Pier Mauá, in the port area of Rio de Janeiro, estimates that, by the 21st, the city will no longer receive approximately 25,000 tourists and an injection of US$ 7.5 million in the economy due to the temporary suspension of cruise ships in the city. Brazilian ports because of the number of covid-19 infections among passengers and crew registered in five vessels.
On Monday (3), the Brazilian Association of Cruise Ships announced the voluntary suspension of operations in the ports of Brazil until January 21st. The measure was taken after the recommendation of the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) against embarking on cruises at this time, after the emergence of outbreaks of covid-19 on board vessels operating on the Brazilian coast.
In a statement, the administration of Pier Mauá said that all users must present proof of vaccination to enter the terminal, as well as use a mask and use alcohol gel. “For passengers and crew, the protocols are even more demanding: everyone must submit negative tests within 72 hours. The employees of Pier Mauá, on the other hand, began to be tested 100% on days of operations”, says the statement.
According to the terminal, Anvisa’s protocols for cruises are much stricter than for most other tourist facilities. “The spread of the new variant [Ômicron], unfortunately, is already a reality across the country. However, I believe that in the cruise activity, even due to the capacity of testing and other controls, before and during the trip, the risks are controlled and mitigated”, said the operations director of Pier Mauá, Américo Relvas.
