Bogotá Mayor Claudia López hosted a virtual press conference on Saturday evening, accompanied by socially-distanced Minister of Health Fernando Ruíz, to update residents on the situation in the Colombian capital with COVID-19.
Explaining recent measures to enhance monitoring of coronavirus patients in 14 Orange Alert zones and where quarantine is being strictly enforced to slow the rate of transmission, López used maps to highlight where clusters of the contagion are concentrated in the 10-million strong city and with reached close to 10,000 cases since the first case was confirmed on March 6.
On Saturday, Bogotá also recorded its highest day-on-day increase with 475 new cases of coronavirus. With 9,989 cases of the nation’s 29,383, Bogotá began easing out of quarantine on Monday with more sectors authorized by the government to resume work. Even though the nation remains under a National Health Emergency until August 31, mayors and governors are in charge of opening up their cities and departments based on epidemiological data from the Ministry of Health and the discipline of citizens to exercise social distancing, wear obligatory facemasks and avoid public transportation.
While Bogotá continues to be the focal point of the disease with 34% of Colombia’s cases, one of the largest localities in the city – Kennedy – has been placed under strict quarantine as of Monday for the duration of two weeks, given that the high rate of transmission and outbreak inside the food depot Corabastos.
Home to 1.5 million, Kennedy was created as a middle-income urban development project and inaugurated in 1961 during a state visit by U.S President J.F.Kennedy. According to Mayor López, residents of Kennedy are under the same stringent lockdown as when her “quarantine drill” was enacted on March 20 with police and military in charge of controlling who can enter or exit at 12 designated road posts. All businesses, including those authorized by the government as well as informal vendors are barred from operating and residents are allowed only to leave their homes to buy essential food and medical supplies. With 2,600 cases of the virus confirmed in Kennedy and local hospitals in need of more intensive care units, Mayor López announced that the district will increase PCR tests in the locality to 700-per day and double the number of home care professionals.
As Kennedy enters lockdown until June 15, residents of Bogotá’s other localities – among them Santa Fe, La Candelaria, Chapinero and Usaquén – are allowed greater freedom of movement, yet also remain subject to the conditions of Obligatory Preventive Isolation. All residents of the capital, however, must register their personal information on the district’s new platform:
www.bogota.gov.co/bogota-cuidadora
The registration process includes reporting medical conditions or symptoms related to coronavirus. All vehicle drivers must also register to justify their reasons for moving around the city, and those stopped by the police without authorization via App, face a COP$1 million fine.
The Android App GABO (Gobierno Abierto Bogotá) offers various categories and for mobility enter under Registro de Movilidad Segura. If you need food or district assistence Necesito de Apoyo and to report health situation Reporta Estado de Salud.
GABO is integrated with CoronApp (Android, Apple) and must be completed before a mobility declaration for the duration of 24 hours can be downloaded as a QR code.
