Empty roads are seen in Bogota, Colombia, March 20, 2020. (Photo by Jhon Paz/Xinhua)
In Bogota, the capital and the city with the highest number of infections, quarantine measures have changed all areas of life. The measures include working remotely, the obligatory use of masks in public, and restrictions on going out into the street.
BOGOTA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- "You have to obey" the quarantine rules "for the health of yourself and your family members," said Colombian worker Orfilia Cardona Ortiz, adding that everyone in her seven-person household has been participating in the quarantine amid the COVID-19 epidemic.
Friday marked the 17th day of the quarantine in the South American country, and according to authorities, the measure has resulted in progress in containing the spread of COVID-19, which as of Thursday, has infected 2,223 people and caused 69 deaths in the country.
In Bogota, the capital and the city with the highest number of infections, quarantine measures have changed all areas of life. The measures include working remotely, the obligatory use of masks in public, and restrictions on going out into the street.
Gabriela Romero, a teacher, told Xinhua that although the measures implemented are good, they are not perfect.
There are 37 exceptions for not staying in mandatory isolation, "which in my opinion is too many," Romero added.
However, the quarantine has also posed challenges for Colombians, especially for those in vulnerable sectors of society.
Ciudad Bolivar is home to more than 700,000 low-income families, many of whose members are employed as street vendors and domestic workers.
The good news is that they have received food aid donated by private foundations and distributed by Colombian soldiers, aiming to alleviate economic stress in the area.
"This aid is a great blessing, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts," said Willian Fernando Linares, a welder. "I think that the aid needs to be constant."
Furthermore, through the application of different programs, Colombian authorities hope that the poorest families in the country will also be able to comply with the isolation necessary to contain the virus.
Among these programs is "Solidarity Income," which, according to the government, will provide 3 million families throughout the country with economic aid.
Army Lt. Col. Juan Giraldo told Xinhua that he has confidence in his country's citizens, after soldiers from his battalion delivered supplies to impoverished people in the capital.
"We trust our citizens and the judgment of our leaders," he added. ■
