During a press conference this Tuesday (11), the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, commented on the situation in Brazil during the coronavirus pandemic. “My heart is with the Brazilians. There is so much pain, so much difficulty,” said the Democrat, after a question from TV Globo.
Blasio has responded to plans to vaccinate tourists against Covid and said New York is ready to vaccinate travelers, which depends on approval from state governor, also Democrat Andrew Cuomo. Last week, Blasio announced that if the proposal was released, there would be vaccination points at tourist spots, such as Central Park and Times Square. “This is part of a ‘welcome back to New York’. We want everyone to be safe,” the mayor said.
Although Cuomo has yet to approve vaccination for tourists from outside the United States, he recently authorized the extension of the vaccination program to domestic visitors. Until then, according to the rules in force, only residents and local workers could receive the drugs.
Blasio’s statement on Brazil, which mixes regret and criticism, refers to the clashes that the American mayor had with Jair Bolsonaro. In May 2019, the Brazilian president would receive the “Person of the Year” tribute from the Brazil-US Chamber of Commerce at the Natural History Museum in New York, but the venue refused to host the event. , after a Blasio’s request.
“This [homenagear Bolsonaro] it goes beyond simple irony and becomes a shocking contradiction. This guy is a very dangerous human being, “said the then mayor. After the cancellation, Bolsonaro and his allies in Brazil attacked the Democrat.” I could not go to a city where the general manager, the mayor, in this case, behaved like a radical, promoting and preparing to make demonstrations, the worst possible, against my presence ”, declared the Brazilian president.
Faced with the refusal, the Brazil-US Chamber of Commerce event was moved to Dallas, Texas.
With more than 60% of the state’s adult population vaccinated with at least one dose, New York is now seeing the pace of the campaign slow, prompting authorities to create campaigns to encourage vaccination. This Tuesday, Governor Cuomo announced prizes for those who are vaccinated: There will be stations at train and subway stations, and those who take a dose will earn passes with free travel.
The governor had already said last week that those vaccinated would win tickets to Yankees and Mets baseball games. And on Monday, the mayor said attractions such as Lincoln Center and the Bronx Zoo would provide tickets to those who get vaccinated.
As of May 2020, the United States has opposed the entry of travelers who have visited Brazil in the past 14 days. There are exceptions for green card holders (permanent residence in the United States), spouses, children and siblings of Americans residing in the country and for foreigners traveling at the invitation of the United States government, in addition air crew members. At the end of April, the US government made exceptions to allow the entry of certain categories of Brazilian students and journalists.