We look at Bogotá and why it is the epicenter of coronavirus in Colombia. Bogotá has experienced 29.3 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 few months 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 January 30:
- Bogotá – 610,855 cases
- Antioquia – 324,932 cases
- Three Caribbean departments (Atlántico, Bolivar and Magdelena) – 207,823 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 January 15 with 8,445cases.
The following is the coronavirus status in Bogotá on January 30 according to Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS):
- Total cases: 610,855
- Active cases: 42,315
- PCR tests completed: 2,385,783
- Coronavirus deaths: 12,559
- Coronavirus hospitalization: 3,331 in the hospital and 1,530 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, Jan. 30
So, Bogotá as of January 30 had nearly 15 percent of the population of Colombia but Bogotá had 29.3 percent of all coronavirus cases in Colombia, 38.9 percent of active cases and 23.4 percent of coronavirus deaths in Colombia.
In addition, as the largest city in Colombia with the most testing labs, Bogotá has done 33.2 percent of all PCR tests in Colombia, which is 331,520 PCR tests per million.
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, Jan. 30
The rolling 7-day average of daily cases in Bogotá peaked in mid-January. Bogotá is the city in Colombia that has contributed the most to the daily increase in coronavirus cases in Colombia. And as cases started to drop in Bogotá the number of cases also dropped in Colombia overall.
The following chart shows a running 6-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 running average of new daily coronavirus cases in Colombia, data source: Instituto Nacional de Salud, Jan. 31
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 January 30:
- Bogotá – 610,855 cases
- Medellín – 181,964 cases
- Cali – 121,602 cases
- Barranquilla – 69,790 cases
The following table compares these four cities in terms of total cases per million, active cases per million and coronavirus deaths per million.
Comparing four cities in terms of total cases, active cases and deaths per million, Jan 30
Bogotá has more total cases and active cases per million out of all four cities.
The following sections show the status of coronavirus on December 7 in Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla and compares with the totals in Colombia:
View of Medellín from Pueblito Paisa, photo by Jenny Bojinova
Coronavirus Status in Medellín
The following are the coronavirus status in Medellín on January 30 according to Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS):
- Total cases: 181,964
- Active cases: 9,395
- PCR tests completed: 594,581
- Coronavirus deaths: 3,208
- Coronavirus hospitalization: 913 in the hospital and 168 in the ICU (confirmed cases)
The following table compares these Medellín statistics with the overall Colombia statistics to show what percent of the total in Colombia for each statistic are in Medellín.
Comparing Medellín with Colombia coronavirus stats, source Instituto Nacional de Salud, Jan. 30
Medellín has done 8.3 percent of the PCR tests in Colombia or 244,986 PCR tests per million in population.
Coronavirus Status in Cali
The following are the coronavirus status in Cali on January 30 according to Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS):
- Total cases: 121,602
- Active cases: 7,838
- PCR tests completed: 422,970
- Coronavirus deaths: 3,398
- Coronavirus hospitalization: 1,293 in the hospital and 261 in the ICU (confirmed cases)
The following table compares these Cali statistics with the overall Colombia statistics to show what percent of the total in Colombia for each statistic are in Cali.
Comparing Cali with Colombia coronavirus stats, source Instituto Nacional de Salud, Jan. 30
Cali has done 5.9 percent of the PCR tests in Colombia or 189,843 PCR tests per million in population.
Coronavirus Status in Barranquilla
The following are the coronavirus status in Barranquilla on January 30 according to Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS):
- Total cases: 69,790
- Active cases: 2,291
- PCR tests completed: 452,239
- Coronavirus deaths: 2,108
- Coronavirus hospitalization: 102 in the hospital and 13 in the ICU (confirmed cases)
The following table compares these Barranquilla statistics with the overall Colombia statistics to show what percent of the total in Colombia for each statistic are in Barranquilla.
Comparing Barranquilla with Colombia coronavirus stats, source Instituto Nacional de Salud, Jan. 30
Barranquilla has done 6.2 percent of the PCR tests in Colombia or 374,991 PCR tests per million in population, which is more tests per million than in Bogotá.
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:
- PCR Test: How to Get a COVID-19 Test in Medellín
- 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 January 30 had 29.3 percent of total coronavirus cases in Colombia, 39.8 percent of active cases and 23.4 percent of coronavirus deaths, while Bogotá only has about 15 percent of the population of 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, even though cases in Bogotá have dropped from a peak in mid-January. 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 September 13, 2020 with coronavirus data from September 12.
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: update on January 31, 2021 to add PCR tests per city.
Nice post, I agree that Bogota is the epicenter. I see today INS just reported another 4,620 cases for Bogota.
That Bogota Post news saying the epicenter shifted to Medellin was a joke, clearly they have a bias.
It looked like flattening curve in beginning of July.
WHAT happened after July 17 ??? Lack of personal responsibility ??? Kennedy should have been permanently sealed off.
At this rate, how can borders reopen and international travel resume in 14 days ???
I have urgent business matters requiring in-person inspection of properties and there are legal procedures requiring in-person
Great work Jeff.
I’m reading on the Twitter account for José María Córdova airport that people have had their flights cancelled to Bogota. They are trying to find alternative routes to enter the country. Makes sense to stop flights in and out of Bogota given the amount of cases there.
Yes, no flights from José María Córdova airport to Bogotá, can see that in our article about domestic flights resuming – https://medellinguru.com/domestic-flights-resume/.
El Dorado airport in Bogotá plans to have a pilot of 3 flights the first week in September to Cartagena, San Andres and Leticia.
Now planning travel. the New Cases Graph (Bogota) is 9/12.
Can it be updated? or please provide the link from salud (or saludcapital – #13 does show RT below 1 to .66)
can’t seem to find it or its your own graph? Want to see cases on definite downward trend
gracias
Article will likely be updated next week.
Is PCR testing required for DOMESTIC travel (Air, Bus) ? ie, BOG-MDE
Also plan 2 day trip to Panama, since Colombia require within 96 hours (4 days), it could be possible to use the same test both to enter PA and return to CO?
No PCR test needed for domestic travel, only for domestic trips to San Andres – see – https://medellinguru.com/domestic-flights-resume/
I was just in bogota. People coughing on airplanes and also in hotels. Or have mask with nose down. Its a joke. Luckily fatality rate is less than 1% for my age group so im not worried. But if this was ebola with a higher fatality rate we would be in trouble. Most likely even more have it but just arent getting tested…