A Brazilian Supreme Court judge ruled on Saturday to make the presentation of an anti-COVID 19 vaccination certificate mandatory for travelers arriving in the country, in order to prevent the spread of the Omicron variant.
The decision, which will still have to be validated by nine other magistrates of the Federal Supreme Court, responds to a request from the Rede Sustentabilidade party (center left). Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa had recommended requiring a health passport for travelers arriving in Brazil, where at least eight cases of Omicron have been confirmed and where a larger influx of tourists is expected for the holidays. end of year.
The government of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro had ruled out the measure on Tuesday, the executive opting for a mandatory five-day quarantine for unvaccinated travelers, a measure also recommended by Anvisa.
Supreme Court judge Luis Barroso ruled in his judgment that only “travelers considered ineligible for vaccination according to medical criteria”, coming from countries without mass vaccination against COVID-19 or for “exceptional humanitarian reasons” , may be quarantined.
“In a country like Brazil, where the authorities are encountering difficulties, if only to monitor prisoners with an electronic bracelet”, the quarantine must be “applied with extreme caution”, argued the judge, called a “fool” by Mr. Bolsonaro for his decisions.
The president, who assures that he will not be vaccinated, is opposed to this measure which he considers to be a “leash” for the Brazilian people.
The vaccination certificate is already required to access certain public spaces in several cities, including Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil has recorded more than 615,000 deaths from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, making it the second most bereaved country in absolute numbers behind the United States. But with some 65% of its 213 million inhabitants vaccinated, the country has seen the number of infections and deaths plummet in recent months.
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