We provide a quick snapshot of coronavirus status in Colombia yesterday on April 1 with key statistics.
Daily Summary for April 1:
- +354 new cases, up from 323 the prior day
- 15 reported deaths
- +20,150 COVID tests
Totals:
- 6,085,270 cases
- 4,104 active cases or 0.07 percent of total
The first coronavirus case in Colombia was on March 7, 2020 and by April 1, 2021 the number of cases had grown to 6,085,270. The following chart shows the 7-day rolling average of daily cases in Colombia for the past few months
Rolling 7-day average of daily coronavirus cases in Colombia, source, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), 3/31
Rolling 7-day average of daily coronavirus cases in Colombia, source, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), 4/1
As of April 1 , the rolling 7-day average of new daily cases has dropped notably dropped in 68 of the past 75 days in a row.
Computer generated image of COVID-19, photo by Felipe Esquivel Reed
As of April 2, 2022, at 4:00 am according to Worldometers over 200 countries and territories in the world have reported that over 490,185,130 /people have contracted COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, known as SARS-CoV2. And over 6,163,034 people have died from this virus worldwide and over 423,90833 have recovered.
EDITOR NOTE More Coronavirus Detail is on Patreon
Medellin Guru will now only provide a snapshot of coronavirus cases in Colombia daily on the Medellin Guru website for free.
We have been providing for free nearly two years a long daily report of over 4,000 words with graphics and it takes hours per day to update this article daily.
If you want to see our full coronavirus daily report you must become a Patreon subscriber. The full Coronavirus report includes:
- More detail on coronavirus cases in Colombia
- Coronavirus cases in departments in Colombia
- Coronavirus cases in the Aburrá Valley where Medellín is located
- Coronavirus cases in other cities in Colombia
- COVID-19 testing in Colombia
- Colombia Coronavirus Death Rate
- Coronavirus Deaths in Other Countries in Latin America.
We are doing this because updating this large article is difficult to update on the Medellin Guru website that is being attacked every night.
You can subscribe to Patreon for a little as $3 per day (a cup of coffee). Join Patreon for access to 85 of our best articles including the new full daily coronavirus update.
On Patreon you will now get access to our full Colombia coronavirus report early at night the day before we report the snapshot on the free Medellin Guru site the next morning. Essentially you will be able to see a preview.
Here is the full Coronavirus report for Colombia on April 1 on Patreon.
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Colombia has 24 of the Best Hospitals in Latin America
Healthcare in Colombia
Colombia has 24 of the top 58 clinics and hospitals in Latin America, according to a study in late 2019 by América Economia. So, 41 percent of the best hospitals in Latin America are found in Colombia.
Nine of these best hospitals in Latin America are located in Medellín and nine are in Bogotá. In 2017, Colombia had 20 of the top 49 clinics and hospitals in Latin America. And in 2018, Colombia had 23 of the top 58 hospitals.
So, the count in 2019 has increased to 24 of the top 58 clinics and hospitals in Latin America for 2019. In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO) ranks Colombia’s healthcare system as #22 out of 191 countries it ranked. And no other countries in Latin America were ranked higher than Colombia.
So, according to WHO, Colombia has the best healthcare system in Latin America. Also, Colombia’s healthcare system is ranked higher than many wealthier countries like the United States (#37), Germany (#25), Canada (#30) and Australia (#32).
In Colombia, it is possible to have access to world-class healthcare at a fraction of the cost compared to the healthcare costs in North America or Europe. Furthermore, the costs for healthcare in Colombia can be significantly lower than the costs found in the U.S. Due to having the best healthcare system in Latin America, Colombia is probably better positioned than many other countries in Latin America to handle coronavirus.
Health Insurance in Colombia
Health insurance is relatively inexpensive in Colombia and will cover you if you happen to catch COVID-19. One of the reasons that Colombia has such a highly rated healthcare system is due to a new constitution that Colombia drafted in 1991 that made access to healthcare a basic human right to all citizens of Colombia, as well as foreign residents of Colombia. There are three types of health insurance available in Colombia:
- EPS – Entidadas Promotoras de Salud– this is the public health insurance that is mandatory for everybody who is a resident of Colombia. The monthly premium is calculated as 12.5 percent of the monthly gross income that you declare to the EPS.
