Colombia to lift mask mandate on May 1

The Colombian Government announced on Monday that as of May 1, the use of the mask in closed places will not be mandatory in municipalities that have more than 70% of their population fully vaccinated against covid-19 and the vaccination card  will not be required in mass activities.

The Colombian president, Iván Duque, said that the measure to eliminate the use of face masks will not be applicable in health services, nursing homes, public transport and closed spaces in schools. and other educational institutions.

He also reported that as of May 1, the vaccination card will no longer be required in public and private events of a massive nature, a measure that will also be applied in other places such as bars, pubs, museums, libraries and cinemas.

“All biosafety measures will also be repealed, with the exception of those that concern health systems and services,” said Duque.

For international travelers, the Colombian head of state said that it is advisable to “arrive in the country with complete vaccination schedules.”

“Those who do not have complete schemes or are not vaccinated will require a negative PCR test that does not exceed 72 hours. An antigen test that does not exceed 48 hours may also be presented,” he said.

The president pointed out that despite Colombia’s progress in the fight against the pandemic, whose numbers of infections and deaths have dropped to the levels of two years ago, when covid-19 arrived in the country, it is necessary to take other measures.That is why the health emergency in the national territory will be extended, from May 1 to June 30, which allows the Government to take extraordinary measures if necessary.

Vaccination progress
Duque explained that all these measures are taken based on the progress of the National Vaccination Plan.”We have more than 83% of Colombians with at least one dose, and we are just a few days away from reaching 70% of the country with a double dose,” he explained.

According to the president, of the 50 million Colombians, more than 11.2 million also have a booster dose.

The coronavirus pandemic has so far left 6,091,343 infections in the country and 139,778 deaths, according to figures from the Ministry of Health.