The COVID-19 pandemic mitigation measures by local governments: analysis of the municipality of Campo Belo – MG

análise do município de Campo Belo – MG

Abstract

The article analyzes measures to combat COVID-19 in the city of Campo Belo, a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais in the first year of the pandemic. The various municipal decrees published in the period on the topic are considered. The objective of the article is to map and analyze the main actions adopted by the municipality, considering the fact that there was no federal coordination to combat the pandemic. It was sought to verify whether there are links between the quantity and type of decrees published with epidemiological data. In this way, two hypotheses are put forward. The first hypothesis is that decrees aimed at containing the disease are prominent at times when the number of cases, deaths and hospitalizations increase. The other hypothesis is that measures related to economic activities are more present in times of stability and low numbers of cases and deaths from the disease. The work uses the typology of classification of decrees proposed by Rocha and collaborators (2020). Using descriptive statistics of the decrees and the epidemiological situation of the municipality, we concluded that “Health” and “Containment, mitigation and suppression” measures are more present at times of high numbers of cases, deaths and hospitalizations. “Economic Compensation” measures would be observed in times of downturn.