Buy Now
Cart

Covid in Brazil

Latest News About Covid in Brazil

Let’s talk about another important part of life in Brazil since Covid: social norms and restrictions. First, let’s take a look at the regulations from the federal government, that are valid for the whole country:
  • Brazil is accepting international travelers, but there are some rules to follow. Since December, 2021, travelers are required to present: proof of vaccination; a negative PCR Covid test (in English, Spanish or Portuguese) done in your country within 72 hours before landing; the Declaração de Saúde do Viajante (DSV) printed and signed. Although unvaccinated Brazilians can enter the country with the option of quarantine, foreigners do not have the same option. The vaccination of foreigners is mandatory, as well as the presentation of the PCR Covid test and DSV.
States and cities don’t always share the same rules regarding Covid prevention, because they have autonomy. For that reason, we’ll focus on the latest information about Rio – after all, it’s where we are located.
  • Since March 2022, you don’t have to use masks at all in Rio. This was done because the Health Department reached very positive conclusions! In Rio, 99,7% of the adult population is already vaccinated with two doses. We have already reached over 50% of the adult population vaccinated with a booster dose! Brazilians are very united when it comes to vaccination!
  • However, to go indoors (i.e. go to a movie, eat in a restaurant or stay in a hotel) people still must have a vaccination passport. The vaccination passport is nothing more than proof that the person has taken one of the covid vaccines recognized by ANVISA (National Health Surveillance Agency). This proof of vaccination must be in English, Portuguese or Spanish. This policy is also true for open places that have a tourist presence (such as Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Jardim Botânico, etc.). 
  • Also, keep an eye out for signs about social distancing on the floors of stores, banks and supermarkets. Some places might still require social distance between yourself and other people in line. Despite the fact that Brazilians are a very warm people, they won’t appreciate if you step any closer to them in times like these.
christ the rendeemer in rio de janeiro
rio & learn outside classes

Covid, Brazil and Restrictions

Since March 2020, the world has been on high alert. And Brazil is one of the places that is still talked about on the news. The outbreak of Covid in Brazil has been catastrophic, and for a long time we have been trying to find ways to handle the pandemic without losing hope on better days to come. 

Thanks to President Bolsonaro, we can never run out of examples of outrageous claims minimizing the pandemic. And these seem to make international news more often than anything else regarding Covid in Brazil. An important thing to note, however, is that Bolsonaro doesn’t accurately represent everything that’s going on in the country. Nor does he truly show how seriously the government officials are taking this crisis.

Since Brazil is a federal republic, the states and cities hold a certain degree of autonomy to create and enforce their own policies. And this is exactly what’s been happening with the spread of Covid in Brazil. States and cities decide independently on the use of masks, public transport, and social life in general. This means, rules may change from city to city, and state to state. So, you’d better do your research if you want to travel around here!

You can enjoy Brazil as you choose to, and even with some Covid restrictions in place, immigration offices and the Polícia Federal are still open and granting student visas in Brazil.

Covid in Rio de Janeiro

Alright, so each city has different restrictions, rules and methods to prevent the spread of the virus. So, what are the restrictions for Covid in Rio de Janeiro? And how dangerous is it? Well, there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that Rio is a densely populated city, and the second largest city in Brazil. But at the same time, Rio is the perfect city to be outdoors! Beaches, parks, nature reserves, trekking and hiking – these are all part of Rio’s outdoorsy culture. And being outdoors puts you at less risk of contamination.

Not to mention that since Rio is a coastal city, the weather doesn’t vary much and it tends to be warm all year round. That makes you less susceptible to getting sick. That’s not to say that it’s all roses. Some of the fun things to do in Rio might be hard to do right now. But it won’t keep you from having fun on our RioLIVE! activities. And you can still take a Portuguese course in Rio de Janeiro!

outside classes because of covid in brazil
rio & learn students and teachers

How Rio & Learn Is Keeping Students Safe

Naturally, our Portuguese language school couldn’t just ignore the pandemic. And with the safety of our staff and students in mind, we implemented some measures. Our guidelines now include that our teachers can teach face-to-face classes at our school! But they will also continue to go out for activities outside the classroom. This is no biggie – our Portuguese teachers were already used to teaching outside the school thanks to our livelearning methodology. 

But even if your class is outdoors, you still need to meet your teacher at the school. Inside, we will still provide measures to keep everybody safe. You can find hand sanitizer bottles in every classroom, for example. And don’t forget to wear a mask in school! 

We still count on our students to be responsible and take precautions in the face of Covid in Brazil. After all, a single suspected Covid case will lead to a halt for in-person classes for your group (or sometimes even the entire school) for two weeks in order to quarantine. That’s two weeks of having online classes stuck inside instead of learning around the streets of Rio. So, everybody has to pitch in with their share of responsibility and solidarity.

What to Expect in Brazil

No one is quite sure when the pandemic will be over. The great news is that the vaccination campaign against Covid in Brazil has been progressing and until now almost half of all citizens have been fully vaccinated which means most people have had two shots, or are waiting for the second, if they didn’t get a single-dose vaccine. Our teachers are already fully vaccinated because they’ve gained priority as educational professionals.

Although Covid created a chaotic scenario at the beginning of the pandemic, Brazil is now seeing very positive results. The vaccine culture in Brazil is well accepted by citizens. Even having started vaccination after other countries, Brazil already is the fourth country in a ranking of number of vaccine doses applied in the world. And each Brazilian state has two scientific committees (one state and one municipal) to help with decision-making and flexibility.

An interesting fact that few foreigners know about health in Brazil is that you are entitled to medical care even if you are from another country. This also applies to the vaccination schedule: if you are in Brazil and have to take a dose of any vaccine (covid, flu, tetanus, yellow fever, etc), just go to a vaccination center and you will receive your vaccine free of charge. I am sure this will give you some peace of mind when coming to Brazil!

Overall, Covid in Rio de Janeiro has not made it any less of a functioning city. But it’s still important to take precautions, and keep up with the news. Since the vaccination campaign started, we can notice a positive change on the numbers of severe cases of the disease in Brazil. And even if you’d like to wait and see what happens from the comfort of your own home, you can still learn Portuguese online. Whether you decide to come now or when the pandemic eases, you’ll always be more than welcome to join us for a class in person in Rio.

rio & learn online classes during covid in rio de janeiro
X