Colombia eases COVID restrictions to save economy as deaths skyrocket



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Inside a Mexican themed nightclub called Plaza MX in Bogotá, Colombia, dozens of people sing along with a Mariachi band on a brightly lit stage.

Sheer plastic sheets divide the tables, but other than that it’s business as usual as the kids dance and mingle. Some even drink from the same tequila bottles.

The nightclub was forced to close for several months last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then reopened as a restaurant only.

Now, like the United States and Europe, Colombia is lifting most restrictions in a bid to bring back jobs – even as death rates from COVID-19 rise.

Related: Mexico’s battered tourism sector vacillates between economy and public health

New virus variants have leads to higher death rates and a growing number of daily cases: Colombia has recorded more than 23,000 new infections per day in June – about three times more than in March.

Colombia has tried to control the contagion through lockdowns, curfews, alcohol bans and social distancing measures. But these measures have also created more unemployment and pushed millions of people into poverty.

Plaza MX has had to lay off more than 50 of its employees since the start of the pandemic. In June, the government finally allowed nightclubs to keep night hours.

“We really needed this. … Opening until one in the morning makes the difference between losing money and making a profit.

Andres Gutierrez, Director, Plaza MX

“We really needed it,†said Andres Gutierrez, director of Plaza MX. “Opening until one in the morning makes the difference between losing money and making a profit. “

Related: In Latin America, the coronavirus slams an economy already in dire straits

Colombia and other South American countries are reopening their economies, although access to vaccines remains limited: Only 10% of the Colombian population is fully vaccinated.

Opening up the economy under these conditions is risky. But officials say they are running out of options.

“From an epidemiological perspective, it makes no sense to do this. … But if you consider the context we face, the shocking levels of poverty and discontent, then it is a necessity. “

Claudia Lopez, mayor, Bogotá, Colombia

“From an epidemiological perspective, it makes no sense to do this,” Bogotá Mayor Claudia Lopez said in a recent speech to the city’s chamber of commerce. “But if you consider the context we are facing, the shocking levels of poverty and discontent, then it is a necessity,” she said.

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According to the Colombian government, 3.5 million people were plunged into poverty in 2020 as lockdowns crippled the economy. Years of economic progress have been wiped out.

In Bogotá, 88% of families could afford three meals a day before the pandemic, according to a survey conducted by the national statistics service. It is now 67%.

In this context, the mayor’s decision to lift restrictions on businesses was quite popular.

“At this point everyone should do their best to protect themselves.”

Luis Genaro, street vendor, Bogota, Colombia

“At this point everyone should do their best to protect themselves,†said Luis Genaro, a street vendor who sells popsicles outside a government office in Bogotá.

Genaro, who is in his sixties, adds that he is already vaccinated. But most of the population was not so lucky. In reality, only 1 in 5 Colombians have received a dose of the vaccine.

This lack of access to vaccines, combined with fewer social distancing measures, is wreaking havoc in hospitals.

At Samaritana University Hospital in Bogotá, the emergency room fills up every day with patients showing symptoms of COVID-19.

The hospital’s 19 intensive care units are often full.

Thus, emergency physicians had to take on additional tasks, such as providing artificial ventilation to critically ill patients.

“It’s not the best place to do it,” said Dr Elkin Molina, deputy director of the emergency room. “In an intensive care unit, patients receive regular attention from physiotherapists and we don’t have it here. “

As the Colombian economy reopens, intensive care services in cities like Bogotá, Cali and Medellin are 95% full.

More than 600 people die from COVID-19 every day in the country – twice more like two months ago. And doctors say the types of patients who get seriously ill are changing.

“At the start of the pandemic, you were mainly seeing older people arriving with symptoms of COVID. … Now it’s the young people who come in with bad symptoms. And some require ventilation. It’s pretty scary. “

Paola Cabra, doctor, Samaritana Hospital, Bogotá, Colombia

“At the start of the pandemic, you mainly saw elderly people arriving with symptoms of COVID,†explains Paola Cabra, a 26-year-old doctor who resides at Samaritana hospital. “Now it’s the young people who come in with bad symptoms. And some require ventilation. It’s pretty scary, â€she said.

Dr Cabra said Colombia has found itself with little choice as it struggles to get more vaccines.

“If we were a more developed country, maybe we could pay people to stay at home, and the contagion would slow down,†she said. “But here people have no choice but to go out and work.”

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