Colombian President Ivan Duque has announced mandatory preventive self-isolation at home for citizens aged 70 and older over the new coronavirus outbreak. The measure comes into force on Friday, 20 March, and will last till 31 May.
In his address to the nation on Tuesday, Duque also declared a state of emergency in the country to prevent the spread of the virus.
The president noted that elderly people are most vulnerable to the disease.
Ten additional cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Colombia over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number to 75. The first case was registered in early March.
The COVID-19 originated in China's Hubei province last December. After the number of people infected had increased 13-fold in the previous two weeks, the WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic.