In "Cedro de Abaite" in southeast Brazil, masks are distributed free of charge to everyone, and the checks are conducted randomly in desolate streets. This small city is the only one that has not witnessed any infection with the new Corona virus in the country, as it recorded the second highest death rate in the world.

Since the start of the epidemic in Brazil 9 months ago, this town of 1,200 people in the heart of Minas Gerais has recorded only one case, while the "Covid-19" epidemic has killed more than 170,000 people and infected 6.1 million in this Latin American country. Great.

This achievement is due to "several factors", according to Carlos Rodrigues Pinto, a municipal official.

"There is no public transportation here and the city is depository," Pinto said. "The Health Department has been stressing the need to stay at home and observe the rules of social distancing."

The town is limited to a main street and parallel streets branching out from some alleys that are in complete silence, broken in the morning and evening, calls broadcast by the loudspeaker to remind residents that the virus is still in sight.

"It is important for people to listen to this message. Our city is the only one in Brazil that has not recorded any confirmed cases, and no one else can keep the virus away from us," said Flavio Raphael, commenting on his bicycle box with a loudspeaker making the same calls.

A source of pride

Brazil has not adopted any unified health policy for all states, and this issue has become a focus of conflict between state governors and President Jair Bolsonaro, who opposes the general isolation measures and rejects masks.

At a time when the health restrictions adopted are increasingly being overlooked despite the increase in cases, Flavio's loudspeaker continues to repeat a message issued by the Health Department of Cedro de Abaite stressing the need to "not be complacent".

"I feel safe here ... I don't go out," Miri Aparecida, who lives in the town, told AFP.

Cedro de Abaite - located 270 kilometers from Belo Horizonte, the state capital - was founded in 1963 in the context of diamond exploration in the region, according to Rodrigues Pinto.

Currently, livestock activities are concentrated there for local consumption.

Cedro de Abaite, the second smallest city in Minas Gerais, includes a church and some shops, as well as a dispensary, and the nearest hospital is located 35 km away in the city of Abaete.

Bringing in doctors

The residents, the majority of whom were over the age of 50, had gone to the remote hospital for treatment before the outbreak of the epidemic, but the local health administration decided since the outbreak of the epidemic began to bring in specialized doctors.

Masks are distributed to everyone as part of the approved plan to tackle the virus.

"We set up a factory for masks and distributed them to everyone," says Cassia dos Santos, the municipal health officer.

In the absence of any suspicious cases, the authorities conduct random checks in locations where a number of people may meet, such as a shop.

Municipal official Carlos Rodrigues Pinto hopes that this small town, perched at the foot of the Minas Gerais hills, will preserve its flaunted feature.

But he indicates that caution remains master of the situation, as "the virus may surprise us at any moment."