Nightly curfews in January in Medellín and Antioquia start on January 6 at 10 pm nightly until the Día de Los Reyes Magos holiday until January 12. Also, pico y cedula continues until January 12 and there is a dry law on the upcoming holiday weekend. These preventative measures are intended to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

According to El Colombiano, the Government of Antioquia, in a decision agreed with the 125 mayors in the disarmament of Antioquia, decreed a curfew for the entire department between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am every day starting from Wednesday, January 6 until January 11.

In addition to the curfew, a dry law was also decreed for the entire Antioquia department, without exceptions, from Friday, January 8 at 10:00 pm until Monday, January 11, at 11:59 pm.

Also, Pico y Cedula for even and odd numbers will be maintained until Monday the 12th, as it has been operating in recent weeks.

One of the main reasons for these preventative measures is the occupation ICU beds in Antioquia, which is currently at 82 percent occupancy and the Aburrá Valley at 85 percent and the Oriente region of Antioquia at 98 percent occupancy of ICUs.

Editor note on January 13: there are new nightly curfews in Medellín and Antioquia starting on January 14 until January 19, see our new article.

Editor note: according to El Colombiano on January 7, the curfew restrictions now differ based on ICU occupation and now goes from January 7 to January 12 for some municipalities and even longer for municipalities with ICU occupancy of 85 percent or higher.

Editor note: on January 7, it was announced that there will be a quarantine in Medellín and the entire Aburrá Valley plus the Oriente region of Antioquia, starting on January 8 at 7 pm and going until January 12 at 5:00 am.

Curfews in Colombia Based on ICU Occupancy from January 7 to January 12

According to the new parameters established by the national Colombian government, the restrictive measures for some municipalities are in accordance with the occupancy level of ICU beds.

ICU Occupancy 85 percent or higher

In municipalities where ICU occupancy is 85 percent or higher, such as Medellín, which has 87.02 percent occupancy, the restriction at the national level is a curfew between 7:00 pm and 5:00 am. from January 7 to January 12.

In addition, between January 12 and 16, there will be further restrictions with a curfew of people and vehicles between 8:00 pm and midnight.

But home delivery services (domicilio) will be permitted during curfew hours.

ICU Occupancy 80 to 84 percent 

Other restrictions are for municipalities with ICU occupation from 80 percent to 84 percent. In this range, the restrictions is a curfew of people and vehicles in public places between 8:00 pm and 5:00 am from January 7 to January 12.

But home delivery services (domicilio) will be permitted during curfew hours.

ICU Occupancy 70 to 79 percent

In those municipalities with an ICU occupancy level of 70 percent in ICU beds, the movement of people and vehicles will be restricted from 10:00 pm until 5:00 am between on January 7 and 12, 2021.

For those municipalities in Antioquia that don’t fall in these ranges such as Sabaneta with ICU occupancy of 60 percent, the curfew below from January 6 to 11 still applies.

Quarantine in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley from January 8 to 12

However, this announcement by the national government created confusion in Antioquia according to Minuto30. Antioquia was reportedly defining adjustments to the measures already in force in Antioquia.

Also, Medellín’s Mayor tweeted that a quarantine would apply starting on January 8 at 7 pm and go until January 12 at 5:00 am.

In addition according to El Colombiano there will be quarantine in Medellín and the entire Aburrá Valley plus the Oriente region of Antioquia, starting on January 8 at 7 pm and going until January 12 at 5:00 am.

During the quarantine in Medellín and the entire Aburrá Valley you are not supposed to leave the home unless you work for a company that is open or are traveling to take a flight. Some grocery stores, pharmacies and restaurants with delivery services are open.

The rest of Antioquia will follow the original planned nightly curfews from January 6 to January 11 in the following section.

Nightly Curfew Antioquia from January 6 to 11

Antioquia not including Medellín and the Aburrá Valle and the Oriente region of Antioquia, will have strict nightly curfews starting on January 6 to 11 on the following days for municipalities with ICU occupancy less than 70 percent:

• January 6 – 10 pm to 5 am
• January 7– 10 pm to 5 am
• January 8 – 10 pm to 5 am
• January 9 – 10 pm to 5 am
• January 10 – 10 pm to 5 am
• January 11 – 10 pm to 5 am

Also, Medellín and Antioquia will continue Pico y Cedula until January 11, which restricts shopping days based on the last digit of your ID.. The Pico y Cedula restriction applies for going to grocery shops, malls, small tiendas, pharmacies and also includes banking and notary services.

Until January 12, if your ID ends with an even number (0, 2, 4, 6, 8) you can go out shopping on even days of the week. And if your ID ends with an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) you can go out on odd days of the week.

Pico y Cedula in Colombia

What Preventative Measures Could Medellín Use?

If ICU occupancy continues to increase due to coronavirus cases increase, it is very likely that Antioquia and Medellín will take preventative measures.

We previously looked at seven preventative measures used in the past and the likelihood of whether they will be used again.

