The governor of São Paulo, João Doria (PSDB), confirmed today that the Paulista Championship will be resumed. The information was given in an interview with CBN radio.
“I Love football, I love football, I’m a fan of Santos Futebol Clube and I have a lot of passion for football, I like to play and watch. But the decision is made by the covid-19 Contingency Center and, in this case, together with the Public Ministry [MP-SP], because there was a demonstration made two weeks ago by the MP-SP, suggesting that the state government suspend the games of the São Paulo Football Federation [FPF]”, explained Doria in the interview, before adding:
“Yesterday, at the beginning of the night, the MP, after several meetings with the FPF and with the participation of the contingency center coordinator, Dr. Paulo Menezes, took the decision to release the matches of the Paulista Championship. This will be officially announced today at press conference, “he said.
The guidance given by the Public Ministry and accepted by the Contingency Center was, of course, also accepted by the government of São Paulo.
Governor João Doria
26 days without games
Football in São Paulo has been suspended since March 15, after Doria announced – on the 11th – that matches in the state would be suspended in the new emergency phase of the SP Plan.
The movement for interruption of São Paulo football gained strength on March 9, when it was recommended by the Public Ministry. Clubs were even warned that the government had decided to stop. For two days, a lobby involving CBF, Federação Paulista and transmission rights holders took action, but without success.
Covid-19 in SP
The state of São Paulo reached 2,597,366 confirmed cases yesterday of the new coronavirus and 80,742 deaths due to covid-19, according to the State Department of Health.
Today, there are 28,147 hospitalized patients with severe conditions of the disease, more than 12 thousand in ICU beds (Intensive Care Unit) and 15 thousand in the ward.
The emergency phase of the SP Plan, which motivated the Paulista stoppage, is expected to end on Sunday (11). However, the governor can announce the extension of the phase during today’s press conference for another week after a request from the Coronavirus Contingency Center.
Occupancy rates for ICU beds are 88.6% in the state and 88% in Greater São Paulo. Bed occupancy data are the lowest in April so far, according to the government, and this is the first week of the month.
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