Venezuela: Authorities impose flexible COVID-19-related measures effective Oct. 25 /update 68

Event

Authorities in Venezuela have issued orders to enforce flexible control measures effective Oct. 25, as part of the country's COVID-19 response program. The country will effectively end its long-standing "7+7" program, as officials have indicated that strict measures, which were usually alternated weekly with flexible measures, will not be enforced for the rest of the year. Flexible measures will remain in place indefinitely.

Under the general flexible restrictions, authorities allow multiple areas of the economy to operate, including lodging facilities, beaches, private clubs, theme parks, restaurants, cafes, furniture stores, hardware stores, public transport, banks and financial services, barbershops and hair salons, car repair businesses, healthcare centers, and places of worship, among numerous other establishments and facilities. Government offices, including the National Ground Transport Institute (Instituto Nacional de Transporte Terrestre, INTT) and the Identification, Migration, and Foreign Affairs Administration (Servicio Administrativo de Identificacion, Migracion y Extranjeria, SAIME), can also operate. Effective Oct. 25, in-person classes will resume at schools nationwide.

All residents must wear protective facemasks on public transport, inside grocery stores and pharmacies, and at healthcare facilities, airports, and ports. Bus services may operate at a maximum of 50-percent capacity. Local and regional governments could impose additional restrictions, including limiting intercity or interstate vehicular travel. Enhanced measures are likely in border areas.

Authorities in Venezuela also plan to launch a system to allow fully vaccinated individuals to enter certain businesses, including restaurants, regardless of the weekly measures in place. However, they have not announced when this plan will begin.

Fuel Distribution Restrictions
Officials have been enforcing a restricted fuel distribution system since October 2020 amid the country's continued fuel shortage crisis. Private vehicles may only be fueled on certain days, depending on the final digit of their license plate numbers. The schedule through Oct. 30 is as follows:

• Oct. 25: Vehicles with license plates ending in 1 and 2

• Oct. 26: Vehicles with license plates ending in 3 and 4

• Oct. 27: Vehicles with license plates ending in 5 and 6

• Oct. 28: Vehicles with license plates ending in 7 and 8

• Oct. 29: Vehicles with license plates ending in 9 and 0

• Oct. 30: Vehicles with license plates ending in 1 and 2

• Oct. 31: Vehicles with license plates ending in 3 and 4

International and Domestic Travel
Most international flights remain banned until further notice. Authorities only allow authorized commercial international flights to and from Bolivia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Russia, and Turkey. Cargo, emergency, and humanitarian flights are exempt from the ban. Officials also allow flights repatriating Venezuelan citizens.

All passengers entering Venezuela must present a negative result from a COVID-19 test taken no more than 48 hours before arrival. Any person entering the country may have to undergo additional testing upon arrival and could be subject to quarantine protocols. Since early July, authorities have also allowed additional internal flights connecting most major cities, except those in states bordering Colombia and Brazil.

All measures are subject to amendment at short notice. Authorities could tighten restrictions in any location at any time if confirmed case numbers increase significantly.

Advice

Follow all official instructions. Reconfirm all travel arrangements. Ensure contingency plans account for further disruptive measures or extensions of current restrictions.

Resources

World Health Organization (WHO)