Omicron variant impact in Colombia could decrease in two weeks: Ministry of Health

Health Minister Fernando Ruiz expressed optimism about the evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, revealing that in two weeks the number of people infected and victims of the Omicron variant would decrease.

Within the framework of the VII High Level Political Dialogue between Colombia and the European Union, the official announced that Colombia must face new challenges in dealing with the disease.

“We have an impact on practically the entire country, and We are reducing the impact, so we hope that in two weeks we will reduce it.“, the senior official said.

He added that The expectation is placed on the development of the pandemic worldwide, which may continue to have an impact in Colombia.

“Of course there is uncertainty about what will come next,” he said. At the event, which was also attended by the Vice President and Foreign Minister of the Republic, Marta Lucía Ramírez, he allowed the Government to highlight the investments it has made in dealing with the pandemic.

“Colombia has made a giant effort to care for the population, To date, 3.5 billion euros have been invested in the pandemicThis meant expanding our ICU capacity from 5,346 beds to 13,200 in less than a year,” he said.

He stressed that there has also been equal care for the entire Colombian population. “We have managed to increase care throughout the country, and the principle of equity has been fundamental. No Colombian has had preferential access to an ICU bed. We centralized everything in each territory and decisions were made regardless of social class, profession, or anything else. Everyone had access and the beds throughout the country were unified under the same criteria,” he said.

Ruiz highlighted the progress that has been made in getting Colombia back to producing vaccines. “Before the end of the Government, in Colombia there will remain a State policy of Sovereignty and Health Security, Therefore, the country will have to develop a basis for minimum production levels that will enable it to confront future pandemics with better attention to them,” he said.

In presenting these government advances, Minister Ruiz asked the representatives of the European Union for a greater transfer of technologies and strategies that will allow the country’s projects to advance.

“I would also like to thank the European Union for its generosity., We have secured today 17 million vaccines donated through the management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Of this figure, 58% has been donated by the EU,” he added.