BOGOTA, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Colombian Ministry of Health and Social Protection on Thursday raised the country's total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 357,710, with 11,939 deaths.
According to authorities, tests detected 11,996 new infections and 315 more deaths in the last 24 hours.
On the occasion of the 482nd anniversary of the founding of Colombia's capital city, Bogota Mayor Claudia Lopez thanked citizens and businesses for their continued diligence during the pandemic, adding, "it is not about choosing between working or not working; it is about learning to work in a certain way, in a rhythm that allows us to care for life while we live with this pandemic for at least one more year."
Meanwhile, local authorities are ramping up efforts to prevent citizens from leaving Bogota to vacation in neighboring towns.
"The call to all citizens is to stay at home and protect their lives and those of their families. These controls are essential to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially in municipalities that do not present cases of the disease, to limit the risks and the speed of contagion and to control the peak of the pandemic," authorities said in a statement.
Last week, Colombian President Ivan Duque announced that he was extending mandatory preventive isolation until Aug. 30, adding areas that do not report any new COVID-19 cases would be allowed to gradually reopen shopping areas. Enditem
