Besides being a public health problem, the rise in contaminations by the omicron variant is also a challenge to the economy. Employees are taking sick leaves, which by its turn impacts businesses, being the smaller ones the most affected.
"During the first covid wave, we managed to keep on open. We had a reduced staff and made smaller batches of bread. On the second wave, we also managed to keep going. This period was when we didn’t have many employees taking sick leaves. But now, the third wave combined covid and influenza. So, since mid-December, workers have to take sick leaves", says the businessman Cassius Reis.
Also on What's Happening in Brazil: A wave of protests took many Brazilian cities after the murder of Moïse Kaba-gambe, a Congolese immigrant. One out of five people who voted for Bolsonaro in the 2018 presidential election will vote for Lula in this year’s election, says poll.
On the culture segment, you can listen to Gui Ventura, a Brazillian singer influenced by popular music, soul, and R&B.
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Edited by: Arturo Hartmann
