Colombia Bans Colombians From Entering Colombia

(Bloomberg) -- Colombia is banning everyone, including its own citizens, from entering the country for a month, as authorities struggle to enforce quarantine rules amid the accelerating coronavirus pandemic.

Locals and foreigners who want to enter the country have until this weekend to do so. After that, from March 23, they will “initially” be locked out for the next 30 days, President Ivan Duque said in a televised speech Thursday.

Duque said the measure is necessary so that authorities are able to verify that recently-arrived travelers are complying with a 14-day obligatory quarantine. Last week, the migration agency said it expelled two French and two Spanish citizens who breached these rules.

Colombia so far has 108 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Earlier this week the government closed all land, sea and river borders until May 30. It also has banned gatherings of more than 50 people and ordered bars and night clubs to shut.

“We won’t stop from taking any measure that will protect the health of our citizens,” Duque said in a speech broadcast from the presidential palace in Bogota.

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