On September 21, 2020, the Colombian government, through its Ministry of Health and according of Resolution 1627 of September 15, established the biosecurity protocols for the reactivation of international flights.
The new measure is complemented by Resolution 1681 of 21 September, which adopts the biosafety protocol for the management and control of COVID-19 risk for business fair activities.
International flight reactivation
For the realization of trade fairs like interzum bogotá it is fundamental to be able to count on the presence and participation of international companies and exhibitors. Thanks to the reactivation of international flights in Colombia, it will be possible to provide security to international partners, showing Colombia as a country of opportunities, and the gateway to the markets of the Andean Region, Central America and the Caribbean.
For several months now, Koelnmesse and Corferias project teams have been working hard to ensure that the fairs are held with the highest security protocols on the fair grounds. From the beginning, the priority has been to be able to regain the confidence of the partners, exhibitors and visitors, allowing them to feel safe at all times during their participation.
Although the opening will be happening gradual and for the time being flights from Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Mexico and the Dominican Republic have been authorized, we hope that this reactivation will soon be extended to the rest of the countries.
In a second phase the Colombian government has already set out the guidelines for international travel between the countries of Panama and Curaçao, as well as other airports in Colombia such as Barranquilla, Armenia, Bucaramanga and Pereira and by the end of October, we expect the opening for the rest of countries.
Travel requirements include presenting a negative result of a PCR test done no more than 96 hours before the flight, using masks all the time and following the protocols of the airlines and airports.
The Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aeronautics and the Transport Superintendence will continue to accompany entrepreneurs and users in order to comply with the biosafety protocols in air operations.
Christian Guarin, director of Koelnmesse Colombia, believes that the organisers of the fairs have the obligation and responsibility to take an active part in the economic revival of the markets, and to this end they must work to restore the confidence of their partners. Additionally, he mentions: “At present we are facing one of the greatest challenges of the last decades, which is how to recover and reactivate ourselves in the fastest and safest way possible from the global stagnation that generated the pandemic. We do not have models that allow us to project and forecast the economic results of our companies, we must adapt fast, and work to offer the best version of our business to our clients”.
Biosafety protocols ready for trade fairs
In accordance with resolution 1681 of 21 September 2020 of the Ministry of Health, the way is clear for the development of exhibitions, congresses, conventions that seek to generate commercial contacts between supply and demand and/or access to knowledge carried out in closed exhibition centers.
This document also sets out the additional measures to be taken by event organisers in order to reduce the risk of COVID transmission during the event.
