Judge of the Supreme Court of Brazil makes the health passport mandatory to enter the country

A judge of the Supreme Court of Brazil determined yesterday Saturday that those who arrive in the country must present the certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 to avoid the spread of the omicron variant.

The decision, which must be validated between Wednesday and Thursday by another 9 magistrates of the Supreme Federal Court, was taken by Judge Luis Barroso, responding to a request from the Rede Sustentabilidade party to decide on the need for the requirement, recommended by the health regulator Anvisa but ruled out on Tuesday by the government of President Jair Bolsonaro.

The Executive chose to establish a mandatory five-day quarantine for unimmunized travelers arriving in Brazil, a measure that was also recommended by Anvisa. That requirement, however, will take effect on December 8.

Only those “travelers considered ineligible for vaccination, according to medical criteria,” who come from countries without immunization against covid en masse or for “exceptional humanitarian reasons,” will be able to quarantine, Barroso said in his decision.

“In a country like Brazil, where the authorities face difficulties even to monitor prisoners with electronic anklets,” the quarantine must be “applied with extreme caution,” added the judge, who for his decisions came to be branded an “imbecile” by Bolsonaro.

Debate between government, authorities and scientists

In recent weeks, Brazilians have witnessed an intense debate between the government, scientists and local authorities about whether the vaccination certificate should be required, when the country registers eight cases of the omicron variant and expects a greater arrival of tourists during the end of the year parties.

Bolsonaro, a critic of COVID-19 prevention measures who says he will not be vaccinated, opposes the requirement and called it a “strap” for the Brazilian people.

In several Brazilian cities, including Rio de Janeiro, the country’s tourist capital, the vaccination certificate is required to access some public spaces.

Brazil accumulates more than 615,000 deaths from covid-19, a number only surpassed by the United States. However, with the immunization of 65% of the country’s 213 million inhabitants, the number of infections and deaths has plummeted in recent months. (I)