Epicenter of Coronavirus in Colombia: Bogotá is the Epicenter

We look at Bogotá and why it is the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia. Bogotá has experienced 29 percent of all coronavirus cases in Colombia since the start of the pandemic.

Several Medellin Guru readers have asked about coronavirus in Bogotá and if the city is the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia.

In addition, we have seen some inaccurate news articles in the past claiming that the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia was in the Caribbean coast and that the epicenter had moved to Antioquia and Medellín in August and again moved to Antioquia and Medellín in October.

However, Bogotá actually has more coronavirus cases than Antioquia or more coronavirus cases than the three departments in Colombia along the Caribbean coast on June 14:

• Bogotá – 1,096,481 cases
• Antioquia – 558,3749 cases
• Three Caribbean departments (Atlántico, Bolivar and Magdelena) – 474,698 cases

So, how can Antioquia or the Caribbean or Antioquia or another part of Colombia be considered the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia?

The bottom line is Bogotá is and remains the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia. Bogotá has more total coronavirus cases than any other city in Colombia. Also, Bogotá has more active coronavirus cases than in any other city in Colombia.

Why is Bogotá the epicenter? Bogotá is the largest city in Colombia and is densely populated. Also, Bogotá has El Dorado Airport, which is the largest international airport in Colombia. When the pandemic started in Colombia, reportedly up to 40 percent of initial coronavirus cases in Colombia were traced back to this airport.

View of Bogotá from Monserrate

Coronavirus Status in Bogotá

Bogotá is the largest city in Colombia with a population of about 7.4 million. The first coronavirus case in Bogotá was on March 6, 2020. And the peak of new daily coronavirus cases in Bogotá was reached on June 10, 2021 with 10,702 cases.

The following is the coronavirus status in Bogotá on June 14, 2021 according to Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS):

• Total cases: 1,096,481
• Active cases: 79,364
• Coronavirus deaths: 20,945
• Coronavirus hospitalization: 2,211 in the hospital and 1666 in the ICU (confirmed cases)

The following table compares these Bogotá statistics with the overall Colombia statistics to show what percent of the total in Colombia for each statistic are in Bogotá.

Comparing Bogotá with Colombia coronavirus stats, source Instituto Nacional de Salud, June 14

So, Bogotá as of June 14 had nearly 15 percent of the population of Colombia but Bogotá had 29.0 percent of all coronavirus cases in Colombia, 49.9 percent of active cases and 21.7 percent of coronavirus deaths in Colombia.

The following chart shows a running 7-day average of daily coronavirus cases in Bogotá, so you can see the trend of new cases for several months.

7-day rolling average of new daily coronavirus cases in Bogotá, data source: Instituto Nacional de Salud, June 14

The rolling 7-day average of daily cases shows Bogotá has been heading to a new peak. Bogotá is the city in Colombia that has contributed the most to the daily increase in coronavirus cases in Colombia over the past few weeks.

The following chart shows a running 7-day average of daily coronavirus cases in Colombia, so you can compare with the chart for Bogotá above and see the trend of new cases for more than the past month.

7-day rolling average of daily coronavirus cases in Colombia, source Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS) June 14

How Does Bogotá Compare to Other Cities in Colombia?

The four largest cities in Colombia are the four cities in Colombia with the most coronavirus cases on June 14:

1. Bogotá – 1.096,481  cases
2. Medellín – 324,710 cases
3. Cali – 201,613 cases
4. Barranquilla – 178,655 cases

Bogotá has more total coronavirus cases that the other three cities combined.

The following sections show the status of coronavirus on June 14 in Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla:

View of Medellín from Pueblito Paisa, photo by Jenny Bojinova

Coronavirus Status in Medellín

The following are the coronavirus status in Medellín on June 14 according to Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS):

• Total cases: 324,710
• Active cases: 10,064
• Coronavirus deaths: 11,486
• Coronavirus hospitalization: 876 in the hospital and 122 in the ICU (confirmed cases)

Coronavirus Status in Cali

The following are the coronavirus status in Cali on June 14 according to Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS):

• Total cases: 201,613
• Active cases: 4,613
• Coronavirus deaths: 5,385
• Coronavirus hospitalization: 886 in the hospital and 198 in the ICU (confirmed cases)

Coronavirus Status in Barranquilla

The following are the coronavirus status in Barranquilla on June 14 according to Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS):

• Total cases: 178,655
• Active cases: 2,726
• Coronavirus deaths: 5,078
• Coronavirus hospitalization: 157 in the hospital and 26 in the ICU (confirmed cases)

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 Curfew and Dry Law in Medellín and Antioquia from March 25 to June 9
• Colombia Needs to Ramp up COVID-19 Vaccinations
• 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: Epicenter of Coronavirus in Colombia – Bogotá is the Epicenter

The bottom line is that Bogotá is the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia. The city of Bogotá on June 14 had 29.0 percent of all coronavirus cases in Colombia, 49.9 percent of active cases and 21.7 percent of coronavirus deaths in Colombia.

Be careful about articles in the English-language press in Colombia that claim other parts of Colombia are the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia.

By every measure, Bogotá still remains the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia. Also, we expect that Bogotá will remain the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia for the foreseeable future.

Each day we update our popular article about coronavirus in Colombia, where you can see the daily cases reported for Bogotá and other cities in Colombia.

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Editors note: updated on October 30, 2020 with coronavirus data from October 29.

Editors note: updated on November 9, 2020 with coronavirus data from November 8.

Editors note: updated on January 31, 2021 with coronavirus data from January 30.

Editors note: updated on May 28, 2021 with Colombia coronavirus data from May 27.

Editors note: updated on June 15, 2021 with Colombia coronavirus data from June 14.