Covid-19:Rioandthepandemicthatstoppedtheworld

"Pico" - Performer: Chico César -Songwriter: Chico César - 2020

The 21st century's biggest pandemic officially arrived in Rio de Janeiro on March 6, 2020. This was the day the city recorded its first case of Covid-19, an infectious disease caused by a new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which had already been alarmingly sweeping through China and Italy.

The high rate of contagion and the speed with which it was spreading led the World Health Organization (WHO) to classify the new disease as a pandemic of the highest level of risk. There was criticism of the WHO's slow reaction, and the catastrophe became a reality: today there are more than three and a half million fatal victims worldwide.

And, unfortunately, Brazil and Rio have shown disastrous results. The country has already surpassed the mark of half a million deaths, almost 14% of the total number – this despite the country accounting for just a little over 2.5% of the world's population. And, even today, the city of Rio has some of the most significant rates of deaths from Covid-19 among Brazilian state capitals.

Covering his eyes. President Bolsonaro fumbles with his protective mask during the announcement of the government's first measures to combat the pandemic, in March/2020. Photo by Paulo Jacob - Agência O Globo

Image description: The image is a photograph of a man wearing a white mask. He is seated in front of a blue background with a coat of arms prominently displayed on the left. The man is wearing a black suit and a white shirt. The mask covers his mouth and nose.

The city government of Rio was slow to react, but ended up following the path adopted by other cities and state governments: it proposed changing business operating hours and closing schools, in addition to awareness campaigns to promote the adoption of preventive measures.

Between March and April 2020, in a joint effort, the city and the state announced the setup of field hospitals. However, of the seven hospitals promised by the state government, only two were delivered to the public. The largest of them, the Maracanã hospital, was decommissioned in January 2021 – a moment when the country was still heading toward the disease's second wave.

The state and the city of Rio did not fare very well. The delays, combined with investigations into irregularities in contracts signed during the pandemic in the state of Rio de Janeiro, led to the removal of Governor Wilson Witzel and the arrest of Edmar Santos, State Secretary of Health.

Regarding the city, Mayor Marcelo Crivella's administration was marked by a fiscal crisis and conflicts with the City Council – which even opened three impeachment votes. The result: closure of health units, medicine shortages, and delayed salaries for public health workers.

As if this whole set of problems weren't enough, most of the restrictive measures recommended by the WHO were downplayed by the federal government, which focused more on promoting ineffective treatments for the disease and less on acquiring vaccines and encouraging social isolation and mask-wearing.

Thus, many sectors of Brazilian and Rio society continued to move about, unconcerned, through public spaces, causing crowding – as happened in the case of recurring clandestine parties and packed bars.

Image description: This is a photograph of an underground party in Rio de Janeiro during the Novel Coronavirus pandemic. The image shows a large crowd of people dancing and celebrating in an indoor setting, with colorful lighting and smoke. On the left, we see the structure of a tent, while on the right there is a stage with lights and confetti flying through the air. In the center, several people are in motion, some wearing colorful clothing. In the upper right corner, there is a banner with the text "Circus" and other decorative elements.

Rio's good news came from Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz) – in partnership with Oxford laboratories – which made possible the production of vaccines against Covid and significantly contributed to the immunization campaign launched in the country in January 2021, which is still moving slowly, however.

Image description: The image is a photograph of a laboratory. On the left, there is a panel with the Oswaldo Cruz Institute logo and the inscription "IOC 120 ANOS" (IOC 120 YEARS). Behind the panel, there is a light green wall. On the right, a person dressed in protective clothing is working on a piece of laboratory equipment. She is wearing purple rubber gloves and a blue apron. The setting has white lighting and the background features a lilac wall.

In Rio, the campaign officially began on January 18, with a symbolic act: the vaccination of nursing technician Dulcineia Lopes at the foot of Cristo Redentor.

Image description: This is a photograph of a COVID-19 vaccination ceremony. From back to front, we see a monumental statue of Cristo Redentor, arms outstretched. In front of it, two women are raising their arms in a gesture of triumph. The woman on the left, with long braided hair, wears a white mask and red pants. The woman on the right, older, wears a white coverall and blue mask. She holds a blue card in her hands. In the background, other individuals also wear masks and medical clothing.

Today, the hope for new carnivals comes packed in ampoules. As the verses of the marchinha “Pico,” by Chico César, say: “I'm already standing with my arm stretched out / muscle tied tight / ready to take that shot / if the virus catches me and grabs hold / where's my swagger then / what happens to me? / I won't play carnival, not even a little bit.”

"Butantan Vaccine" - Performer: MC Fiote - Songwriter: MC Fiote - 2020