"Until reliable information is available, the date for the symbolic opening of the bathing season has been postponed sine die [without a specific date]", said fire superintendent Wilson Baptista, national director of the Office of Institutional Communication and Press (GCII) of the Civil Protection and Fire Service, in statements to Angop.
A multi-sector team, led by the Ministry of the Environment, collected samples that show that they are marine substances that can affect the health of people who go swimming, said the official, who argued that bathing safety goes beyond the risk of drowning, and also includes public health, which requires that beaches be maintained in conditions that guarantee a safe and healthy stay for everyone.
As for the level of danger of the microalgae that appeared on the seafront, according to the director, the quantity is significant, adding that despite the danger, whether biological or chemical, the proportion makes it impossible to enter the water.
According to Angop, the official recommended that people avoid visiting the beaches until the appropriate conditions for enjoying these places safely are guaranteed.
On the occasion, he said that, despite this obstacle, the Civil Protection and Fire Service is ready for the start of the bathing season, with technical and human resources available.
Cited by Angop, he mentioned that the main strategy is to increase the number of lifeguards by approximately 200, while in the last bathing season there were 2000 specialists.
Among the strategies, he also said that the entity is also focusing on raising awareness to gradually reduce the accident rates on the beaches, and that prohibited and dangerous beaches and those authorized with lifeguards will be duly marked, to ensure clear communication.
