BOGOTA (Reuters) – A coronavirus quarantine will continue in Colombia’s capital Bogota until at least June 15, the mayor said on Thursday, even as other parts of the country begin re-opening.
Bogota was one of the first areas of the Andean nation to put lockdown measures in place in late March. It is home to more than 8,000 of the country’s 24,000 coronavirus cases.
All of Colombia is under quarantine until Sunday, though thousands of businesses are gradually re-opening with safety protocols and reduced staff.
“We have agreed with the health ministry to follow these recommendations in Bogota for the next two weeks,” Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez said on Twitter.
The city of 8 million will maintain current isolation, undertake no further re-opening, intensify supervision at wholesale food sellers and increase coronavirus screenings jointly with the national health institute.
More details will be given in a press conference on Saturday, Lopez said. The ministry and city government will reevaluate the measures after June 15.
A dozen areas of Bogota with high infection rates have already been placed under special restrictions that prevent residents from doing outdoor exercise, among other things.
President Ivan Duque has said restrictions will begin easing in June but urged the public to continue isolating at home as much as possible. Public transit between municipalities will remain canceled as well as domestic flights.
International flights will not resume until Aug. 31, the government has said.
(Reporting by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
