MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

All COVID-19 restrictions lifted in Peru

According to the latest report, 20,852,181 Peruvians have taken three COVID-19 shots and only 5,394,925 were given a fourth injection (or second booster)

Peruvian health authorities Wednesday announced the lifting of the state of emergency declared amid the COVID-19 pandemic as well as all sanitary restrictions imposed thereby.

“Today the Council of Ministers agreed to lift the State of Emergency for COVID-19 thanks to the progress of vaccination and the decrease in cases. All restrictions are repealed. To those who have not been vaccinated, we urge them to do so,” said the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) on social media.

The new measure ends two years and eight months of sanitary protocols ruling people's lives. Sanitary restrictions were to be in force until Oct. 31, according to Supreme Decree No. 118-2022-PCM issued Sept. 29.

The restrictions included the mandatory use of a KN95 mask or a three-fold surgical mask plus a community mask (cloth) in health establishments, land transport service vehicles, and unventilated indoor spaces.

It is no longer necessary to have taken at least three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine for people aged 12 and over through a vaccination pass which was to be presented under any other circumstance requiring an ID.

People with respiratory symptoms, both in indoor and outdoor settings were forced to wear masks, which were optional for both students and teachers within educational institutions.

However, the date for the official lifting of the State of Emergency has not yet been indicated.

According to the latest report, 20,852,181 Peruvians have taken three COVID-19 shots and only 5,394,925 were given a fourth injection (or second booster).