1. Curfews – very likely
2. Dry law on holidays and weekends – likely
3. 4/3 – 4 days working and 3 days quarantine weekly – possible
4. Lockdowns of specific neighborhoods – possible
5. National quarantine – unlikely
6. Pico y cedula – possible
7. Closing airports – very unlikely

The curfew measures being taken in January in Medellín and Antioquia demonstrate that this is the most likely preventative measures to be taken in the future. Also, Medellín and Antioquia are continuing the Pico y Cedula restriction that restricts shopping days based on the last digit of your cedula.

Computer generated image of COVID-19, photo by Felipe Esquivel Reed

Medellin Guru’s Coronavirus Series

Medellin Guru has a series of articles about the coronavirus pandemic and the impacts in Colombia: Also, these articles are being kept up-to-date, as this is a fast-moving topic:

• Nightly Curfews in January in Medellin and Antioquia Start on January 6
• Nightly Curfew in Medellín For Christmas and New Year’s Holidays
• Colombia is Buying 10 Million Doses of COVID-19 Vaccine from Pfizer
• Does Colombia Require a COVID-19 Test for International Travelers?
• 8 Reasons Why Colombia is Unlikely to Return to a Quarantine
• Coronavirus Cases Increase in Medellín: What Happens Next?
• New Normal in Medellín: Medellín is Returning to Normal
• Will the Quarantine Return to Colombia? What if Cases Increase?
• New Normal in Medellín: Medellín is Returning to Normal
• Colombia’s Quarantine Ends on September 1: New Phase Starts
• Tourism Impact of Coronavirus: Colombia Starts to Reactivate Tourism
• Economy Impacts in Colombia Due to Extended Quarantine
• Epicenter of Coronavirus in Colombia: Bogotá is the Epicenter
• Medellín Plans the Total Reopening of Economic Activities in the City
• When Will the Quarantine End in Colombia? On September 1?
• Humanitarian Flights from Colombia to the U.S. and Other Countries
• Beware of Fake News in Colombia About Coronavirus and Quarantines
• Reopening Gymnasiums, Churches and Movie Theaters in Colombia
• Reopening Amusement Parks, Zoos and Nature Reserves in Colombia
• Medellín Starts Free COVID-19 Tests on the Medellín Metro
• New COVID-19 Preventive Measures in Medellín to Contain the Pandemic
• Penalties for Violating the Quarantine in Medellín are Stiff
• COVID-19 Orange Alert in Bogotá: New Lockdowns in Bogotá
• Medellín Starts to Lift the Quarantine: Enters Smart Isolation Phase
• Colombia Started to Lift the Quarantine – What Does this Mean?
• Coronavirus: When Will the Quarantine Be Lifted in Colombia?
• Colombia Starts to Lift the Quarantine in COVID-19 Free Areas
• Colombia Quarantine: Nationwide Quarantine Extended to September 1
• Coronavirus in Colombia: Myth vs Reality – Current Status
• Coronavirus Hospitalization in Colombia: Myth vs Reality
• Are Medellín and Antioquia Winning the Coronavirus Battle?
• 23 Cities with a Major Increase in Coronavirus Cases in Colombia
• Colombia Coronavirus Death Rate: What are the Chances of Dying?
• Coronavirus: When Will Things Return to Normal in Colombia?
• COVID-19 Testing in Colombia: Realty About Coronavirus Testing
• Life as an Expat: During Medellín’s Coronavirus Quarantine
• Colombian Visa Process Changes: Due to Quarantine and Coronavirus
• Medellín Coronavirus Closures – What is Closed in Medellín?
• Pico y Cedula: A Restriction for Grocery Shopping in the Aburrá Valley During the Quarantine
• Pico y Cedula in Colombia: Which is Strictest Out of 5 Largest Cities?
• Medellín Quarantine Starts on March 20 for Four Days

The Bottom Line: Nightly Curfews in January in Medellin and Antioquia Start on January 6

There are strict strict nightly curfews in Medellín and Antioquia for seven days in January from January 6 to January 12 and the time of the curfews varies depending on municipality.

There will be a quarantine in Medellín and the entire Aburrá Valley plus the Oriente region of Antioquia, starting on January 8 at 7 pm and going until January 12 at 5:00 am.

In addition, Medellín and Antioquia will continue Pico y Cedula until January 12, which restricts shopping days based on the last digit of your ID,

Coronavirus cases have been increasing in Medellín and Antioquia over the past month resulting in increased ICU occupancy. However, Antioquia has been taking actions to add ICU beds and reduce ICU occupancy.

The bottom line is we believe that ICU occupancy is the key metric to watch to determine if Medellín and Antioquia will take additional COVID-19 preventive measures. We update our popular article about coronavirus hospitalization in Colombia weekly with updates on ICU utilization.

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Editors note: updated on January 7, 2021 with new curfews from January 7 to 12 based on ICU occupancy defined by the Colombian national government and added that Medellín’s Mayor announced that the curfew will be from January 8 at 7 pm and go until January 12 at 5:00 am. 

Editors note: updated again on January 7, 2021 with information that a curfew will be in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley starting on January 8 at 7 pm and go until January 12 at 5:00 am.