A nightly curfew in Antioquia starts on December 13 to December 20 at night for most of Antioquia but not yet Medellín to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

Curfew in Antioquia Starts Sunday Until December 20

A nightly curfew in Antioquia starts on December 13 to December 20 at night for most of Antioquia but not yet Medellín to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

The Governor of Antioquia, Aníbal Gaviria, announced on December 10 that together with other mayors of the department they made the decision to carry out a curfew, every night, starting on December 11 until next month on January 3 according to Minuto30.

But later in the day on December 11 the dates for the curfew were changed to start on Sunday, December 13, to December 20 according to Minuto30.

As explained by the governor, this toque de queda (curfew) measure will cover all the municipalities of the Oriente, Suroeste, Occidente, Norte, Nordeste, Bajo Cauca and Magdalena Medio sub-regions of Antioquia.

At the moment a curfew is ruled out for Urabá and for the Aburrá Valley, where Medellín is located. The Governor of Antioquia was reportedly in discussion with the 10 mayors of the Aburrá Valley but an agreement hasn’t yet been reached for measures for the Aburrá Valley.

EDITOR NOTE: on December 17, according to El Colombiano, the Mayor of Medellín announced a curfew for Medellín on December 24, 25, 26 and 31 and January 1 and 2 starting at midnight each day until 6 am the next day.

Details of the Curfews in Antioquia

This preventative measure restricts the mobility of all inhabitants in the Oriente, Suroeste, Occidente, Norte, Nordeste, Bajo Cauca and Magdalena Medio sub-regions of Antioquia

The curfew starts on Sunday, December 13, from midnight (00 hours) to 6:00 am the next day, every day, until December 20.

In Medellín, there is a curfew on December 24, 25, 26 and 31 and January 1 and 2 starting at midnight each day until 6 am the next day.

Also, there are curfews in Sabaneta and La Estrella, which have a curfew for minors. There is a toque de queda (curfew) in Sabaneta for under-age minors from December 10 to January 11, 2021, between 11:00 pm to 6:00 am daily according to El Colombiano.

In addition, there is a curfew in La Estrella for under-age minors from December 10 to January 11, 2021, between 12:00 pm to 6:00 am daily. And according to Minuto30, the Bello mayor announced there will be no curfew in Bello. And Girardota announced it will not have a curfew.

Why is Antioquia Doing a Curfew?

Antioquia has been experiencing a drop in coronavirus cases over the past few day but ICU occupation in Antioquia hit 78.32 percent on December 10

On December 10, Antioquia reported 1,271 new coronavirus cases and reached a total of 225,712 cases.

Also on December 10, Antioquia had a total of 1,241 ICUs. As of December 10, 972 ICUs were occupied with 307 confirmed patients with COVID-19, 114 suspected with COVID-19 and 551 that are not COVID-19. So, the occupation of ICUs on December 10 in Antioquia hit 78.32 percent.

You will see everyone wearing masks and your temperature will be checked when entering malls and some other stores.

Previous Measures Over the Halloween Weekend

With coronavirus cases increasing in Medellín and Antioquia, the following preventative measure were put in place over the Halloween weekend that were more restrictive:

Curfew for Minors (under 18-years old) over Halloween Weekend

There was a curfew in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley and the entire Antioquia department for minors from Friday, October 30 at 6 pm, until Monday, November 2 at 6 pm. So, no minors could be on the streets for these days over the Halloween weekend.

Curfew for Adults (18-years old or older) over Halloween Weekend

Also, there was curfew for adults in Medellín and the Aburrá Valley and the entire Antioquia department from Friday, October 30, until Monday, November 1, from 10 pm each day until 6 am the following day:

From 10 pm on Friday, October 30, to 6 am on October 31
From 10 pm on Saturday, October 31, to 6 am on November 1
From 10 pm on Sunday, November 1, to 6 am on November 2

Dry Law over Halloween Weekend

In addition, there is a dry law (ley seca) over the Halloween weekend in Medellín, the Aburrá Valley and Antioquia from October 30 at 6 pm until November 2 at 11:59 pm.

So, the preventative measures over the last holiday weekend (Halloween weekend) were somewhat stricter than the preventative measures in Antioquia in December.

What Preventative Measures Could Antioquia and 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.

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

The simple curfew measures being taken in December demonstrate that is one of the most likely preventative measures to be taken in the future.

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:

The Bottom Line: Curfew in Antioquia Starts Tonight Until January

Antioquia will have a nightly curfew starting on December 13 at midnight until 6:00 am each day until December 20.

Also in Medellín, there is a curfew on December 24, 25, 26 and 31 and January 1 and 2 starting at midnight each day until 6 am the next day.

Antioquia has been taking actions to add ICU beds and reduce ICU occupancy with a goal to get to 1,400 ICUs. But ICU occupancy in Antioquia increased to 78.32 percent on December 10. So, a nightly curfew preventative measure has been established starting on December 11 until December 20 in Antioquia but could be extended.

This curfew restriction is only late at night. During the day, normal activities can continue.

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

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 December 11, 2020 with new date for the curfew in Antioquia, which are changed to December 11 to December 20.

Editors note: updated on December 12, 2020 with information about a curfew for minors in La Estrella.

Editors note: updated on December 17, 2020 with information about a curfew in Medellín.