- Prepagada – this is private healthcare insurance in Colombia. The monthly premium for Prepagada varies depending on your age, the plan you choose and any pre-existing conditions.
- SISBEN – this is a free government subsidized healthcare system, which is only for very poor or homeless Colombians.
Medellin Guru has partnered with an insurance agent to offer health insurance and other insurance products like life insurance, homeowners insurance and auto insurance to foreigners and Colombians.
We partnered with bilingual insurance agent who speaks English and Spanish. And she has many foreigner clients. Over 237 Medellin Guru readers have obtained insurance through our partnership including health insurance, auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance and travel insurance. This service is easy to use, just click on the button below to get started.
Use the Medellin Guru Insurance Service
We highly recommend using a bilingual insurance agent to sign up for insurance in Colombia instead of trying to sign up yourself. Everything for signing up for insurance in Colombia is in Spanish and the forms can be complicated to fill out.
Number to Call in Medellín if You Think You Have Coronavirus
Medellín uses the 123 emergency phone number for coronavirus reports. People who in the last two weeks have been in countries where the virus circulates, and who have symptoms such as cough, fever, nasal congestion and muscle fatigue, or who have been in contact with patients who meet with the above criteria can call this emergency number.
Medellín asks residents to make responsible use of this single line of emergencies, and also recommends consulting EPS health insurance websites. Also, we have a separate article that looks at how to get a COVID-19 test in Medellín.
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:
- Colombia Needs to Ramp up COVID-19 Vaccinations
- Is Colombia Starting to Win the Coronavirus Battle?
- Nightly Curfew and Dry Law in Antioquia from March 25 to June 9
- COVID-19 Vaccinations in Colombia Start on February 17
- PCR Test: How to Get a COVID-19 Test in Medellín
- PCR Test: How to Get a COVID-19 Test in Bogotá
- PCR Test: how to Get a COVID-19 Test in Cartagena
- 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: Coronavirus in Colombia: Current Status
The bottom line is that Colombia had a total of 6,084,916 coronavirus cases as of March 31, 2022 but 97.26 percent of these cases have recovered.
Also, the number of active cases have dropped from 160,000 in August 2020 to drop to 4,224 active cases on March 31, 2022. Coronavirus is a fast-moving topic. So, Medellin Guru will be updating this popular article daily.
We will now only provide a snapshot of coronavirus cases on Medellin Guru for free. If you want to see our full coronavirus report you will need to become a Patreon member/subscriber.
Here is the full Coronavirus report for Colombia on April 1 on Patreon.
Subscribe to Medellin Guru on Patreon
Sign up for the Free Medellin Guru Newsletter – You can see all of the previous Medellin Guru weekly email newsletters and sign up here.
Editors note: updated on April 1 at 5:15 pm with current coronavirus cases counts in Colombia on April 1.
Do they check based on nationality or if you actually have been to any of the riskier countries? Like if you arrive with a German passport but don’t live there or visited there recently.
It seems they check to see if you have been riskier countries recently. I met an expat born in the U.S. who arrived today from Panama but hasn’t been to the U.S. in over a year and he said wasn’t screened.
Great coverage, Jeff. Thank you.
Thank you for this great article. I am from Canada and have booked to visit Cartagena Sept 17-29 and I hope international flights do open September 1st
I am looking to return to Cartagena in September and will probably just hold up in the Hilton Resort. Any issues I should look out for? I will be coming from Hilton Head SC USA
Hope for the best and expect the worst, Nothing is guaranteed or written in stone at this moment. It is nice to dream. That’s all any of us can do at this point
the rankings about Colombia ranking ahead of countries like the US and Germany in terms of health care is completely ridiculious. I have a friend in Colombia and I’m constantly paying out of pocket to help her with medical issues that in theory are covered by “free health care.” The truth is the system is poor and the quality of care is not anywhere near the level of care that would be available in the US or Germany. I do believe it compares favorably with other countries in Latin America. The high ranking might be due to the fact that Colombia guarantees health care for people and the US doesn’t, but the actual quality of care delivered in Colombia is nowhere near what the US delivers. That’s my opinion based on actual experience.
