Sao Paulo Reopens Businesses As Brazil Battles Pandemic

Sao Paulo, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Apr, 2021 ) :Sao Paulo will allow businesses and places of worship to reopen from Sunday, the government of Brazil's most populous state announced, even as the coronavirus infection rate remains high.

The state of 46 million people will enter a "transition phase" that will next see restaurants, beauty salons, cinemas and theaters reopen from April 24, it said on Friday.

From Sunday, shops can open from 11.00 am to 7.00 pm, but with only a quarter of their usual clients inside at any given time.

A 8.00pm to 5.00 am curfew remains in place.

Churches must also limit the number of faithful attending services, to allow for social distancing, according to the announcement.

Brazil is the country with the second-highest death toll in the world, with more than 365,000 fatalities -- 66,000 in March alone. Observers believe the number is an undercount.

Last week, the country of 212 million people recorded a new record of 4,000 deaths in 24 hours.