​05/21/2020

Press Release No. 277, 2020

- Ministry of Health noted the points in which work has been done to prepare the country for the epidemic.

Bogotá, May 21, 2020. The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Fernando Ruiz, spoke in the Prevention and Action program with the President of the Republic, Iván Duque, of the covid-19 mitigation strategy in Colombia after 77 days from the first confirmed case.

"The strategy had three objectives and we have been consistent: avoid deaths; maintain the capacity of the health system, preparing the system to face the epidemic; and reduce the social and economic impact of the measures," said Ruiz.

From the beginning, he indicated, a quarantine was established, which was extended for over two months and has had positive results.

The period has been what was recommended, even under the three parameters established in a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which were based on starting the quarantine two weeks after the first case appeared, order a two-month isolation, covering 60% of the population (in Colombia we reached 70%) and gradual de-escalation.

"We have been consistent with all sectors to generate this gradualness," added the minister.