April 30, 2021
Colombia’s health ministry reported more than 500 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, the highest number of daily fatalities since the beginning of the pandemic.
The record number of daily deaths was reported on the last day of the pandemic’s deadliest week in Colombia.
According to the health minister, 3,204 people died of COVID-19 in the past seven days as a third wave of infections in knocking down hospitals in cities throughout the country.
The latest wave is contributed to the appearance of more infectious strains of the coronavirus and the government’s failure to respond to the worst health crisis in more than a century.
April 26, 2021
The mayor of Colombia’s capital Bogota is under fire for failing to reduce access to the city’s mass transit system as a new coronavirus outbreaks put hospitals on the brink of collapse.
Mayor Claudia Lopez declared a red alert on Sunday after health authorities reported than more than 90% of the city’s intensive care units (ICU’s) were full.
My shift begins. I have space in the ICU for two patients who are going through hell, but there is no ambulance to drive them. There are no ambulances available. Just to emphasize: the number of ICUs and their occupancy are only an indicator. The reality goes far beyond that and it’s shit!
Colombia surpasses 70,000 COVID-19 deaths after record increase
April 23, 2021
More than 70,000 people have died of COVID-19 since the beginning of the global pandemic, the Health Ministry said Thursday as it reported a record number of fatalities.
In its daily report, the Health Ministry confirmed 19,306 infections and 420 coronavirus-related deaths, the highest number since the beginning of the pandemic.
COVID-19 infections and deaths
Bogota healthcare approaching collapse
The most recent surge is threatening to collapse the healthcare system in the capital Bogota where more than 87% of the available intensive care units were occupies on Thursday, according to the city’s health secretary.
The Colombian Medical Federation considers a 90% threshold critical to continue providing emergency healthcare when needed.
Medellin doctors urge lockdown, humanitarian aid to resuscitate healthcare
April 22, 2021
Medellin medical organizations urged humanitarian aid and a two-week lockdown to resuscitate the collapsed healthcare system in Colombia’s second largest city.
The city of 2.5 million people entered in crisis last month after a new wave of coronavirus infections collapsed hospitals.
According to the Health Secretary of the Antioquia province, more than 99% of Medellin’s intensive care units (ICU’s) are full, which is collapsing emergency healthcare in multiple cities.
My shift begins. I have space in the ICU for two patients who are going through hell, but there is no ambulance to drive them. There are no ambulances available. Just to emphasize: the number of ICUs and their occupancy are only an indicator. The reality goes far beyond that and it’s shit!
By Reuters Staff
2 Min Read
BOGOTA, April 19 (Reuters) - Colombia will extend measures such as nightly curfews and limits on who can enter shops and other businesses by two weeks as part of efforts to curb a third wave of coronavirus, the government said on Monday.
Nightly curfews based on intensive care unit (ICU) occupancy rates will run until May 3, according to a government document signed by Health Minister Fernando Ruiz and Interior Minister Daniel Palacios.
Cities with an ICU occupancy of above 85% will have a curfew from 6 p.m. through 5 a.m., while those with between 80% and 85% capacity will have curfews beginning at 8 p.m.