From December 23 it will be mandatory to present the vaccination card or certificate to enter public places, by order of the National COE

After confirming 19 new cases of the omicron variant in the country, with a total of 22 patients, the National Emergency Operations Committee (COE) made new decisions to prevent the advance of the disease. One of the measures is that as of this Thursday, December 23, the presentation of the vaccination card or certificate will be mandatory to enter public places and institutions.

The announcements were made this Tuesday morning, the Minister of Health, Ximena Garzón; the president of the COE, Juan Zapata; and the Vice Minister of Governance and Public Health Surveillance, José Rúales.

Garzón explained that the presentation of the document, with the complete vaccination scheme, will apply to people over 12 years of age who want to attend restaurants, shopping centers, food courts, cinemas, discos, tolerance centers.

Zapata added that the requirement for the card or certificate will be for non-essential activities. It will not be mandatory for work, education and health care issues. The measure will be in force until January 23, 2022, prior to a report from the Ministry of Public Health (MSP).

“If the report and the evaluation determine that it has to be extended, obviously, we will evaluate it in the National COE,” noted the president of the COE.

In addition, strict compliance with biosafety protocols is insisted: permanent use of masks, ventilation of the areas, social distancing, constant hand washing.

Regarding the status of the patients confirmed with omicron, Garzón explained that their situation is stable.

Gauges

The capacity approved by the National COE are as follows:

• With 50%: restaurants, food courts, religious temples, entrepreneurship fairs, cinemas and theaters, gyms, spas, spas and the like (they will not be able to attend the Turkish baths and saunas).

In the case of cinemas and theaters, the sale and consumption of food and drink is prohibited, so that customers do not have to remove their masks inside the rooms.

• With 75%: markets, supermarkets (the income will be one person per family), shopping centers, museums, beaches (they will operate with restricted hours from 06:00 to 18:00), financial entities, and government entities serving the public.

Suspension of public and private events

The Minister of Health indicated that an exhortation is made to the Decentralized Autonomous Government (GAD) to suspend the following activities:

• Bares
• Nightclubs and related
• Tolerance centers
• Convention centers and reception rooms (dinners, corporate lunches)
• Concerts
• Child Passes
• Processions
• Novenas in public space
• Old year festivals
• Popular festivals, festivals, popular dances
• Neighborhood events

Burning of puppets by old year

Juan Zapata clarified that the traditional burning of puppets is not prohibited, as long as it is done within the close family nucleus and not in popular or massive events that generate large crowds.

Lockdown

The President of the National COE reiterated what was said by the President of the Republic, Guillermo Lasso, regarding that there will be no confinement measures for citizens during Christmas and the end of the year.

“However, these measures will be evaluated in January. For this very reason, this citizen co-responsibility is requested, this is fundamental ”, emphasized Zapata.

Booster vaccination

The time interval for the application of the booster dose will be reduced for adults over 60 years of age, because they are the population at greatest risk. The Deputy Minister of Health explained that on December 22, the Ministry will issue a provision so that this group can receive the third vaccine on the fifth month of the second dose. For people between 18 and 59 years of age, the six-month waiting period is maintained. (I)