Medellin Metro Area Cracking-Down on Stores over Covid-19 Biosafety; Pico y Cedula Restriction to Continue on Tax-Free Day
The Medellin Mayor’s Office announced July 1 that it is intensifying biosafety inspections and shutdowns of retail outlets that fail to comply with strict controls designed to thwart Covid-19 infections.
Meanwhile, the Area Metropolitana de Valle de Aburra (AMVA, the Medellin metro government coordinating agency) announced June 30 that “pico y cedula” restrictions will continue on Friday, July 3 – Colombia’s second of three scheduled tax-free shopping days.
This means that in our metro area – including Barbosa, Copacabana, Bello, Medellín, Envigado, Itagüí, Sabaneta, La Estrella and Caldas — only people with cedulas ending in even-numbers (0,2,4,6,8) can go out shopping on July 3.
On a related front, Colombia President Ivan Duque announced June 29 that shopping for home appliances, computers and cell phones at large-format stores — on July 3 as well as subsequent tax-free shopping days — must be done via internet rather than in-person, to avoid dangerous overcrowding. Pickup and delivery of such items also must be staggered over subsequent days in order to avoid overcrowding that otherwise could cause a spike in coronavirus infections, President Duque added.
According to the Medellin Mayor’s Office, “during the coronavirus contingency, 193 establishments have been visited to verify compliance with biosafety protocols” and “27% of the establishments have received closure measures until they apply corrective measures and comply with the [biosafety] norms.”
Medellin Health Secretary Andree Uribe added that special precautions must be taken for the upcoming tax-free sales days.
“It is very important to bear in mind that this process is one of co-responsibility, where citizens carry out all biosecurity measures such as hand washing, social distancing and the use of masks, and the retailers guarantee [biosafety compliance] in the interior [of the store], even when the capacity is 35%, which we have put as maximum for the entrance to the establishments,” she said.
Stores also must comply with Decree 0573 of 2020, which requires entry-and-exit controls along with data capture on every person visiting, which subsequently must be uploaded to the “Medellín Me Cuida” computerized data platform that aids contact-tracing and Covid-outbreak-avoidance.
As for shoppers, the Health Secretary urges people to “wear comfortable garments that are easy to clean and disinfect, avoid using accessories on your hands that make hygiene difficult, make frequent use of antibacterial gels, do not touch your face, avoid constantly adjusting your face mask and remember that social distancing is key, since using only the mask is not enough when the contact is close.
“Upon arrival at the store, verify that the establishment complies with protocols to enter, [including] requests for cedula and [‘Medellin Me Cuida’] registration, temperature taking, shoe cleaning, disinfection of hands, close access to sinks, access control to avoid accumulation people inside and good ventilation. If you identify long lines or accumulation of people inside, [then] avoid entering.
“When you get home, remove your shoes, take off your clothes and wash them separately. Take a shower and disinfect the items you purchased.
“In the following days, be very alert to any symptoms and report them immediately. Also, continue to avoid close contacts,” the Health Secretary added.
