This holiday weekend will have a one-night curfew and dry law in Medellín and Antioquia as preventative measures to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
According to El Colombiano, after a meeting in which the 10 mayors of the Aburrá Valley, the Antioquia Government and the Ministry of Health participated, the authorities announced today restrictive measures over the holiday weekend in Antioquia to contain coronavirus.
One-Night Curfew and Dry-Law in Medellín and Antioquia
Due to a Colombia/Uruguay soccer match and this being a holiday weekend with a national holiday on Monday, the following preventative measures were established:
- Dry Law (Ley Seca) in Medellín and Antioquia: from 2:00 pm Friday, November 13, until 5:00 am on Saturday, November 14, there will be restriction on the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
- Curfew in Medellín and Antioquia: from 11:00 pm Friday, November 13, until 5:00 am Saturday, November 14, with the goal of avoiding traffic accidents and violent events.
- Limitation of the pilot of bars: restricting until midnight on Saturday and Sunday (November 14 and 15).
These preventative measures are much less strict than were put in place the Halloween holiday weekend to minimize the impact on the economy.
Antioquia Department Coronavirus Overview
Minister of Health Fernando Ruiz provided the following current coronavirus statistics for Antioquia:
- 174,345 total cases
- 10,588 active cases
- 160,459 recovered
- 3,298 deaths
In addition, over 590,000 COVID-19 tests have been performed in Antioquia by October 12 according to INS and ICU utilization in Antioquia was 77.5 percent.
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 stricter than the preventative measures this weekend (November 13 to 16).
COVID-19 Preventive Measures in Medellín to Contain the Pandemic
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 and dry law measures being taken this weekend demonstrate that these are 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:
- 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: One-Night Curfew This Weekend in Medellín and Antioquia
Medellín and Antioquia will have a dry law starting at 2 pm on Friday, November 13, and a one-night curfew starting at 11 pm on Friday, November 13. These preventative measures over this holiday weekend are less strict than the previous Halloween holiday weekend.
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 takes COVID-19 preventive measures. We update our popular article about coronavirus hospitalization in Colombia weekly with updates on ICU utilization.
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