The Asociación Colombiana de Medicina Interna (ACMI) and dozens more of Colombia’s leading medical associations on June 7 issued a joint declaration slamming decisions by various mayors in Colombia -- including Medellin Mayor Daniel Quintero -- declaring a “total reopening” of all businesses and mass events starting today (June 8) – even while Covid-19 cases are actually growing and many hospitals are jammed to overflowing.

The groups also slammed Colombia Health Minister Fernando Ruiz for issuing the new "Resolution 777" that conditionally allows reopening of virtually all business sectors and mass events except for cities with 85% or more occupation of intensive care units (ICUs), as currently is the unfortunate situation in Medellin and Antioquia.

However, Medellin as of today seems to be side-stepping the “85% rule.”

Making the public-health situation worse is the never-ending series of mass protest gatherings organized by the “Comite del Paro,” which includes various left-wing politicians, trade unions, some student groups and – overwhelmingly -- hundreds of thousands of young people left unemployed by the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Colombia today is among the top-10 nations in the world with the greatest number of Covid-19 cases, having doubled the daily case rate just in the last 40 days, the medical groups note.

With a reported 3.1% mortality rate for Covid-19 cases in Colombia, this means that in the next few weeks, Covid deaths could rise to between 500 to 800 people daily, according to the medical groups.

Meanwhile, emergency-room services in hospitals in Colombia's main cities are already 200% to 300% over-crowded, and ICU occupancy is well over 90% in Medellin and Bogota, according to the medical groups.

On top of all these problems, "more than 40% of health professionals present alarming levels of burnout, anxiety, depression and physical stress," according to the groups.

Meanwhile, according to a June 7 bulletin from the departmental government of Antioquia, Medellin alone reported 1,063 new cases of Covid-19 yesterday, just under half of the 2,297 new cases department-wide.

“Antioquia has an ICU bed occupancy percentage of 96.71%,” the Antioquia government bulletin added.

Ironically, Medellin Mayor Daniel Quintero issued a press bulletin June 5 bragging about the “total reopenings” starting today (June 8).

“The artistic and cultural sector will have a reopening of large capacity gatherings to 100%, with the biosafety measures approved by the national government,” according to the Mayor’s official press bulletin.

Among those upcoming events: the 15^th annual “International Tango Festival” from June 24 to 30; the annual Medellin Flower Festival and Silleteros Parade from August 12 to 22; and the large-crowds “Colombiamoda” and “Colombiatex” trade shows at Medellin’s Plaza Mayor convention center, he said.

In the case of the Tango Festival concerts, “we are going to have some stands for people who are vaccinated and others for those who are not vaccinated, and we are going to have different distances” between people to help avoid more infections, Mayor Quintero stated.

Vaccination Rate Growing

Meanwhile, Colombia’s Health Ministry announced June 4 that at least 17 million Colombians should have gotten at least one dose of Covid vaccine by end-June.

While more than 11 million Colombians have already gotten at least one dose, vaccination rates are increasing to a range of 200,000 to 300,000 people daily, according to the Ministry.

Health Vice-Minister Luis Alexander Moscoso added that “it would seem illogical to generate a [total economic] reopening, but precisely these are the moments in which we have to build the future” as Colombia faces the twin crises of massive unemployment among youth along with high numbers of Covid-19 cases.

Meanwhile, Health Ministry director of prevention Gerson Bermont added that the “Comite del Paro” demonstrations and road blockades over the past four weeks have exacerbated Covid-19 problems.

“There were difficult days when we were not able to bring vaccines to IPS [hospitals and clinics] or to municipalities due to the blockades,” Bermont stated.

Despite the violent protest actions, Colombia nevertheless has managed to import 16.2 million doses of vaccines, of which 14.3 million doses have been delivered to various cities and territories and more than 11 million doses have been applied, including about 3.5 million second doses, he noted.

Colombia Health Minister Fernando Ruiz announced this morning (June 3) that Colombia has abolished the current mandate for airports to demand that international passenger arrivals must have passed a PCR test against Covid-19 infections -- and likewise will no longer require “Coronapp” cell-phone health data for domestic airline passengers.

Simultaneously, Minister Ruiz revealed that under new rules, cities can begin reactivating many types of businesses and events – under certain conditions -- which heretofore have been banned or severely restricted because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Under the new “Decree 580” and “Resolution 777” rules, cities that have more-than 85% occupancy of intensive care units (ICUs) cannot undergo “total reactivation” starting next week -- contradicting a June 1 public proclamation made by Medellin Mayor Daniel Quintero claiming that Medellin will have “total reactivation” starting June 8.

