The capital is not past its third peak, but the COVID rules have been relaxed.
Speaking yesterday, Bogotá mayor Claudia López announced a surprise relaxation in restrictions. The quarantine has been lifted, and pico y cédula will be suspended, so you can go shopping any day.
The lighter restrictions come in spite of the fact that we haven’t yet passed the third wave and UCI occupation remains above 98%.
Mindful of the fact that Mother’s Day would normally be this Sunday in Colombia, the mayor asked people not to hold social gatherings. The government has postponed Mother’s Day until May 30.
The following restrictions apply:
- Schools and universities will stay shut until May 9.
- Ley seca will continue, meaning alcohol can only be consumed at home and ordered by domicilio.
- The nightly curfew will continue, including at the weekend. Everything will need to be shut by 7pm and people need to be home by 8pm.
- There will be no ciclovía this Sunday.
- There are still restrictions on travel. While you can travel by air, you may need to explain why you need to leave the city.
Related: Can I get my vaccine yet? What is going on with vaccination in Colombia
The difficulty with a nightly curfew is that nationwide protests show no sign of stopping. And violence has been worse once night falls. Last night at least five people died in Cali in violent clashes between police and protesters. The country’s ombudsman, Defensoría del Pueblo, says at least 17 people have been killed in total since the demonstrations began last week.
