Coronavirus

Study suggests alternate lockdowns in São Paulo

São Gualter Avenue, wooded street in São Paulo
São Gualter Avenue, in São Paulo. Photo: Tiago Pestana/Shutterstock

São Paulo Governor João Doria has resisted placing the state — or even its capital — under a full-scale lockdown. As we explained in today’s Daily Briefing (for premium subscribers), the move has major implications in the region.

However, simulations run by researchers from the Center for Mathematical Sciences Applied to Industry suggest there might be an alternative: the state could enact alternate lockdowns — keeping certain microregions under strict isolation at different times. That would keep the economy open to a certain extent, while avoiding a collapse of the healthcare network.

“Quarantine protocols of Ribeirão Preto [the third-largest city in São Paulo state] cannot be the same as São Pedro [a city with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants],” explained Tiago Pereira, one of the researchers behind the study — which still awaits peer review.

Support this coverage →Support this coverage →