On understanding the current social situation and the need to gradually and safely reopen the city's productive apparatus. Mayor Claudia López explained the proposal to reactivate the city starting next Tuesday, June 8.
She explained that “it sounds absolutely counter-intuitive, from a medical standpoint, to have 97% ICU occupancy and to then announce a re-opening; but from the social, economic and political point of view things change slightly. Given the deep institutional mistrust, unacceptable poverty and unemployment that is specifically affecting women and young people, it is necessary to do so.”
“We chose June 8, assuming that tensions and unrest will begin to ease up and the National Government and the Unemployment Committee will stop protracting the negotiation. We are increasing social investment, recognizing what has been wrong and asking for forgiveness, but no local government can overcome the structural national crisis,” said the Mayor, Claudia López Hernández.
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Re-openings and schedules
One of the most important measures that will be lifted is the night curfew, which is in force between 11 at night and 4 the following morning. The Prohibition Law would also be suspended.
"I am making this decision because citizens have changed their priorities, but life is more important than anything material," said the Mayor, who recognised that "we must find the best balance to address the social outbreak that threatens the democratic stability of Colombia and distracts from the pandemic.”
Considering that the food-service and nightlife industries have been two of the sectors most affected by the pandemic. Pubs and restaurants would also open with the adequate biosafety and capacity controls in place, until one in the morning. The rest of the sectors would not have a time limit, but they must also comply with the proper measures.
Nicolás Uribe, executive president of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce, indicated that “about 27% of young people in Bogotá neither study nor work; and there are about 585,000 young people for whom the business sector must build opportunities so that they can get ahead.”
Uribe added that the reactivation will not be done irresponsibly and must be consistent in its compliance with the protocols to stop and prevent further contagion. "We have to promote vaccination, because vaccination is re-activation," he stated.
Bogotá Mayor Claudia López echoed that notion, she recalled that Bogotá is 25 percent of the Colombian economy. "One in four opportunities for re-activation are in the capital, so we are going to take this step," the Mayor added, "the pandemic deepened poverty, inequality and unemployment, but the levels that we had before were obscene, immoral and unacceptable.”
Finally, Mayor López reflected deeply on the current situation in the country. “Each political leader and each candidate holds in his words and in his actions an enormous power of transformation, of leadership, of orientation. Let us use every word to lead to reconciliation, with a conviction to social inclusion, to overcome poverty, to provide opportunities to anyone who needs them," she stated.
Health and education
On the other hand, kindergartens, schools and universities would not have any time restrictions. They would also have to adhere to the biosecurity protocols issued by the Ministry of Education and the District Education Secretariat. While football stadiums, nightclubs and mass events could re-open to the public, once the city drops to Yellow Alert.
By the same token, it is important to re-iterate to the public that the spread of COVID-19 continues, despite the successful progress made in the vaccination process, and biosafety measures.
"We want Bogotá to re-activate, but if we presume that re-opening could return us to what life was like in 2019, the outlook would be much bleaker," admitted the Secretary of Health, Alejandro Gómez López. Mr. Gomez then stated that despite the circumstances reported there is good news, "vaccination is working". The number of older adults in ICUs has dropped considerably, as well as the mortality rates in this population group. The D.I.R (Detect - Isolate - Report) strategy will continue to be put into practise, so in case of suspected contact with someone infected or a manifestation of symptoms, we must be ready to avoid transmitting the virus to anyone else.
- Detect: any risk or situation where you have been exposed to a symptom of COVID-19 or respiratory disease.
- Isolation: stay home together with your family group for two weeks.
- Report: immediately tell your close and close contacts through your NHS (EPS) (see the telephone number of your NHS) or CoronApp. The set of measures released are part of the package for the economic reactivation of Bogotá, which Mayor Claudia López developed with local businesses and will be presented to the Ministry of the Interior.
