By means of the Decree 531, 2020 issued by the Ministry of the Interior under the economic, social and ecological emergency, the national government extended the current mandatory preventive isolation from April 13 at 00:00 hours until April 27 at 00:00 hours to continue the mitigation process of the sanitary emergency caused by the Covid-19.

Pursuant to this Decree, the free circulation of individuals is restricted in the entire country. Only thirty-five activities are exempt of this measure, one more than on the Decree 457. It is important to highlight that this Decree adds as an exempt activity the execution of transport infrastructure and public work, and the activities required to maintain the supply chain of products and materials required for its execution.

In summary, such exempt activities are the following:

1. Provide assistance or render health care services.
2. Acquire essential products, which are food, drinks, medicines, clinical devices, hygiene and cleaning products, and all the goods of ordinary consumption among the population.
3. Acquire banking, financial and notarial services. Only one person per family can get out of its home for these activities and the ones provided on the previous numeral.
4. Take care or assist children, young people, adults over 70 years old, handicap people or people with any health issue that require special assistance. It is admitted that if such people need to get out of their home for any reason, they can be accompanied by one person.
5. Force majeure or fortuitous event.
6. Work on an international medical mission and in general terms all the individuals that provide health care services.
7. The production, supply, storage, transport, commercialization and distribution of medicines, cleaning products, disinfectant products, and personal hygiene products for homes and hospitals, and clinical devices required for the provision of health care services. This include the operation of ongoing concerns require for the commercialization of such supplies.
8. Provide emergency services, including veterinary emergencies.
9. Provide funeral services.
10. The production, supply, storage, transportation, commercialization and distribution of: (i) raw materials for the manufacture of essential products, (ii) essential products, (iii) food and medicines for pets, and (iv) other supplies require to respond to the emergency.
11. The sowing, harvesting, production, packaging, export, import, transport, storage, distribution and marketing of seeds, agricultural, fish, livestock and agrochemical products. As well as, animal feed and food processing center. This includes the logistic and transportation necessary for the development of such industry.
12. Provide on-site services for the commercialization of the essential products. In addition, such commercialization can be done though e-commerce platforms and delivery services.
13. Be a public employee or contractor, which work is required to prevent, mitigate and/or respond to the Covid-19 emergency and to guarantee the State activities.
14. Be part of a diplomatic mission in Colombia that need to develop any kind of activity to prevent, mitigate and/or respond to the Covid-19 emergency.
15. The Armed Forces or the National Police, and the security and defense entities of the State.
16. Develop any activity of public and private port services, only for the cargo transportation.
17. Activities related with maritime and river dredging activities.
18. The execution of transport infrastructure and public works, and the supply chain of materials and products related with its execution.
19. Revise and attend any emergency or road involvement, and infrastructure projects that cannot be suspended.
20. Intervention on any work or construction that cannot be suspended for technical stability risks, threat of collapse or that require structural reinforcement.
21. Build infrastructure to provide medical services, that is necessary to prevent, mitigate and/or respond to the Covid-19 emergency.
22. Activities needed for aeronautical operation. Note that during the terms of the preventive mandatory isolation the domestic flights are suspended, except if there are for attend a humanitarian emergency, cargo transport, force majeure or fortuitous event.
23. Commercialize products provided by restaurants services, only by means of the e-commerce platforms or its delivery services.
24. Provide hospitality activities on a hotel, only to prevent, mitigate and/or respond to the Covid 19 emergency.
25. The correct working of the IT infrastructure.
26. The correct operation of call centers, support and data center services.
27. Provide private security services, security services on the prison facilities, and cleaning services in public buildings and common areas of the private buildings.
28. The operation, maintenance, storage and provision of: (i) public services, (ii) the logistic chain of supply for the import, export and supply of hydrocarbons, biofuels, natural gas, among others, and (iii) the logistic chain of the production, supply, import and export of minerals, and (iv) internet and telephone services.
29. Provide banking and financial services, transport of securities, operation of card payment and notarial activities.
30. Provide postal services and couriers services, and work on media communication.
31. Supply and distribute essential products during the execution of any of the public programs from the government.
32. Religious activities related with public programs during the emergency, psychological or humanitarian assistance.
33. Work on any essential activity for the development of a private or public company, production facility or mine, that due to its nature and purpose cannot suspend its activities.
34. Guarantee the payment of salaries, social security obligations, or any other kind of fees for rending services.
35. Teachers or heads of public or private education institutions that require to move to carry certain activities to prevent, mitigate and/or respond to the Covid 19 emergency.
    
    

Furthermore, the Decree also provides that: (i) the restaurants and ongoing concerns that commercialize essential products, including the delivery of its products and commercialization through e-commerce platforms, can only be done between 6:00 am to 8:00 pm during the time of the mandatory isolation; (ii) all the exempt activities should be done complying with the biosafety protocols instructed by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection to mitigate the Covid – 19; (iii) the public land and maritime transport of passengers and packages is limited for the attention of the national emergency, (iv) it is forbidden to consume acholic drinks on public places during the time of the preventive mandatory isolation, and (v) local government should guarantee the rights of the health care workers.

Finally, it is important to take in account that the non-compliance of this Decree may carry sanctions provided on the Colombian criminal law that is prison between 4 to 8 years and fines up to 10,000 legal daily wages. This Decree repeals the Decree 457, 2020.

SEEDECREE531 OF2020