2 week quarantine I think.
President Iván Duque announced on Sunday, March 15, that no foreigner, except those with residence, will be allowed to enter Colombia as of March 16, as part of the expansion of measures to control the expansion of the coronavirus. If you are a foreign resident, will need a 14 day quarantine when arrive.
Thank you so much for this info. I have been travelling in Colombia for the past 1.5 month and I am waiting it out for the situation to improve. I would love to know what the situation is for domestic flights. I postponed my flight from Bogota and Medellin and wanted to use it later (hopefully in one or two months). I have stuff to pick up in Medellin. Could it be that I will be denied the flight as a foreigner? I have been in South america for more than 4 months.
No, won’t be denied domestic flights in Colombia due to being a foreigner.
I do not believe the Colombian government has the funds necessary to order the millions of doses of vaccine required to inoculate the entire population in the next 90 days.
If it happens, it will be yet another year of self-quarantine. I don’t think I can take another year of home prison.
How can a U.S. citizen living in Colombia on a retirement visa go home to the U.S. (any state, cost isn’t the issue) and get the JOHNSON & JOHNSON vaccine administered, which only requires a single injection (the others require a minimum three-week stay in the U.S.)?
My best friend lives in Nevada and told me yesterday (3/12/21) that he just got his second injection. He said it was easy to get inoculated in Nevada due to his age alone.
Colombia never planned to order the millions of doses of vaccine required to inoculate the entire population in the next 90 days.. See Colombia’s vaccination plan – Colombia, a country with a population of about 50 million people, hopes to vaccinate some 35 million people in 2021.- https://medellinguru.com/covid-19-vaccinations-in-colombia/
I am age 72 and a resident of Medellín.
According to the very comprehensive article you published here https://medellinguru.com/covid-19-vaccinations-in-colombia/ I am in Phase 2 of the rollout plan.
Phase 1 was 1.8 million people and according to the article, should be completed by the end of March. The article said that by early March, Colombia had received 2 million doses (enough for 1 million people), with most of the vaccine coming from Russia. So it appears that Phase 1 has been covered.
Phase 2 represents 7.2 million people. According to the article Colombia has acquired sufficient vaccine to inoculate 25.5 million people. The article is not clear on when these various vaccines will be delivered, although it does mention Colombia has a vaccination deal to provide 35 million doses over the balance of 2021 and early 2022. (35 million doses covers 17.5 million people)
So Phase 2 should be starting soon, before the end of March and continue through April. Since the numbers are countrywide, the only thing mentioned about Antioquia is there will be enough vaccine for around 3,000 people before the end of March. Since there are 7 million people in the Phase 2 group nationwide, the plan would have that Phase 2 population fully covered by the end of May at the latest.
I am not a math wizard and trying to correlate between doses and the number of arms to jab once or twice, my numbers are a bit goosey.
But assuming things work as planned and the government can acquire enough vaccine, people like me in Phase 2 can maybe expect to be vaccinated by the end of May. It is of course possible that the inoculation plan and delivery of supplies could be accelerated.
Look at the rollout schedule in the article. And if someone was infected with COVID-19, reportedly they only plan to give one dose, not two. So, it is complex.
This time coronavirous pandemic how can go to Colombia . I am already vaccine complete second dose .I can trivial go to Colombia ? What requirements needed coronavirus document?
NO, you need a PCR test. Being vaccinated does not matter – https://medellinguru.com/colombia-require-covid-19-test/
There are no experts especially in Colombia!!!!
Supposed top epidemiologist in Colombia predicted 800 DEATHS by April 19th . On that date there were less then 200
Nothing but scare tactics.
Watch out !!!!! as rioting,looting and robberies will accelerate in the coming weeks.
That´s what a lockdown on an early stage is for ; to cut the hosts from feeding the virus spread.
At least Colombia learned from the mistakes of Italy, Spain, UK, usa… That; and also having a functional government that believes in science and facts.
Amén brother. I find that people don’t understand prediction modeling or what flattening the curve really means.
