4 years ago, Acre confirmed the first cases of Covid-19 and enacted prevention measures; remember important dates

Classified as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO), the coronavirus (Sars-Cov-2) was a major milestone in world history. A few months ago that year, several countries signaled and warned about the circulation of the virus, since the identification of the first case of the disease in the city of Wuhan, China. Since then, the respiratory disease has affected thousands of people around the world.

In Acre, the first three cases were confirmed by the Acre State Department of Health (Sesacre) exactly 4 years ago, one diagnosed by the private network and two in the Rio Branco Emergency Room. Acreians, faced with the unknown, began to seek new lifestyles that adapted to the lockdownthe use of masks and isolation and social distancing, imposed at the time as a measure to prevent Covid-19.

March 17, 2020 – Emergency Situation

On this day, Governor Gladson Cameli declared a state of emergency in the state for 30 days, through a publication in the Official State Gazette (DOE). In addition, classes in public and private education networks were suspended for 15 days. On this day, the first three cases of Covid-19 were also confirmed.

March 20, 2020 – Closing of establishments

Three days later, on March 20, the government decreed the closure of several establishments such as shopping malls, bars, restaurants and snack bars. Interstate and international travel in the state has been suspended.

April 6, 2020 – First death

On April 6, Sesacre confirmed the first victim of the disease in the state: a 79-year-old woman who had been admitted to the Emergency Care Unit (UPA) in the Second District of Rio Branco since the third of the same month. Of the Brazilian states, Acre was the penultimate to register deaths from Covid-19, with Tocantins being the last.

April 17, 2020 – Use of masks

After a month of emergency in the state, the government extended the emergency decree for another 15 days. It also became mandatory to use masks in public and private places. As of April 17, there were 135 people infected in the state and five deaths due to the disease.

April 6, 2020 – Red Room

From this date onwards, the Rio Branco Emergency Room added another space to care for people who eventually arrived in a serious condition due to Covid-19 contamination, the Red Room. The site, which operated close to the emergency entrance and served to assist victims in critical condition, with suspected coronavirus infection.

May 18, 2020 – First day of vehicle rotation

A decree established vehicle rotation in the capital and began operating on May 18. Considered an even date, with the exception of vehicles of professionals who provide essential services released by the state government, on this 18th, only vehicles with license plates with even number endings, that is, 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8, the others needed to adapt to the rotation.

May 26, 2020 – 100 deaths and official mourning decree

On this day, Acre surpassed the mark of one hundred deaths from Covid-19. A total of 105 people who did not resist the disease. In solidarity with the pain of the families and in memory of the victims, the State Government declared three days of official mourning. With the measure, flags flying in all public offices remained at half-mast.

June 15, 2020 – Field Hospital

The then Minister of Health, General Eduardo Pazuello, came to Acre to participate in the inauguration of the Rio Branco field hospital. Completed in record time, the unit received resources from the federal government and was part of the State’s set of actions to combat the pandemic. On that date, the outpatient clinic for patients with Covid-19 at the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics (Into) was also opened. The complex became the reference hospital for treating the disease.

July 2020 – 500 deaths from Covid-19

In July of that year, according to the Sesacre bulletin, the state reached the mark of 500 deaths caused by the coronavirus.

November 2020 – Tribute to healthcare professionals

In partnership with the government, graffiti artist Matias Souza decorated the facade of the Rio Branco Emergency Room with a mural honoring health professionals in the state.

January 19, 2021 – Vaccines arrive in Acre

After Anvisa authorized, on January 17, 2021, the emergency use of CoronaVac and Oxford, doses of CoronaVac were brought by FAB plane to Rio Branco.

A resident of Lar Vicentino, José Oliveira, aged 85, was the first vaccinated in the state, along with nurse Maria José Monteiro, aged 66.

The 20th of this month was marked by the arrival of vaccines in all municipalities in the state. Santa Rosa do Purus was the last municipality included. On January 22, with Alto Acre in the red phase and Baixo Acre in orange, the government canceled the festivities and optional carnival points.

February 2021 – Acre in red phase

The Government decreed a red phase in all regions of the state, due to the worsening of the pandemic and the danger of collapse of the health system. On that date, according to the Ministry of Health, the state recorded more than 48,000 infected people and 873 deaths from Covid-19.

July 2021 – Almost 300 thousand people received the first dose

After vaccination began in February 2021, in July the state reached 277,725 citizens vaccinated with the first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

November 2021 – Vaccination passport

In November of that year, the state government started to implement the vaccination passport for entry into public spaces in Acre.

March 2022 – Acre no longer requires vaccination passports in public bodies

In March 2022, the Government published a decree that removed the obligation to present the vaccination passport in public bodies, but the requirement continued for public and private events.

April 2022 – 1.4 million doses of the vaccine

On April 22, Acre, according to data from Sesacre, reached the mark of 1,404,65 doses of the immunizing agent in the population over 5 years of age, more than a year after the arrival of the immunizing agents in the state.

May 2022 – 71.21% of the total population vaccinated

In the month of May, the state registered 71.21% of the total population vaccinated with the first dose of the vaccine.

October 2022 – Government revokes decrees of the Acre Pact without Covid-19

After a significant drop in notifications of the disease, the State Government revoked the appointment of the Covid-19 Special Monitoring Committee and the Support Group for the Acre Pact Without Covid-19. From the month in question, the Sesacre bulletin with information about the coronavirus began to be published weekly, and no longer daily.

February 2023 – Bivalent vaccination in the state

Two years into the pandemic, the state received more than 67,000 doses of Pfizer’s bivalent vaccine from the federal government. February 23rd of this year was marked by the beginning of bivalent vaccination, starting with risk groups.

April 2023 – Explosion of cases

Sesacre, through the Department of Health Surveillance (DVS), released in a Covid-19 bulletin information on 746 new cases of coronavirus that were registered between April 2nd and 15th. According to the bulletin, this total includes cases reported over two weeks, which, due to instability in the E-SUSVE system, made it impossible to read correctly. In total, the number of infected people reported was 162,078 across the state.

This month, the Ministry of Health also expanded vaccination with the bivalent booster dose against Covid-19 for the entire population over 18 years of age in Acre.

May 2023 – End of emergency by WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on May 5 that the emergency declared for Covid-19 is over, a milestone in the intermittent emergence of a pandemic that has killed millions of people around the world and changed daily life in conditions previously unimaginable.

August 2023 – Recommendation to use masks

With the emergence of the EG.5 variant of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus attracting worldwide attention, Sesacre recommended that the state’s population return to wearing masks to prevent the spread of the virus. The information was given in a bulletin published on the 21st of that month.

September 2023 – Bulletin becomes national

Covid-19 bulletins began to be released nationally, by the Ministry of Health, published every week, bringing together data from all State Health Departments since mid-September 2023.

Covid-19 in 2024

Just like at the end of 2023, news about Covid-19 has been focused on the possible increase in cases at some times of the year, along with cases of flu, the so-called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SRAG). In general, alerts are made by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) and experts.

In 2024, in a statement issued on January 31, Sesacre warned of the importance of immunization against two significant diseases: covid-19 and influenza. In fact, in relation to covid, the ministry announced that the new JN.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2, which continues to circulate prevalent in several countries, including India, China and the United States, according to a recent report from the Centers for Control and Prevention of Diseases (CDC), is also already circulating in Acre.