BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia’s government will no longer require the use of face masks outdoors in areas where more than 70% of the population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, President Ivan Duque said on Wednesday.
The move is a further softening of measures adopted by the country to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as well as an incentive for people to get vaccinated.
Colombia is aiming to vaccinate at least 80% of its 50 million inhabitants.
“Those municipalities with vaccination above 70% can lift the use of face masks in public spaces,” Duque told journalists.
More than 33 million people have been fully vaccinated in Colombia, according to the health ministry, while over 8 million have received a booster shot.
Colombia has reported more than 6 million coronavirus infections over the course of the pandemic with 138,285 COVID-19 deaths, according to official numbers.
(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Bill Berkrot)