As of today according to ourworldindata.org Colombia has given at least one dose of a vaccine to 1.1 percent of its population. It’s gonna be a long road. In the US with all its resources, it took several months to get it going at a high volume daily. Whatever timetable the Colombian government may have given at the beggining is probably vastly underestimated.
What will be the process in traveling to Colombia from the US? I’m assuming 14 day quarantine at minimum.
What are the rules concerning facemasks and toddlers?
An Uber driver recently complained to Uber that our 15-month-old toddler was not wearing a mask. Uber upheld the complaint and said that local laws required facemasks regardless of age.
Having said that, our son has been allowed to airports, airplanes, hospitals, malls, stores, etc. without any issue whatsoever.
Where can information be found concerning this detail about the law in Antioquia.
It irks me a bit that Uber is supporting this claim by the driver without a source.
Any ideas?
Wearing a face mask is reportedly required, regardless of age.
Avoid crowds. Especially the metro, buses, enclosed restaurants and bars and do not shake hands. Avoid sex workers completely.
Excellent presentation.
Does an Migrant Visa count as foreign resident for the purpose of entry March 16 and onwards?
Since it is Sunday places like visa agencies are closed. Will try to find out tomorrow.
Thank you – I am also interested in this answer as I have an M-visa.
International flights are still postponed until August 31 as of today?
Yes, international flights are scheduled to resume on September 1 – https://medellinguru.com/international-flights/ and we will update our articles if this changes.
But there are many international humanitarian flights still flying – https://medellinguru.com/humanitarian-flights/
Jeff. Thanks for a very clear, simple and informative article.
Link below to the mandatory form from Migracion Colombia. It’s numbered and once submitted it will be examined along with your passport. This is the most thorough attempt to prevent the spread of the virus,, but, as notied in this fine article, time will tell how effective it will be longer term. We have posponed are arrival in Medellin until June 1 and will look at conditions shortly before departure from the U.S.
https://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/controlpreventivocontraelcoronavirus
Jeff:
I have to get back to Colombia because my M1 visa will expire. Is the Colombian government going to waive the 6 month being outside of the country because of the Corona Virus
We haven’t seen anything announced about waiving the 6 month limit for being out of the country with M visas.
I recommend asking the visa agency we partnered with using the chat at the bottom right on this page – https://visasincolombia.com/
You need to consult with the government office. I would hope so. If not I imagine you will pay a penalty.
One big issue is you won’t be able to get travel insurance for corona virus at the moment.
Colombia just announced ban on foreigners (non residents) from Europe and Asia, just like EEU did 2 days ago
https://colombiareports.com/coronavirus-colombia-to-close-borders-for-foreign-visitors-from-europe-and-asia/
Still planning June trip but monitoring the situation – at the very minimum get Migracion to stamp the passport to reset the M visa clock, and take next flight out (Already asked lawyer about waive 180-day – not counting on it)
Thanks, the article is updated with information that starting on Monday, Colombia will ban foreign visitors from Europe and Asia. Also, updated the article with information that the border with Venezuela was closed today.
Closing the border with Venezuela will make very little difference as the border is incredibly porous all the way along the Tachira river. The only issue is whether you have a few usd to pay someone to take you across in a raft or canoe (at some points you can even just wade across).
Mexico’s southern border was porous too, the Suchiate river. They sent the National Guard and helped greatly reduce the illegal aliens invasion (95% of asylum cases are bogus)
Colombian Military can do the same here. I really hope Venezuela doesn’t get any cases as their health care system is in no condition to deal with it.
Almost the same as that wall between Mexico and the USA. a complete waste of time and money and resources.
I saw a news video today in Caracol tv with hundreds of illegal Venezuelan citizans crossing the border illegally in the province of North Santander,and the army and the police just watching them,the virus is already in Venezuela and is spreading fast,AND AS ALWAYS DICTATOR NICOLAS MADURO,IS FALSELY BLAMING COLOMBIA,there is no doctors,medicines and hospital to attend sick people so expect the death rate in Venezuela to be very high!
Just to let you know, there may have been a change to who has to complete the online form. I am flying from Panama via Copa to Bogota tomorrow and, when I went to check in online, there was the following banner at the top of the page. I could have checked in without it but did it to be safe.
‘
Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, Colombia’s Migration Authorities are requesting all travelers to fill out the Preventive Control form before traveling. Click here to fill it out.’
This is the linked page – http://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/controlpreventivocontraelcoronavirus
Thanks, the article is updated.
gracias. well the # keep changing. I was referring to the rules and procedures. and also monitor the official Migraciones site (en Espanol)
https://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/noticias
Yes, # keeps changing.
And several Medellin Guru readers traveling from other countries like Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico, not just Ecuador and the U.S. sent comments via email that had to fill out the form.
Migracion Colombia posted that starting on March 12 the declaration of “Preventive Control Against Coronavirus” form was for travelers arriving in Colombia from all countries. You could have traveled to one of the risky countries in the past 2 weeks before coming to Colombia from a less risky country.
Colombian President Iván Duque announced this Sunday that no foreigner, except those with residence, will be allowed to enter the country as of Monday, March 16, as part of the expansion of measures to control the expansion of the coronavirus.
Yes, thanks in the process of updating the article.
Article is now updated to show that no foreigner, except those with residence, will be allowed to enter Colombia as of Monday, March 16.
is this for for all countries or just Europe and Asia? https://www.elpais.com.co/ultimo-minuto/duque-cierra-frontera-con-venezuela-y-restringe-acceso-a-extranjeros-por-coronavirus.html
Starting March 16 it is for all countries. See announcement by President Iván Duque – President Iván Duque – https://twitter.com/IvanDuque/status/1239232072155303936
American Airlines airline has already announced that it will cancel its operation to Cartagena from March 17. Other airlines will surely follow.
Great update, Jeff, thank you.
How about foreigners who are already in Colombia? I arrived in Colombia a month ago, and my tourist visa lasts until the middle of May. And I would prefer not to fly back to the US right now, as it’s not clear that US cities would be any safer from the virus or related actions than Medellin. I would prefer to remain in Medellin for the duration of my visa, or maybe even try to extend it for another 90 days when the time comes. Do these announcements apply to foreigners already in the country or just new arrivals?
Hi James, thanks.
The announcement is only for new foreigners arriving. Since you are already here you will be able to extend your tourist visa/stamp about a week before it expires for another 90 days. See our popular article about extending a tourist visa – https://medellinguru.com/tourist-visa/
I suspect many tourists that are already here will be extending their time here, as things don’t look good in the U.S. or Europe or Asia.
Cite your source. I have a flight booked tomorrow. IATA is not confirming this.
All over the local news, for example – https://www.elcolombiano.com/colombia/este-lunes-inicia-restriccion-de-ingreso-de-extranjeros-a-colombia-por-covid-19-BH12624410.
Also in international news – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-colombia/colombia-will-block-entry-by-all-non-residents-from-monday-to-stop-coronavirus-idUSKBN21211B
President of Colombia Iván Duque announced this on Sunday via Twitter.
Jeff,
Thanks again for a very timely and informative article.
Thanks great piece, keep up the good work!, Dr,Marco!
Great article Jeff. I’m on a 6 month tourist visa (3+3 extension). If you can’t leave on time due to flight cancellations, any word if there’s any leniency to the normal penalties? Many may be in the same boat. Thanks!
I am in the same boat with a M1 visa. I am coming close to the six months. The last email that I got from expatgroup.co stated as of today, there is nothing yet. I am still waiting to hear more.
Correct me if I am wrong please. :):)
Unable to find out today a definitive answer from visa agencies or Migracion or lawyers. Nothing confirmed but assumption from a few I talked to today is that a foreigner with a Migrant (M) Visa outside of Colombia will be allowed entry.
Keep in mind that the locking down Colombia policy was implemented yesterday on a Sunday as an emergency policy. So, it may take a while before a comprehensive policy is published by the Colombian government. As soon as we find out a definitive answer we will update our article.
Confirmed today that foreigners can travel to Colombia with a M visa or R visa but will be subject to a 2 week self-quarantine. Can’t travel with a V visa or as a tourist.
Hello Jeff
I am a Canadian. My visitor visa was extended for another three months from Feb. 7th. I would like to know due to the Coronavirus situation would I be able to get further extension on my tourist visa or possession without penalty.
Thanks