Colombia / Travel Coronavirus Updates

[Fun Luvr]

Bars and clubs are closed here. Manizales implemented a 7 pm curfew so I wouldn't be surprised if they try that here too. They are encouraging social distancing like everywhere else. During the day, is the best time for casa runs or to set things up for the night at your place. Closing the border to tourists was a good step as far as the virus. Might last until June. Who knows.

The Health Ministry has already announced that the borders will be closed until June 1. Hopefully, the curve will be turned by then and the ban will not be extended.

[Mojo Bandit]

As much as I hate that I cannot get into Colombia right now, I have to say they did the right thing. The last time I looked at Colombia (probably a few days ago) they had a total of 2 COVID-19 cases. Now they have 65. Damn that is a growth curve. I have to eat crow because I said in an earlier post that I did not think it would hit Colombia as fast as it did the US but going from 2-60 is fast. There testing capacity probably has not caught up to demand either. And some of these idiots who were carrying it into the country who do not have symptoms are probably running around La 70 and Parque Lleras as we speak not practicing social distancing. Staying 3 feet from everyone.

[Fun Luvr]

Great, let's hope this stays that way! I wouldn't see how blocking people leaving could help Colombia in the fight against the Corona virus!? To what countries can you fly to from Rio Negro airport, isn't it just for domestic flights?

The airport in Rio Negro (Jose Maria Cordova) is the international airport that serves the Medellin area. Olaya Herrera is the small airport in Medellin.

[JjBee62]

Great, let's hope this stays that way! I wouldn't see how blocking people leaving could help Colombia in the fight against the Corona virus!? To what countries can you fly to from Rio Negro airport, isn't it just for domestic flights?

Rionegro is the international airport. The airport in Medellin is just for domestic flights.

[Coupe66]

Anyone can leave Colombia through many airports. My neighbors left Medellin this afternoon, through the airport in Rio Negro.

Great, let's hope this stays that way! I wouldn't see how blocking people leaving could help Colombia in the fight against the Corona virus!? To what countries can you fly to from Rio Negro airport, isn't it just for domestic flights?

[Fun Luvr]

I've been doing a bit of research and the travel ban announced by Duque this evening is for all land, maritime and river crossings both in and out of Colombia, until the end of May. It does not concern air travel, which was not mentioned. So, in principal, you can still leave Colombia via Bogota airport, according to the report.

Anyone can leave Colombia through many airports. My neighbors left Medellin this afternoon, through the airport in Rio Negro.

[Coupe66]

I've been doing a bit of research and the travel ban announced by Duque this evening is for all land, maritime and river crossings both in and out of Colombia, until the end of May. It does not concern air travel, which was not mentioned. So, in principal, you can still leave Colombia via Bogota airport, according to the report.

https://www.vanguardia.com/colombia/...imas-NX2145816

[SJobs]

The Health Minister of Colombia announced today that the travel ban will be in effect until June 1.

My god, this is terrible. Is there any chance they will let people who tested negative to go in?

[AdventureSeekr]

The Health Minister of Colombia announced today that the travel ban will be in effect until June 1.

Damn that sucks, I was hoping to come back mid April, which I knew wasnt happening and figured maybe by mid May, but now that will be mid June, at the earliest, if we are all lucky. Shit, I'm going to need to find a chica with a US visa who can come here LOL.

[Fun Luvr]

The Health Minister of Colombia announced today that the travel ban will be in effect until June 1.

[MexiMonger]

I fully agree on #3 there is no need for a conspiracy theory.

Who on their right mind would want what's happening in the world, even 'iluminati' would not dare to do so.

1. A weaponized virus with a mortality rate below 25% is a pretty crappy weapon. Especially a virus which is mostly ineffective against the age groups which make up the military. Frankly a weapon that wipes out the oldest of a population tends to make a country stronger.

2. That would be a huge mind fuck. You have to coordinate a big chunk of the Chinese population, plus almost everyone in South Korea and Italy, not to mention all the other doctors, techs, patients all around the world, bring in the CDC, WHO and equivalent agencies around the world and have zero leaks.

How about a #3?

3. It's a real disease, caused by a virus which is a hybrid of SARS and COVID-2. It's new. Nobody has natural antibodies, which makes it more severe. It has a high transmission rate. It causes pneumonia. It has a high hospitalization rate. It has a relatively high mortality rate. There's no cure and no vaccine.

No need for a conspiracy theory.

[AdventureSeekr]

This really sucks. Man, you are very lucky that you got to enjoy Medellin right before the door is shut. I guess I will just read your trip reports and live through it vicariously.

This is exactly why I decided to still make the trip because I had a feeling I would be leaving just as it would be starting to really take off in the West. That timing proved to be almost exact to the day.

PR went on lockdown 1. 5 days after I landed. My petsitter cancelled on all clients immediately, no one is allowed to leave the house except for food, bank, hospital. If I didn't come back the day I did, things could have taken a real turn for the worse, ie: not being able to get a flight, standing in customs lines for 10 hours on arrival, my animals and plants being dead, not securing last minute supplies.

I got lucky in more ways than one.

[JjBee62]

Anyone have an educated guess on how long will this travel ban last?

I won't call it an educated guess, but I'm guessing a bare minimum of 6 weeks and less than 20 weeks. It looks like, once the spread reaches critical mass, it takes about 4 weeks to run its course. At a guess, we've got 3-6 weeks before it tapers off in the US.

Will it reach a tipping point in Colombia? Remains to be seen.

[SJobs]

I don't think even the airlines or countries themselves know this. If cases are still rising, we can expect bans to be extended. It's a fluid situation. We don't have these kinds of answers. More cities, states and countries are implementing increasing measures almost by the hour right now, so we are still moving in the direction of more limited movement between people. We are not close to a tipping point where it will move back the other way. It's going to be months at minimum.

This really sucks. Man, you are very lucky that you got to enjoy Medellin right before the door is shut. I guess I will just read your trip reports and live through it vicariously.

[AdventureSeekr]

Anyone have an educated guess on how long will this travel ban last?

I don't think even the airlines or countries themselves know this. If cases are still rising, we can expect bans to be extended. It's a fluid situation. We don't have these kinds of answers. More cities, states and countries are implementing increasing measures almost by the hour right now, so we are still moving in the direction of more limited movement between people. We are not close to a tipping point where it will move back the other way. It's going to be months at minimum.