COVID-19: Brazil Report
As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the globe, the virus has left a trail of deaths in its wake. In Latin America, the share of global deaths is still rising, therefore, we would like to report the current situation in Brazil, as well as in Curitiba.
According to data from the Brazilian Ministry of Health, on March 7th the death toll in Brazil has surpassed 265 thousand, with more than 11 million infected with the virus. Last Wednesday (10), Brazil registered a new record for the daily number of deaths: 2,286. For the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, the country has exceeded 2 thousand deaths caused by the disease in just one day.
São Paulo, the most populous state, leads the statistics with 2.1 million people affected by COVID-19 and 61.4 thousand deaths, followed by Minas Gerais (922,573 cases and 19,523 deaths) and Paraná (725,797 cases and 12,591 deaths). As of the first week of February, at least eight Brazilian states have adopted curfews due to the rise in cases and deaths from COVID-19.
There is an understanding that, although vaccination will impact the number of deaths by preventing the development of more severe forms of the disease, this will not necessarily reduce the number of cases. Thus, experts agree that extreme caution is needed as decisions towards relaxing preventive measures are considered.
Occupancy of Covid-19 ICU beds for adults. SOURCE: Fiocruz
CURITIBA’ SITUATION*
WARNING FLAG: RED – Total alert level (red flag), in which the movement of people will be restricted, allowing only essential services to function.
- Confirmed cases – 151.838
- Recovered – 137.414
- Deaths – 3.116
- Public ICU Rooms Occupancy – 96%
- Public ICU Rooms Vacancy – 18
For more updated information, click here
*Updated on March 11, 2021.
PUCPR CURRENT ACTION PLAN
For the beginning of the first academic semester, PUCPR is adopting the Hyflex strategy to promote a gradual return of face-to-face activities of undergraduate programs, always respecting the deliberations from the Health Department of the State of Paraná. The idea is that classes will be conducted part in-person at the classroom, and part monitored remotely and broadcasted live. Students will participate in in-person activities following a relay system, except for students who are unable, for any reason, to attend face-to-face classes.
PUCPR prioritizes the quality of student training, as well as understands the complexity of adopting this innovative model. Thus, Hyflex will be introduced gradually, starting with few classes and always asking students and faculty to contribute weekly with opportunities for improvement. Only when the ideal Hyflex learning model is achieved, PUCPR will expand to most undergraduate and graduate programs.
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS FROM COVID-19
“Stay safe by taking some simple precautions, such as physical distancing, wearing a mask, keeping rooms well ventilated, avoiding crowds, cleaning your hands, and coughing into a bent elbow or tissue. Check local advice where you live and work”. (WHO, 2021).
