​Bogotá DC, July 29, 2020. The deputy minister of Social Protection, María Andrea Godoy, participated in the virtual commemoration of the National Day for Safety and Health at Work, where she presented some of the actions carried out by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection for safe and healthy work environments in times of pandemic due to covid-19.

"This commemoration is the opportunity to show the importance of fixing our gaze on the responsibility of employers, workers and all the actors in the Comprehensive Social Security System regarding safety and risk prevention in the workplace," she said.

In relation to the progress, Deputy Minister María Andrea Godoy explained that from 1994 to 2020 there has been an increase in workers registered with the General Occupational Risk System. "The system evolved from 3.6 million registered workers to the remarkable number of 10.3 million people listed, surpassing the 7 million registered workers in this period," she noted.

In addition, she noted that the Ministry of Health and Social Protection has developed instruments to establish rules for registration and access to the General Occupational Risk System using the Single Registration Form, in coordination with the Ministry of Labor, the use of the Integrated Social Security Contribution Form (PILA), and currently the production of the functionalities of the Transactional Registration System (SAT) "that makes it easier for employers to complete the registration process, transfers, and the report of new developments in the Occupational Risk Administrators (ARL) mainly."

In relation to the new challenges of covid-19, the deputy minister indicated that while it is true that coverage guarantees economic and welfare benefits to the enrollees, "once the work-related events occur, i.e., the current situation that the world is going through due to the pandemic, it makes us reflect on the individual and collective responsibilities around caring for oneself and caring for the other."

In the framework of this commemoration, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection spotlighted the technical documents, guides, resolutions, decrees and more than 44 biosafety protocols for the economic sectors that are facing the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic.

Given the risks in the workplace, the gradual opening of the economy and the new normality, the deputy minister invited the general public to follow the biosafety protocols issued for the protection of all. "These protocols should be understood as strategic allies of companies to guarantee their reopening or business continuity under health and safety conditions tailored to the needs of covid-19 infection prevention," she said.

"The challenge is very great and within the framework of this commemoration it is appropriate to recognize and exalt the important role of the health sector in the prevention and care of the covid-19 pandemic, especially the human talent that is contributing, day by day, minute by minute, to providing life-saving services," added the deputy minister.

Aware of this great effort, and consequently, with the guarantee of labor and welfare rights, the deputy minister highlighted the issuance of standards that recognize the safety and health conditions of workers.

In relation to the actions implemented by the National Government, Decree 676, 2020 was issued, recognizing covid-19 as an occupational disease, and guaranteeing payment of past due wages to health sector personnel, through an allocation and direct transfer of resources to the State Social Enterprises (ESEs). This will strengthen the capacity of the public supply of health services to ensure the provision of these services to the affected population, for which the National Government will transfer resources to 500+ public hospitals in the country seeking to cover the January, February and March 2020 payroll in arrears.

Lastly, the deputy minister of Social Protection thanked the Minister of Labor, Ángel Custodio Cabrera, and reminded the labor force to keep in mind the issues of co-responsibility and self-care in all work environments during this time of covid-19.