To reinforce the importance of sanitary regulations and expand attention to the most vulnerable groups, the State Department of Health (SES) published on Tuesday, 30, the ordinances  nº 1303  and  nº 1305 , on prevention and mitigation measures against Coronavirus in Long Stay Institutions for the Elderly (ILPI) and the rules to be adopted for the operation of establishments that provide services to the public.

Based on the published text, Long Stay Institutions for the Elderly should reinforce the care protocols for their residents, as the elderly and those with chronic diseases are the groups most susceptible to the development of severe respiratory conditions with risk of fatal outcomes.

According to the Secretary of State for Health, André Motta Ribeiro, the rules must adapt to the moment experienced by the pandemic. “We have an alert from the WHO about this new variant and we still have many questions to answer about it, but we must pay attention to those who are more susceptible to the virus and, in this case, these institutions shelter people who fall into this situation, in need of greater protection”, he says.

The ordinance establishes, among other points, that all those in which the individual presents with at least two days of acute respiratory condition will be considered suspicious cases. In addition, all residents will be considered close contacts if contamination is suspected.

If there are symptomatic individuals, the Institution must immediately notify the Epidemiological Surveillance and isolate the residents, separating the symptomatic from the asymptomatic, and those who present any symptoms must undergo the test. If any positive case is detected, testing should be extended to residents and workers.

The ordinance also brings rules for visitation. Only people who already have the complete vaccination schedule can enter the institutions. In the case of residents who go out periodically, they will only be able to do so if they have already received the booster dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.