The Mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López, recommended this Saturday to the Colombian President, Iván Duque, reapply strict quarantine across the country given the accelerated growth of the coronavirus, which so far leaves 88,591 infected and 2,939 deaths.
“With all due respect, I would recommend Mr. President we must return to strict quarantine in Colombia“the president said in a virtual press conference.
López made the request the same day that Bogotá registered a record of 1,576 new cases of COVID-19 which brought the total of the Colombian capital to 27,118, where 572 people have also died as a result of the pandemic.
The mayor insisted that before the figures “it is necessary to take this measure, Mr. President “and added that there are no” installed capacities to avoid a greater tragedy than the one that is already taking place. “
Colombia has been in mandatory quarantine since March 25, but the numerous authorized exceptions to the rule in order to revive the economy make daily activities almost normal.
The mayor explained that Bogotá has a 70% occupancy in intensive care units (ICU), an indicator established by the Mayor’s Office to warn of “the arrival of the difficult time.”
In that sense, he said that Bogotá must prepare to “return to strict quarantine (because) the pandemic has grown and thus the occupation of ICUs “.
“Unless the Ministry of Health delivers the fans required by the city every 15 days, we must go back to quarantine,” he stressed.
The mayor explained that in a letter sent to the Minister of Health, Fernando Ruiz, he explains the panorama of the pandemic in the city and acknowledges the delivery of 125 fans by the Government but he warns that they have been insufficient due to the speed of the infections.
López says in the letter that “the 125 fans delivered a week ago by the Ministry were caught in these seven days and the city reached 70% occupancy of intensive care units, which puts us on the verge of a red alert declaration, and the imminence of a new general quarantine for 14 days. “
To avoid this general quarantine measure in Bogotá, López asked the minister for 1,141 additional respirators The delivery is scheduled for between July 1 and August 5, when the peak of the pandemic is expected in the capital.
“Please confirm the possibility of complying with this delivery schedule, or in any case, inform us of the one that is feasible. Otherwise, Minister, Bogotá must enter a strict quarantine when 75% of the available ICUs are continuously covered,” says the letter.
The issue will be discussed next Tuesday at a meeting between Mayor López and Minister Ruiz.
The Mayor’s Office also announced the temporary closure of three stations of the Transmilenio urban bus system: Patio Bonito, Biblioteca Tintal and Transversal 86 where, according to what he said, “eight out of 10 citizens who move in those stations are at high risk of contagion.”
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