Social distancing during the Covid-19 pandemic and the crisis of the federative state: an essay in the Brazilian context

Abstract

This article proposes an analysis of the measures of social distancing adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil, from a time frame from March 2020 to the beginning of 2021. The study is based on a retrospective analysis of distancing measures instituted by each Federated Unit (UF) and the respective context of adoption of flexibilization measures in them. Subsequently, a reflection is made on the impact of
the federalist regime in force in Brazil on the adoption of social distancing policies during the Covid-19 pandemic. For that, a documental analysis was made in Technical Notes, scientific articles, official government websites, Official Gazette of the UF and epidemiological bulletins, aiming to cover all legal deliberations and official guidelines of the governments, referring to measures of social distancing. The study highlighted the pressing need to strengthen federative coordination in the management of the Covid-19 health crisis and the encouragement of social campaigns that endorse the importance and effectiveness of measures of social distancing, in addition to making decisions that make it feasible, such as the reinstitution of emergency aid by the government.