the contagion.

Photo: G1
The same also happened with the New Zealand, who was a true example to nations around the world. During the mandatory use of a mask, the country of Oceania had an average of 5 cases, but that went up to 41 once people were allowed to stop wearing a mask. The total number of cases at the site reached 148 in August. You can imagine that this is really little, but for New Zealand, which has had its COVID-19 cases under control since April, the rate is extremely high and raises concerns.

Photo: Eden Park/Disclosure
The biggest lesson that these countries ed on was: the population and the Government need to act so that even when the flexibility of the use of masks happens, some precautions are still maintained so that the variants do not advance. Vaccination is the most important point right now. THE The Netherlands, despite allowing people to stop wearing a mask in open environments, had to implement a lockdown partial to avoid further contagion.
Importance of mask protection r523t
Science proves that the use of a mask can really slow down the contagion of the virus. COVID-19, as well as social distancing measures. A study carried out in United Kingdom points out that in places that started to use masks there was a 53% reduction in the incidence of cases. The habit of washing your hands more frequently also confirms that cases can decrease by 53%.

Source: FreePik
Talking about social distancing measures, it is known that in the UK, these actions have caused cases to decrease by 25%. the study of The BMJ, a renowned British medicine publication, also points out that people who are avoiding crowds are safer.
It is not yet known how the lockdown and other periods when everything was closed helped in this, but preliminary data prove that a population that follows what the health agencies indicate is safer. As fewer people are circulating on the streets and other establishments that can cause agglomerations were closed, these actions may have helped so that the COVID-19 stop making victims.
São Paulo and the decision to stop wearing a mask 4u6a6m
On December 11, 2021, all residents of the State of Sao Paulo will no longer be required to wear the mask that prevents possible infections against COVID-19. The decision was made based on data that indicate a high rate of complete vaccination of all people living in the state, as well as the low occupancy of beds for people in serious condition. Talking especially about those over 18, 93% of this audience is up to date with both doses.

Photo: EPTV
With this, the State government de São Paulo so it s three other states that have already allowed their population to leave the mask at home when they go outdoors. However, despite having been released, it is still not certain that people from São Paulo will actually stop wearing a mask. Those involved in immunization programs are working so that as many people as possible are fully vaccinated (two doses) by December 11 this year.
Events have already been held at full capacity since the beginning of this month. The rule remains the same and if you are in the state of São Paulo and standing at an event, the use of the mask has not yet been ruled out. The big job now is to ensure that the population follows the appropriate recommendations and, of course, has their complete immunization schedule. The third dose of vaccines began to be istered in the state of São Paulo to people over 18 (with an interval of 5 months from the second dose) on November 17th.
Which places stopped wearing a mask in Brazil? 4a211v
With vaccination advancing in much of the country, São Paulo enters the list of 3 states and the Federal District are on the same list of places that are making the use of mask more flexible. ing that the same goes for what was recommended by health bodies: in closed places and with agglomerations, the accessory is more than mandatory. See where the use of the mask was waived:
- Rio de Janeiro (capital);
- Porto Velho (RO);
- Florianópolis (SC);
- Federal Districtl.
O Rio de Janeiro it was the first capital in all of Brazil that stopped recommending the use of masks, when 65% of the population was being required to be fully immunized for the release to be made. Carioca municipalities have the autonomy to declare the end of mandatory, and places like Duque de Caxias have already stopped wearing a mask. Experts criticized the government's action and cited that it was too early for the moment to happen.

Photo: Agência Brasil
O Federal District decided that people who live in this location no longer needed to use the accessory since November 3rd. Rondônia allowed the residents of Porto Velho started to make the optional use of mask since November 04th and at the time, 50% of the population was completely immunized.
Closing the list Santa Catarina began to allow the residents of Florianópolis also stopped wearing a mask now on the 24th of November, where it was taken into that the complete vaccination of the residents. as in São Paulo and other parts of Brazil, Florianopolitans can once again watch football matches in stadiums at full capacity.
What does the WHO say about government decision? 2q6v6c
As you noticed, some capitals are choosing to stop wearing a mask due to the advance of vaccination. In June of this year, Mariângela Simão, assistant director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), even praised the speed at which our country is carrying out vaccination, but still recommended that the use of masks be maintained.

Photo: G1
As we are still going through the pandemic of COVID-19 the time is to have as many immunized as possible so that deaths are zeroed as soon as possible. She also considered that everything was still very uneven, despite the improvement in the cases.

Photo: South China Morning Post
Carnival is one of the great concerns of the OMS and the agency says there are chances of a fourth wave if the events really happen here. The celebrations that take place in February were canceled in 43 Brazilian cities, but governors of São Paulo, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro e Belo Horizonte are thinking of creating a committee so that the revelry is not left aside in 2022.
“It worries me a lot when I see in Brazil that there is discussion about the opening of the carnival. This is really an extremely propitious condition for increased community transmission. We need to plan actions for 2022 now.”
Mariângela Simão, assistant director-general of the World Health Organization
To this day, the use of masks continues to be recommended in much of the world and on the official website of the OMS there are several booklets that reinforce the use of mask in closed environments. Vaccination is also one of the factors that most need to advance, according to the health agency.
If you have questions about how vaccination is going in your state or city, you can access the Vaccinometer, which is updated daily with data sent by the Government of the place where you live. ing that having the vaccine doses up to date does not prevent you from being contaminated by the COVID-19, but hospitalizations and deaths can be avoided.
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Sources: G1 (1, 2, and 3 e 4), CNN Brazil (1 e 2), UOL, 6 minutes e Sao Paulo's State Government