On the March 6th the first confirmed case of COVID 19 was made in Colombia from a traveler who had recently visited Paris. By the 27th there were 539 confirmed cases and 6 deaths from COVID 19 in Colombia.
On the 12th of March authorities declared a national emergency and shut down all large events, then they implemented regulations to prevent any cruise ships from docking in the national ports. On the 16th entrance from travelers to countries in Asia or Europe was suspended along with the closure of all borders.
For citizens curfews were implemented and certain cities, such as Bogota, started practicing isolation drills. President Ivan Duque declared a state of emergency on March 17th and took the first measures by starting a curfew for the elderly, anyone over 70, to take effect at 7:00 am on March 20th and last until May 31st. Government entities were under strict orders to make things easy for the elderly, such as receiving pensions, purchasing food from home and getting their medication.
On the 20th he went on to announce a 19-day nationwide quarantine, this would last from March 24th until April 12th. However, on the 6th of April there were over 1500 confirmed cases and 46 deaths from COVID 19 in Colombia and the quarantine had to be extended.
The lockdown has been extended several times since then and is now currently set to end on July 15th.
What It Looks Like Now
Colombia is still on lockdown, and considering that they have had to extend the lockdown in the past, it is a possibility going forward as well. There are currently over 117,000 confirmed cases in Colombia and they have not yet managed to flatten the curve.
Certain restrictions have been pulled back, but for the most part business is still suspended in Colombia. Restaurants are open, but only for take-home orders.
All international flights to and from Colombia are suspended until August 31st and will reopen in September.
The Future Of Colombia
As of right now Colombia is still under quarantine until July 15th. The quarantine calls for obligatory isolation with exceptions for purchasing food and necessities. Workers in essential fields and other fields which have been permitted to resume business including places such as barber shops, hairdressers, museums and libraries which are allowed to open at the mayor’s discretion.
- Social Distancing – People are asked to stay at least 3 feet apart
- Masks – When using public transportation, masks are obligatory as well as inside any business.
Public Gatherings – Businesses are asked to limit the quantity of clients in a building.
- Work from Home – Those with the ability to work from home are encouraged by the government to continue doing so for the time being.
- Travel – No traveling except for essentials.
To stay up-to-date with information about COVID 19 in Colombia please visit their Ministry of Health webpage by clicking here.
