Bogotá, June 22, 2022.  The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Fernando Ruiz, referred to the end of the health emergency, the process of returning to normality after the pandemic and the current situation of the country concerning COVID-19.

The head of the health ministry remarked that the decision to end the health emergency "was based on three pillars: to expand the capacity of the system and intensive care, which exceeded 13,000 beds and created sufficient capacity, therefore, reducing mortality, and the third was to promote the country's economic and social reactivation."

With these considerations, it was deemed paramount to start the process of normalizing the operation of the health system and the activities in different sectors that had been subjected to the health emergency in these 840 days.

"The pandemic continues; we have to be aware of this and COVID-19 will probably be with us for a long time," said the minister, reiterating that the goal is to reach the end of the year with 90% of people having received one dose, 80% with two doses and 70% with the booster, considering that there is sufficient stock of vaccines in the country to accomplish this.

Additionally, Minister Ruiz referred to the FOME investment in the emergency which totaled $45 trillion, of which about $15 trillion were in health, which includes the purchase of ventilators, construction of ICUs, and $4.5 trillion were in the National Vaccination Plan. He recalled that some measures will cease with the end of the health emergency and others will be modulated or scaled, "we will be issuing administrative acts in the coming days," he said.

National prospect

Regarding vaccination, he reported that 36% of the population should already have the first booster, mainly for people over 18 years of age, "we need to make a very big effort," he said. And regarding the second, a little more than 5%, but following medical recommendations.

"We have to maintain a sufficient number of vaccines to guarantee continuance of people vaccinated," said Ruiz, indicating that an administrative act on strategic reserves will be issued in the coming days.

The country went from 5,346 ICU beds to 13,100 when they were most needed, "and what is being considered is to start, once the emergency is over, a process of converting beds so that they are reserved, and replacing equipment that, for example, is very old," he said.

"It begins its adjustment process, transferring it to the regular immunization program to be able to keep it over time," said Minister Ruiz, referring to the future of the National Vaccination Plan (PNV) against COVID-19 and the immunization processes that will continue.

Finally, the Minister of Health assured all that he felt "an enormous satisfaction of doing my duty," and recognized the work of the National Government, as well as the Ministry, the Health Offices, EPSs, and IPSs "in their efforts to move the country forward."

"In the health sector, having responded to the country gives us a huge peace of mind. What we are seeing today in growth, reactivation, a proactive social situation, comes a lot from that effort, in addition to the possibility of having access to ventilators or personal protective equipment" he remarked, thanking the country for "the opportunity to serve."