© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in BogotaBOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s mandatory quarantine will be extended by a further two weeks as it tries to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, President Ivan Duque said on Tuesday, although additional sectors will be allowed to start returning to work.
The Andean country, which has reported more than 8,600 confirmed cases, leading to 378 deaths, began a national quarantine on March 24 and has previously extended it twice. It had been set to end on Monday.
“Between May 11 and May 25 we will extend the obligatory preventative isolation but recover space for productive life,” Duque said during his nightly television broadcast.
Industrial sectors and sales of cars and other items can re-start from May 11. Manufacturing and construction had already been allowed to return to work.
“We are also going to begin to take steps in activating retail, which will…
