Barroso reduces quarantine time for entering indigenous lands

Minister Luís Roberto Barroso, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), decided this Thursday (11) to reduce to seven days the quarantine for people to enter isolated or recently contacted indigenous territories. The decision was motivated by a request from the federal government to reduce the quarantine period to speed up the arrival of health care in the regions. According to the lawsuit, the measure does not put indigenous peoples at risk due to the reduction in the contagion of covid-19 in the country. In a statement requested by Minister Barroso, the Thematic Group on Indigenous Health (GT de Saúde Indígena) of the Brazilian Association of Collective Health (Abrasco) and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) were in favor of the change, as long as certain conditions are met, such as testing who entered the territory and active search for suspected cases. The minister’s injunction applies to the ethno-environmental protection bases of Coari/Korubo, Suruwahá, Korubo II, Xinane and Omerê. In 2020, Barroso determined the adoption of a series of measures to contain contagion and deaths from covid-19 among the indigenous population. Among the determined measures is the installation of sanitary barriers to protect isolated indigenous people – who, by choice, have no contact with the outside world – and also those in recent contact with society.

Agência Brasil