Colombia: Authorities to reimpose lockdown measures in some areas of Bogota from August 16 /update 25

Event

On Thursday, August 13, Bogota's mayor Claudia Lopez announced that lockdown measures will be reimposed in several neighborhoods of the capital for two weeks from Sunday, August 16, through Sunday, August 30, due to a rise in confirmed cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The order is in effect for the neighborhoods of Antonio Narino, Chapinero, La Candelaria, Puente Aranda, Santa Fe, Teusaquillo, and Usaquen. A mandatory stay-at-home order will be in place, with only one person per household permitted to go shopping for essentials each day based on their personal ID number and a curfew will be in place between 20:00 and 05:00 (local time). Nonessential businesses in these neighborhoods must close and alcohol sales will be prohibited. An additional 850 security personnel are to be deployed across the neighborhoods to enforce the lockdown measures.

On July 28, the ongoing nationwide quarantine orders were extended until August 30. Under the restrictions, residents are to stay at home and only leave for essential purposes, such as purchasing food or medicine. People over 70 years must still self-quarantine but may exercise outdoors, three times a week, for half an hour a day. The use of face masks is mandatory when using public transport and in areas with a high concentration of people.

Airports remain closed to regular international commercial flights until September 1. Land and sea borders also remain closed.

As of Friday, August 14, there have been 433,805 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, and 14,145 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone nonessential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay. To reduce the risk of transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, difficulty breathing, or any other symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness, including pneumonia, call emergency services before going to the doctor or hospital to prevent the potential spread of the disease.