The obstacle: Medellin and Antioquia have ICU capacities well over 90% because of continuing high levels of Covid-19 cases, according to the most recent Antioquia departmental data.

“As long as a municipality is above 85%, all restrictive measures are maintained, especially in what has to do with bars, discos, events and crowds,” Minister Ruiz explained.

But whenever a municipality falls below 85% of ICU occupancy, then “opening possibilities are generated with capacity adjusted to the progress of the National Vaccination Plan,” according to the new Ministry rule.

“A city lower than an [85% ICU occupancy] percentage can start with 25% capacity for open public events,” according to the Minister. “Even in closed events, recommendations are included where the minimum distance [between people] can be one meter, which increases the capacity,” as is currently allowed for church or synagogue services and gymnasiums, he added.

“For such scenarios there are special measures such as the use of face masks, which is reinforced in the new regulations, ventilation, washing and disinfection of hands, the new minimum distance between people and indications for self-care,” according to the Ministry.

The new rules allow “a safe opening with conditions that allow us to graduate [to more liberal standards] as vaccination grows and as cities pass that third peak” of the current “third wave” of Covid-19 infections, Ruiz explained.

“This does not mean that we cannot have a fourth peak. The impact continues, but also as we manage to vaccinate, advance and finish ‘phase 1’ of vaccination, of these three initial stages where we are with the most vulnerable people, we can surely have an affectation with a lower mortality rate,” he added.

Compulsory and correct use of a face mask, constant hand washing or disinfection and physical distancing are part of the general measures that are maintained under the new rules, he added.

The current lengthy procedures to obtain permits for the holding of events will be replaced by an "index that we are creating, called the 'Resilience Index,' which basically determines how far along a city is advanced in vaccination, how much is the ICU occupation, what is the prevalence of infected people in that city, and the positive testing rate of the virus through tests," he added.

More Vaccines, More Private Options

Meanwhile, millions more vaccines from foreign vendors are arriving in Colombia this week, hence supporting and advancing the National Vaccination Plan, he said.

“Yesterday [June 2] 580,000 Pfizer vaccines arrived in the country and today [June 3] another 500,000 from the same laboratory will arrive. Tomorrow will arrive another 1 million vaccines from AstraZeneca and next Sunday [June 6] another 1 million doses of vaccines arrive from Sinovac,” he revealed.

As for the upcoming plan to allow private companies to vaccinate their employees, this is likely to start by the end of June, he explained.

“At this moment we already have an agreement with a significant number of [companies and employee associations] for vaccines acquired through the contract that the national government has with Sinovac, where progress is being made in the acquisition of 2.5 million vaccines,” he added.

This week, the Health Ministry will issue a resolution “that refines aspects for the vaccination of private individuals,” he explained.

Medellín Mayor ‘Total Reactivation’ Plan Includes Tax Cut Proposal

On a parallel front, Medellin Mayor Daniel Quintero announced June 1 that as part of the claimed “total reactivation” of the local economy supposedly starting June 8, new job-building tax cuts for businesses will be proposed to the Medellin City Council this month.

“The incentive for foreign investment will be given through the reduction of the Industry and Commerce Tax for companies that have settled in Medellín,” according to the Mayor’s office.

“We are going to reduce taxes for those who help us to reactivate the economy of the city. We want to encourage technology-based companies to locate in Medellín,” Quintero stated.

The new, five-year tax breaks would apply to “technology-based companies based in the city, including those created last year,” according to the Mayor’s office.

“In the first and second year they will have a discount of 100%, in the third of 80%, in the fourth of 60% and in the fifth of 40%.

“Companies that are located in ‘Orange Development Areas’ (San Ignacio, Comuna 13, Prado and Perpetuo Socorro) will have benefits in the payment of their industrial and commercial obligations. In the first year, the discount will be 100%, in the second, 80%, in the third, 60%, in the fourth, 40%, and in the fifth, 20%.”

The proposal also includes foreign companies that newly set-up and create jobs in Medellín. Such companies “will receive tax benefits for five years, with a discount of 100% in the first year, 80% in the second, 60% in the third, 40% in the fourth and 20% in the fifth,” according to the Mayor’s office.

“It is expected that in mid-June the Medellín Council will have a free hand to proceed with the proposals made to reactivate the city’s economy,” including the expansion of international tourism to the city, the office added.