President Duque extends health emergency until February 2021

The president stressed that the figure will be extended for 90 days to continue the detailed monitoring of the pandemic. Likewise, he pointed out that individual selective isolation should be maintained.

This November 30, the health emergency due to covid-19 ended. However, with the global and national panorama, in which the pandemic continues to be a constant risk, President Iván Duque announced that the figure will last, at least, until February 28, 2021.

According to the president, the global and national panorama indicate that the permanent alert against the new coronavirus must be maintained, so it is necessary to continue in a state of health emergency. Duque pointed out that this new 90-day extension will continue with permanent monitoring and work hand in hand with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

Likewise, the president stressed that individual selective isolation must be maintained at that time, as has been done since the first steps towards economic reactivation were taken in September. On this point, he assured that “there have been no sudden shocks” and that there have only been high numbers of contagion in places where the cases had not decreased or where there were agglomerations.

Along these lines, President Duque congratulated Colombians for their “very good collective behavior.” He also asked that this conduct be extended throughout the end of the year, so that there is a “fraternal and safe December.” The first president did not speak of extra measures or closings forecast at the end of the year, as leaders of other countries are doing, especially Europeans.

The president reiterated that this measure was taken in line with the measures that the WHO has been dictating, so any possible increase that may arise will be alerted. Finally, he pointed out that this time will be used to advance on the vaccine issues, in order to “continue to pay attention to the vaccination schedules multilaterally and bilaterally.”

It is worth noting that in recent days the Government has been criticized for focusing its efforts to obtain vaccines on the COVAX mechanism. Through this methodology, 20 million doses would be insured. But congressmen have emphasized that since the presidency there has been no direct negotiation with the laboratories to obtain purchase agreements, so that Colombia could be left behind in the immunization line.