The Ministry of Health issued this Tuesday the recommendation to all the inhabitants of the national territory of use the mask in closed spaces to avoid contagion of covid-19 due to the new peak that the country is experiencing.
Although the fifth peak is of lower risk, compared to previous waves, the Ministry noted that the number of deceased people has also increased slightly in the last two weeks.
“The recommendation becomes especially important, given that Colombia is currently experiencing a peak of respiratory infections, very given by the rainy season that is experienced in most of the national territory”, reported the Vice Minister of Public Health and Provision of Services, Germán Escobar Morales.
The recommendation, which is not a mandatory measure, is also to use the mask where there are crowds and when visiting or living with older people or with comorbidities.
The second recommendation of the Health portfolio is to assist care centers to start, complete or reinforce vaccination schemes against covid-19, as this will help achieve sustained immunity against the virus.
“Let us remember that vaccines have already demonstrated their high effectiveness and safety in reducing serious illness and death,” Escobar said.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, in the last week in the country 23,827 new cases were registered, 3,500 daily on average, associated with the increased prevalence of new subvariants of the omicron variant, such as BA.5.
The waves of contagion, which also affect other countries in the region, have forced nations like Peru to return to the mandatory use of masks in closed spaces.