In response to a ruling against it, the National Government, which on 31 December 2020 revised the PCR test requirement for travelers entering the country, is now seeking to expand and make more flexible the options for this condition.
(Read: Concern returns in tourism sector over PCR test requirement)
And is that after the Ministry of Health announced last Monday on its Twitter account, this Wednesday finally met Resolution 002 which states that those traveling to Colombia will have the option to perform this test on his arrival in the country.
“We maintain our position that in this sentence there is an impossibility of compliance, we ask for clarification from a judge and, based on it, we deliver the resolution under which travelers are given the possibility to take the test here in the country,” noted Health Minister Fernando Ruiz.
It should be noted that Resolution 1972 of 4 November 2020 had repealed the requirement of the PCR test, imposed in September last year once international flights were restarted. But with the issuance of the document as of December 31, 2020, the restriction is enabled again.
So with these new ads, airlines must allow passengers to verbally state the impossibility of performing the test in another country, boarding the flight.
However, it will be the passenger’s responsibility to inform the time of the migratory control on arrival, if he already has the negative result of a test carried out 96 hours before, or if the sample will be carried out in the country.
If it is taken in Colombia, it must be supplemented with a quarantine that will take at least the time in which the negative answer is issued.
And for this process, the direction in which it will keep the preventive isolation will also have to be made clear since, as the health authority says, “These demonstrations will be recorded in the migration system.”
The director of Epidemiology and Demography of Minsalud, Julián Fernández, explainedBut people will also be able to choose, as a second option, to start with a 14-day isolation in their destination city or in a hotel.
Additionally, it indicates that as has been done so far, all international travelers were called by the National Tracking Contact Center upon their entry into the country and on the fifth day to monitor for covid-19 compatible symptoms.
“All will be incorporated into the PRASS in such a way that when a traveler with symptoms is detected, isolation, testing and contact tracking are prescribed,” added Fernandez.
THE CONCEPT
As is well known, in November last year a judge of the circuit of Bogota accepted the tutelage of a lawyer in which he was urged by the requirement of the PCR test, reason for which the Government, at this point, he granted the request.
However, the concept of the Ministry of Health has been maintained that this test is not efficient as a measure to control the spread of covid-19 in those countries where there is community transmission.
Conclusion that in addition, argues the health authority, was confirmed by the Pan American Health Organization in a document dated October 9 last year, which does not recommend performing or requiring this type of pre-shipment testing and entry into countries.