Venezuela: Authorities to enforce flexible quarantine restrictions September 7-13 /update 13

Venezuela will enforce flexible quarantine restrictions between Monday, September 7, and Sunday, September 13, as part of the country's "7+7" plan for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Throughout the week of flexible quarantine, several businesses and sectors are allowed to reopen for a limited number of hours including offices, banks, and hairdressers. Transport services are allowed to resume between 07:00 and 17:00 (local time). During the flexible quarantine period, churches must remain closed and the tourism industry will not resume operations. Municipalities bordering Brazil and Colombia in the states of Bolivar, Apure, Táchira, and Zulia are exempt from the "7+7" plan and remain in total quarantine to prevent further infections in the country as Venezuelan migrants are crossing borders to return home.

The restrictions are part of the "7+7" government plan, which alternates seven days of "total quarantine", in which all businesses are forced to close except those in food or health-related sectors, with seven days where other activities can resume. As the "7+7" plan continues, it is likely that authorities reinforce full lockdown measures between September 14 and September 20.

Venezuela extended the ban on international flights until September 12; however, domestic and international commercial flights are expected to gradually resume from September 13. The current flight ban excludes emergency operations, cargo and mail flights, technical landings, humanitarian flights, repatriation flights, and flights authorized by the United Nations.

Face coverings remain mandatory on public transport, inside grocery stores and pharmacies, at airports and ports, and in healthcare facilities.

As of Monday, September 7, there have been 53,289 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Venezuela with 428 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.