Press Release No. 992, 2020
Bogota December 4, 2020. The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Fernando Ruiz, in relation to requiring travelers to Colombia to present a PCR test, pointed out that "the ruling puts us in a very complicated situation; and public health considerations and the defense of the epidemiology strategy is the most important thing at this time."
He said that, with the decision of considering compliance with the ruling impossible, people can continue traveling to the country at this time, with no need to submit the test.
He also explained that approximately 120,000 people travel on international flights in December, so "complying with the ruling would imply leaving 120,000 people in quarantine. Of these, 80,000 test negative. So that is the situation, and for now, our decision has been to consider compliance with the ruling impossible."
"What follows is that surely the judge will have to make some compliance calls, but we believe that this is the decision that protects public health and we believe that we must prevail," said Ruiz.
He added that there is yet another outstanding circumstance and that is that the courts enter the period of judicial vacation on December 19th, so any action adopting the measure would become a situation that would surely extend until February.
"While the Ministry of Health does not implement the ruling and the rule does not change, the situation will remain the same," he concluded.
