Colombia reopens some sectors of the economy

Airports, land transport, restaurants and gyms reopened in most of Colombia on Tuesday as the South American nation attempts to reignite its economy following months of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Hospital occupancy rates and deaths from coronavirus have stabilized across much of Colombia over the past ten days, prompting the central government to lift emergency measures that had been in place for five months and included barring most people from traveling within the country.

On Tuesday Bogota's El Dorado airport opened its doors to passengers flying domestic routes, for the first time since March. Long lines formed outside bus terminals around the country.

"We follow all the biosecurity standards that we have been taught.  We are aware of the care we have to take at this time for each one takes care of their health," said Margarita Vargas, a traveler who arrived at Bogota's airport.

International flights are expected to resume later this month and land borders could open in October officials said, as the country enters a new phase of the pandemic, in which most businesses will be allowed to open, but will have to enforce biosecurity protocols.

In this new phase municipal governments will be allowed to choose if they place any additional restrictions on businesses operating within their territories.   In most cities shops, construction sites, shopping malls and factories have been running since June.

"We are not returning to things how they were before (the pandemic)" President Ivan Duque said in a nationally televised program on Monday night. "Nobody

can let their guard down and all of us must protect each other."

In the capital city of Bogota, Mayor Claudia Lopez announced that restaurants will be allowed to provide in person service starting Thursday but can only operate at 25% capacity.

Lopez said that her administration will shut down portions of 100 streets around the city from Thursdays to Sundays so that restaurants can serve more customers by placing tables outside.

The unemployment rate in Colombia has doubled to 20%  since the pandemic broke out, and GDP shrunk by 19% in the months of April, May and June according to the Central Bank, as Colombia's government enforced strict lockdown measures.

The coronavirus is still spreading in Colombia nevertheless and experts have warned that contagion could pick up as the country restarts its economy.

Throughout the last week of August Colombia reported more than 8,000 daily cases of the virus, down from a record of 13,000 cases on August 19.    The number of daily deaths peaked at 400 on August 22. That has fallen to around 300 deaths per day throughout the last week of August.

Colombia is the seventh country in the world with the most recorded cases of coronavirus with more than 610,000 people testing positive since the pandemic broke out.  Almost 20,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the South American country.